People who want to take a sealed portion
If you’re carrying crisps in a gym bag, an individual pack means you don’t have to take a large, already-opened pack with you. Check the weight of each pack and how much room it will take up in your bag.
Who are these formats suitable for?
People who portion out a larger pack
A larger pack is a good choice if you’re preparing several portions or sharing. If you want to take it with you after opening, make sure you seal it carefully or transfer the amount you want into a suitable container.
People who pay attention to ingredients
To compare two recipes, check the nutritional information, including the salt per portion and per 100 g, as well as the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging you choose.
What should you look for before choosing?
When choosing a snack to carry in your gym bag, start with how much you want to take, then choose the packaging and recipe that suit your other needs.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Carrying the pack | Individual packs and the weight of each one. | If I’m putting a snack in my bag without any extra preparation, I want it to stay sealed during the journey. Around 36% of consumers put this need for easy transport first. |
| How much to take | Total weight and how much you’ll need to take from a larger pack. | For several outings or when sharing a pack, I’d rather portion out the crisps myself than take the whole pack. Around 29% of consumers prioritise being able to choose the amount. |
| Nutritional information | Salt and fat per 100 g and per portion; Nutri-Score, if displayed. | When I’m choosing between two recipes, I want to be able to compare their labels on a like-for-like basis. Around 21% of consumers put nutritional information first. |
| Ingredients and storage | Allergens on the packaging; instructions for after opening. | If the exact ingredients or how the crisps will keep in my bag are important, I check the pack I’m taking with me. For around 14% of consumers, this is their main concern. |
An individual pack and a larger bag aren’t equally convenient to carry: the former gives you a sealed portion, while the latter means you’ll need to prepare or protect the amount you take. When comparing recipes, always compare values on the same basis and take the portion you actually plan to eat into account.
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming ‘oven-baked’ or the Nutri-Score tells you everything about the ingredients
These details don’t replace checking the salt, fat, ingredients and allergens for the product you’ve chosen. Where it appears on the pack, Nutri-Score gives an overall nutritional rating according to its labelling system; it doesn’t describe each characteristic individually.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion on the packaging of the recipes you’re considering.
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Assuming a ‘plain’ recipe has no allergens to check
A recipe name alone doesn’t tell you exactly what’s in it. The DGCCRF states that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted on the label of prepacked foods.
If an allergen is a concern for you, check the ingredients list and any ‘may contain’ statements on the pack you receive.
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Putting an opened pack straight into your bag
If the pack isn’t properly sealed, the crisps can be exposed to moisture and crumbs may spill out. Auchan advises that its larger pack of crisps should be kept away from heat and moisture.
Take an unopened pack with you, or put the amount you want in a clean container that closes securely.
Brands to know
Vico
Vico offers potato crisps, including La Classique, as well as a paprika-flavoured lentil crisp recipe.
- Vico’s product information for La Classique lists French potatoes and sunflower and rapeseed oils.
- Vico gives its paprika lentil crisps a Nutri-Score B. Check the ingredients and allergens for this recipe rather than assuming it’s the same as potato crisps.
Lay's
The Lay's range includes plain potato crisps in individual packs and a Cuites au Four Nature product.
- The individual plain packs let you choose a sealed pack to take with you.
- A claim made about Cuites au Four Nature doesn’t automatically tell you about the salt or allergens in other Lay's products.
Pringles
Pringles Original crisps are stacked in a tube. Pringles lists 40 g, 70 g and 200 g packs for this product.
- These pack sizes let you choose the amount that best suits your plans.
- The Original recipe contains, among other ingredients, dehydrated potatoes and maize, wheat and rice flours. Check the label of the variant you buy.
Carrefour
Carrefour and Carrefour Classic' offer crisps in different formats, including a large pack of plain crisps and multipacks of individual packs.
- Depending on the product, you can choose between a pack to portion out yourself and crisps that are already individually packed.
- Check the weight of each pack and the exact recipe before choosing a multipack for your bag.
Leclerc / Marque Repère POM'LISSE
The POM'LISSE range includes plain crisps in a large pack and a six-pack of 30 g bags, as featured by E.Leclerc.
- The multipack of individual bags is a convenient way to take a sealed portion with you.
- With a large pack, you’ll need to prepare the amount you want to take and protect the rest once it’s open.
Auchan
Auchan offers plain crisps in a large pack and another product packed in six individual bags.
- The individual packaging means you can take just one pack with you when you’re out.
- Auchan’s information for its larger pack recommends keeping the crisps away from heat and moisture. Check the instructions on the packaging you buy, too.
Crisps to consider on Joybuy
This selection includes small packs of potato crisps and recipes made with other vegetables. Compare their weight and ingredients to find the right option for your bag; they’re not all individual portions of 25 to 30 g.
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TORRES Selecta Chips Iberian Ham, 50 g
This 50 g pack is a good choice if you want to take a smaller amount of potato crisps with you. Check its dimensions if space in your bag is limited, and look at the ingredients if the recipe’s composition matters to you.
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Lays Potato Chips Original Flavour, 90 g
This potato crisp product is a good choice if 90 g is the amount you want to take with you. If you plan to put the pack back in your bag after opening, check its dimensions and how it closes.
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Be & Cheery Sweet Potato Crisps Original Flavour, 70 g
This 70 g pack offers a sweet potato-based recipe rather than traditional potato crisps. If you’re comparing the two categories, check the nutritional information on the packaging instead of assuming an overall difference based on the featured ingredient alone.
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SAMAI Veggie chips, 57 g
This 57 g pack is a good choice if you’re looking for vegetable crisps to take with you rather than a traditional potato recipe. Check the ingredients list and how the pack closes to make sure it meets your needs for ingredients and transport.
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LAY'S Hot nori seaweed potato crisps, 75 g
This 75 g pack of potato crisps is a good choice if you want to take this flavour with you rather than a plain recipe. Check the ingredients and allergen information for the variant you buy, and check its dimensions if your bag is short on space.
Frequently asked questions
Should you choose an individual pack for a gym bag?
Choose one if you want to take a sealed portion with you without preparing another container. If you’d rather take the amount you want from a larger pack, protect that portion while you’re on the move and reseal the remaining crisps.
How can you compare the salt in two crisp recipes?
First, compare the salt per 100 g on both labels, then check the amount in the portion you plan to eat. Where displayed, Nutri-Score gives you another piece of nutritional information, but it doesn’t replace checking the salt content.
Where can you check the allergens in a pack of crisps?
Read the ingredients list and any ‘may contain’ statements on the packaging for the recipe you buy. For prepacked foods in France, the DGCCRF states that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted in the list.
How should you carry crisps after opening the pack?
Seal the pack carefully or transfer the portion you want to take into a clean container that closes securely. Don’t leave it exposed to heat and moisture in your bag.