If you’re preparing several lunchboxes, choose a multi-pack with enough bags and a suitable weight per bag for the portions you need to take with you. For sharing straight away, a large bag can also work if you’re able to portion it out. Before a sports activity, this format mainly makes it easier to hand out portions. Check the recipe, particularly the salt, fat, ingredients and allergens, and don’t assume crisps are a suitable snack for every type of activity.
The benefit of individually wrapped bags depends first and foremost on how you plan to hand them out, not simply on the fact they come in a multipack.
If each lunchbox needs a sealed bag, check the number of bags and their individual weight. Product listings for Vico, Lay’s, Carrefour Classic’ and Pom’Lisse show multipacks of six bags, with individual weights ranging from 25 to 30 g, depending on the product.
Individual bags make it easier to hand out snacks while travelling or before a match. If people have different tastes, an assortment can be useful, but check each recipe rather than assuming all the flavours contain the same ingredients.
To choose a specific product, compare its ingredients, any allergens and nutritional information, particularly the salt and fat content. INSEP advises that eating around sport should take account of the needs of the activity and the individual.
First decide whether the crisps need to go into individual bags or will be served on the spot, then check the ingredients in your chosen recipe.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Portions to take with you | Number of bags and net weight of each one; several plain varieties listed by retailers come in six bags of 25 to 30 g. | When I’m filling several lunchboxes, I want to be able to put a sealed bag in each one without opening or portioning out a large bag. Around 46% of consumers prioritise having portions ready to take with them. |
| Recipe before an activity | Ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for the exact product, particularly its salt and fat content. | Before a training session, the ingredients matter more to me than the pack size alone, especially if someone needs to avoid an ingredient. This is the top priority for around 45% of consumers. |
| Flavours to share | Flavours in the pack and the ingredients in each recipe. | When handing out bags to a group with different tastes, I look for a selection of flavours without assuming everyone will like them all. Variety comes first for around 9% of consumers. |
A large bag can be shared on the spot, but it doesn’t provide sealed portions that you can put straight into each bag.
If the portions need to be taken separately, check the number of bags and the weight of each one before choosing a size.
Portioning out a large bag also takes time and requires suitable containers.
The packaging makes it easier to hand out portions; it doesn’t tell you whether the recipe suits someone’s needs before an activity. INSEP points out that these needs vary depending on the activity and the individual.
Choose the pack for convenience, then check the ingredients rather than automatically replacing your usual snack with crisps.
A mixed pack may contain different ingredient lists. A flavour name alone isn’t enough to tell you whether it contains an ingredient someone needs to avoid.
Read the details for each flavour before handing out the pack, particularly if someone has an allergy or dietary restriction.
These examples relate to specific products and pack sizes, not every product from each brand.
Carrefour lists Vico La Classique in six 27.5 g bags and Vico Extra Craquantes in six 30 g bags, both in the plain variety.
Auchan lists plain Lay's crisps in six 25 g bags, as well as an assortment of flavours in individual bags.
Carrefour lists plain Carrefour Classic’ crisps in a pack of six 30 g bags.
E.Leclerc lists plain Pom'Lisse crisps in six 30 g bags. The product listing gives the ingredients as potatoes, sunflower oil and salt.
Auchan’s multipack range includes, among other options, traditional-style crisps in six individual 30 g bags.
This pack of Teriyaki potato crisps could be handy for handing out sealed bags to a group. However, its 100 g bags are larger than the 25 to 30 g sizes mentioned for lunchboxes, so check that the quantity suits your needs.
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This multipack is suitable for handing out individual bags if 100 g portions are what you’re looking for. For a small lunchbox or a snack before sport, consider whether this weight per person is right for you, as well as the ingredients in the Teriyaki recipe. If anyone in the group needs to avoid soya or wheat, check the allergen information before sharing the bags.
No. They make portions easier to share, but that doesn’t mean the recipe suits everyone’s needs. INSEP advises that your diet should be adapted to your sport and your individual needs, so choose a snack based on the activity you have planned, not just the packaging.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer: choose based on what’s in the lunchbox and the portion you want. Listings for Lay’s, Vico La Classique, Carrefour Classic’ and Pom’Lisse show individual bags of 25, 27.5 or 30 g, depending on the product. Check the weight of the pack you’re considering before you buy.
Check the ingredients and allergens for each flavour, as well as the nutritional information for the product you choose. An assortment of Lay’s listed by Auchan includes Barbecue, Roast Chicken and Cheese flavours, among others. Don’t assume these recipes have the same ingredients.
No. Even if a product listing, such as the one for E.Leclerc’s plain Pom’Lisse crisps, shows a short list of ingredients, you should still check the allergen information on the packaging of the product you actually choose.