Who are these criteria for?

Parents comparing calories

When getting snacks ready for the school holidays, you check the calories and fat per 100 g before choosing a flavour or pack size.

Families keeping an eye on salt

You make salt your top priority, without assuming that crisps with less salt also contain fewer calories.

People organising snacks

For a day out or a group snack, you’d rather know how much is in each bag than serve straight from a large pack.

What should you compare before choosing?

For a school-holiday snack, first compare the nutritional information on the same per-100 g basis, then decide how much to serve.

Criteria What to check Who is it for?
Calories and fat Compare the calories and fat per 100 g. Don’t assume a product has fewer calories just because it says ‘oven baked’. For school-holiday snacks, I want to choose a recipe by looking at its calories first, then its fat content. Around 50% of consumers put this criterion first.
Salt Check the salt content per 100 g and the reference used for any claim that it has been reduced. If salt matters more to me, a reduced-salt claim is of interest even if it doesn’t mean fewer calories. Salt is the top priority for around 30% of consumers.
Portion size Check the weight of each bag and the number of bags, then work out the calories for the amount you’ll actually serve. For a day out or a group snack, I prefer to plan how much each person will get before opening the packs. Portion control comes first for around 20% of consumers.

Common mix-ups to avoid

  • Assuming oven-baked means low in calories

    Auchan’s listing for Lay’s Oven Baked Original gives 442 kcal per 100 g. For solid foods, the EU regulation published on EUR-Lex sets a maximum of 40 kcal per 100 g for a ‘low energy’ claim.

    If you’re looking for a lower-calorie option, compare the calories per 100 g across products. Don’t assume it qualifies based on how it’s cooked.

  • Reading ‘less salt’ as ‘fewer calories’

    Auchan’s listing for Vico Traditional Crisps with 25% less salt says the reduction is compared with the market’s traditional salted crisps. It also gives 535 kcal per 100 g.

    Decide which criterion matters most to you, then check the salt content and calories separately.

  • Assuming a small bag means a lighter recipe

    The Pom’Lisse multipack sold by E.Leclerc contains six 30 g bags; its nutritional information gives 553 kcal per 100 g.

    Use the bag weight to plan how much to serve, but keep comparing the figures per 100 g.

Brands to know for these criteria

Lay’s

The Oven Baked Original option lets you compare an oven-baked recipe with the other crisps mentioned here.

  • Auchan’s listing gives 442 kcal and 13 g of fat per 100 g. Lay’s says the product has 50% less fat than its regular crisps and the market average.
  • This claim about fat content does not mean the product qualifies as ‘low energy’.

Vico

Traditional Crisps with 25% less salt are a good match if salt is your first priority.

  • Auchan’s listing says they contain 25% less salt than the market’s traditional salted crisps and gives 0.86 g of salt per 100 g.
  • The same listing gives 535 kcal and 37 g of fat per 100 g: the reduction claim is about salt, not calories.

Pom’Lisse

The Traditional Crisps sold by E.Leclerc are available in a multipack of six 30 g bags.

  • The weight shown on each bag helps you plan how much to take on a day out or serve as a snack.
  • E.Leclerc gives 553 kcal and 37 g of fat per 100 g; the pack format doesn’t change these nutritional values.

A crisp option on Joybuy

These Texas BBQ-flavoured potato crisps could be an option for a school-holiday snack. To assess their calorie content, compare the nutritional information on the pack.

LAY'S Texas BBQ potato crisps, 70 g bag

LAY'S Texas BBQ potato crisps 70 g

If you’d like to decide how much to serve at snack time, this bag of Texas BBQ-flavoured potato crisps contains 70 g. Check the calories per 100 g and the other nutritional information on the pack before comparing it with another recipe.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Are oven-baked crisps always low in calories?

No. Auchan’s listing for Lay’s Oven Baked Original gives 442 kcal per 100 g. For solid foods, the EU regulation published on EUR-Lex reserves the ‘low energy’ claim for products containing no more than 40 kcal per 100 g. The cooking method alone isn’t enough to qualify.

Which nutritional information should I compare in store?

Compare calories, fat and salt per 100 g so you’re using the same basis for every pack. Manger Bouger points out that nutritional information is given per 100 g or 100 ml. Then check the weight of the portion you plan to serve.

Do crisps with less salt also contain fewer calories?

Not necessarily. Auchan’s listing for Vico Traditional Crisps with 25% less salt gives 535 kcal per 100 g, compared with 442 kcal per 100 g for Lay’s Oven Baked Original. Vico’s reduction claim is about salt, compared with the market’s traditional salted crisps.

What are individual bags useful for at snack time?

They let you know how much you’ll be serving in advance: the Pom’Lisse Traditional Crisps sold by E.Leclerc come in six 30 g bags. The pack format doesn’t reduce the calorie content of the recipe, which is 553 kcal per 100 g.