Students keeping an eye on portion size
If you’re taking crisps to have with your lunch, check the kcal per 100 g and how much you plan to eat. The figure given per portion is only useful if that portion matches yours.
Who are these criteria useful for?
Students interested in a lower-fat recipe
Oven-baked crisps or a lentil-based recipe might catch your eye. Compare fat, kcal and salt separately before choosing.
Students with allergen concerns
For flavoured or lentil-based crisps, check the ingredients and any may-contain warnings on the exact pack you’re buying.
What should you check before choosing?
For a snack at university, start with how much you plan to eat, then look at the other factors that could influence your choice.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Calories consumed | Compare the kcal per 100 g, then consider how much you’ll actually eat. Figures per portion are only comparable if the portions are the same size. | If I want to keep the calories in my university snack in check, I need to think about what I’ll eat, not just read the pack weight. Around 42% of consumers prioritise the calories in their snack. |
| Fat | Check the fat and kcal per 100 g; look at the Nutri-Score if it appears on the packaging, but don’t use it to infer the calorie content. | I’m interested in a lower-fat recipe, but I want to know how many calories it contains before taking it with me. Reducing fat is the main priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Pack size and allergens | Check the pack weight, as well as the ingredients and allergen information for the recipe you’ve chosen. | For lunch at university, I need a pack that’s easy to take with me and, if I have an allergy, a recipe that meets my needs. These practical or dietary considerations come first for around 25% of consumers. |
Common misconceptions to avoid
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Assuming ‘lower fat’ means ‘low in calories’
A reduction in fat doesn’t, by itself, tell you how many kcal a product contains. The European Commission reserves the claim ‘low energy’ for solid foods containing no more than 40 kcal per 100 g.
To compare the crisps mentioned here, use their kcal per 100 g and don’t treat ‘lower in calories’ as a claim that they are low in energy.
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Confusing pack weight with a portion
Pringles France lists Original pack sizes of 40 g, 70 g and 200 g. The size you choose determines how much is in the pack, not the nutritional values per 100 g.
Decide how much you’ll take with you and have as a snack before comparing the stated portion sizes.
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Assuming lentil crisps are suitable for everyone with allergies
The listing for Vico Fine Herbs Lentil Crisps says they may contain gluten, soya and milk, and notes that they are made in a facility that uses peanuts.
If you have an allergy or need to avoid certain ingredients, check the ingredients and may-contain warnings on the exact pack before buying.
Brands to know when comparing
Lay’s
The Oven Baked Original product is a potato crisp sold in a 130 g bag, according to the Auchan listing consulted.
- Auchan lists 442 kcal and 13 g of fat per 100 g, as well as 133 kcal per 30 g portion.
- Lay’s says it contains less fat than other crisps; that comparison doesn’t mean it is ‘low energy’.
Vico
Fine Herbs Lentil Crisps are a puffed lentil-based snack, sold in an 85 g bag according to the Carrefour listing consulted.
- Vico gives this product a Nutri-Score of B; the Carrefour listing states 453 kcal and 19 g of fat per 100 g.
- The Nutri-Score doesn’t replace checking the kcal or allergen information on the pack.
Pringles
Pringles Original crisps are stacked in a tube; Pringles France lists pack sizes of 40 g, 70 g and 200 g.
- These pack sizes let you choose how much to take with you.
- Pringles France lists 528 kcal, 31 g of fat and 1.0 g of salt per 100 g of Pringles Original.
Crisps to take away from Joybuy
These two products come in different sizes for a snack to take to university. To compare their calorie content, check their nutritional information and choose how much you plan to eat.
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Modern China Tea Shop Seaweed Sandwich Little Crisps, 14 g
The 14 g size makes it easy to take a small pack with you for a snack at university. If calories or allergens affect your choice, check the nutritional information and ingredients on the packaging.
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MARETTI Bruschette Chips Sour Cream & Onion, 150 g
This 150 g bag could suit you if you’d like to decide for yourself how many bruschetta crisps to take with you. Don’t confuse the pack weight with a portion: check the kcal per 100 g and allergen information on the packaging.
Frequently asked questions
Can these crisps be described as ‘low in calories’?
No, not under the ‘low energy’ claim for the products compared here. The European Commission sets a maximum of 40 kcal per 100 g of solid food for this claim, while the Auchan, Carrefour and Pringles France listings give figures of 442, 453 and 528 kcal per 100 g for Lay’s Oven Baked Original, Vico Fine Herbs Lentil Crisps and Pringles Original, respectively.
Should you compare kcal per portion or per 100 g?
Start with the kcal per 100 g to compare products on the same basis, then consider how much you’ll eat. EU food labelling rules require energy to be declared per 100 g; Auchan also lists 133 kcal per 30 g of Lay’s Oven Baked Original.
Are Vico Fine Herbs Lentil Crisps suitable for people with allergies?
Check the ingredients against the allergens you need to avoid. The listing for this product says it may contain gluten, soya and milk, and notes that it is made in a facility that uses peanuts; check the information on the pack you buy.