Healthy crisps that have much salt as a pack of Walkers and more sugar

We all know that too many bags of crisps won’t do any favours for our waistline because of their high fat content – and that traditional varieties are likely to be high in salt. 

With so many lower fat baked and popped varieties now on offer, not to mention healthy- sounding fruit and vegetable crisps, it’s easy to be lured into thinking the snack can be enjoyed without ruining your good intentions.

However, FEMAIL pitted eight varieties of supposedly healthier crisps against a pack of Walkers ready salted and found that fruit and vegetable varieties were high in sugar, while several baked and popped versions had just as much salt – if not more.

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FEMAIL analysed eight varieties of supposedly healthier crisps and found that fruit and vegetable varieties were high in sugar, while healthier baked versions have just as much salt as a packet of Walker’s ready salted

WALKERS READY SALTED 

The classic crisps have 171 calories per bag, a high fat content with 10.4g per bag and a medium salt content with 0.46 g. 

That’s eight per cent of an adult’s recommended daily intake of salt, but on the upside, the crisps are low in sugar with just 0.1g per bag.  

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Harley Street cardiac dietitian Noor Alrefae told FEMAIL: ‘These are just below what would be classed as a high added salt content – high being classed as 1.5g per 100g. 

However, while they might seem like a less than saintly treat, the salt content is similar to several other varieties we compared. 

The classic crisp has a high fat content with 10.4g per bag and a medium salt content with 0.46g

TESCO FINEST HAND COOKED ROOT VEGETABLE CRISPS 

While vegetable crisps might sound like a more nutritious choice, you’ll be consuming more sugar   by eating these parsnip, sweet potato and beetroot snacks.

The Tesco crisps have 129 calories per 25g portion, while Walkers have 171 calories per bag, so you need to be careful not to eat too many.

‘Gram for gram these are only minutely less in calories compared to walkers salted crisps,’ Noor explained. 

‘They are also similar in total fat content; 33.4g per 100g compared to 31.9g in walkers, and with one gram more of saturated fats.

‘They contain almost half the amount of salt per 100g to walkers, however have far more sugars due to the types of vegetables used. 

‘Whether potato or other root vegetables, carbohydrates get broken down into sugar in the body, so if you are counting your carbs, look at total carbs rather than just sugars.’

While vegetable crisps might sound like a more nutritious choice, you’ll be consuming more sugar by eating these parsnip, sweet potato and beetroot snacks

KETTLE VEGETABLE CRISPS 

These crisps are higher in sugar than a packet of Walker’s with 9.9g per portion because of the type of vegetables used.  

A 40g bag contains 209 calories, 14.6g fat and 1.4g saturates, compared with 171 calories, 10.4g fat and 0.8g saturates in a bag of Walkers. 

‘Salt is only 0.1g less per portion versus Walkers ready salted,’ Noor added. 

A 40g bag of Kettle Vegetable Chips contains 209 calories, 14.6g fat and 1.4g saturates, compared with 171 calories, 10.4g fat and 0.8g saturates in a bag of Walkers             

WALKERS POPS ORIGINAL  

Popped crisps have enjoyed a huge surge in popularity in the past few years, as an alternative to traditional fried crisps. 

Instead of frying potatoes in oil, they’re made by air popping them which reduces that calorie and fat content. 

However, that doesn’t mean they’re an entirely healthy choice.  

‘These have 1.2g sugars, more than Walkers ready salted,’ Noor explained. ‘This is due to the milk added.

With 101 calories and 3.2g fat they definitely seem like a better option than a bag of ready salted. 

And, snackers won’t benefit from a reduced salt content as it’s around the same as the crisp giant’s traditional ready salted variety – and bear in mind that the portion size is a lot smaller at 19g.

Popped crisps have enjoyed a huge surge in popularity in the past few years, as an alternative to traditional fried crisps but that doesn’t mean they’re an entirely healthy choice

RYVITA MINIS SALT VINEGAR

While these Ryvita snacks are lower in calories and fat than Walkers ready salted, they’re higher in salt at 0.64g.

However Noor added: ‘It’s not going to make a significant difference to your overall salt consumption unless you decide to eat the whole supermarket aisle.’

They do have the added benefit of containing more fibre.

While these Ryvita snacks are lower in calories and fat than Walkers ready salted, they’re higher in salt at 0.64g

EMILY FRUIT CRISPS CRUNCHY APPLE 

Emily fruit crisps come with the tagline: ‘No Guilt, Just Love’.

However, a bag contains more sugar than a 32g Cadbury’s Flake bar.  

‘These are by far the highest in sugars here due to the fruit fructose sugar,’ Noor explained. ‘These have 19.2g sugar per 30g portion; which would be considered high. 

‘They are less in total fats and calories, and yes would have more of a vitamin and mineral content, although some destroyed by heat. 

‘But with the high total carbohydrate; 25.6g per 100g and 19.2g sugars, you’d be better off having a raw piece of fruit or veg that hasn’t had some of its nutritional value destroyed by heat.’

The advantage is that these crisps are low in salt, containing just a trace.  

Emily Fruit Crisps’ crunch apple variety contain more sugar than a 32g Cadbury Flake bar

CHIKA’S PLANTAIN CRISPS 

Another fruit crisp in posh packaging doesn’t stack up so well when compared with Walkers ready salted. 

Chika’s chilli and plantain crisps have more calories than Walkers at 178 per bag and a similar amount of fat.  

‘They have almost double the saturated fat,’ Noor said. ‘We do need saturated fats in our diet which is important to remember due to the bad name it gets. 

‘As its plantain these are 3g more in total carbs and contain 4.4g sugar.’

However, it’s worth noting that they contain only a trace of salt.

Chika’s chilli and plantain crisps have more calories than Walkers at 178 per bag and a similar amount of fat

SNACK A JACKS SALT VINEGAR 

There’s only 89 calories per bag, thanks to the small 22g portion size.  

‘No that does not mean you can now eat two packets,’ Noor warned. 

While they may be lower in calories, fat and saturated fat than ready salted crisps by Walkers, they fall down when it comes to salt. 

‘These have sugar added into them rather than just naturally occurring. They are also higher in salt per portion by 0.2g,’ Noor explained. 

‘I wouldn’t recommend the fruit version crisps over the potato and suggest an actual piece of fruit is better.’

There’s only 89 calories per bag, thanks to the small 22g portion size but Snack a Jacks salt and vinegar flavour have more salt per bag than Walkers ready salted 

TESCO CRUNCHY SWEET POTATO SLICES  

These root vegetable crisps at first glance appear to tick a lot of healthy boxes.

‘These are less than 100 calories per portion,’ Noor commented. ‘Total fat and saturates are also significant less than Walkers ready salted.’

However, the sugar content is where they fall down.  

‘Sugars are classed as high with this product – 32.g per 100 or 9.8g per 30g portion,’ Noor said.

‘The overall effect of having a veg over potato crisps isn’t significant. You’d be better off making your own version if you have the time.’ 

These root vegetable crisps at first glance appear to tick a lot of healthy boxes but fall down on sugar content, which is high at 9.8g per 30g portion

Becki Douglas, nutritionist at Champney’s said that customers should not be fooled into thinking new varieties of crisps are necessarily any better than the traditional fried potato variety.  

She told FEMAI: ‘Baked, popped and vegetable crisps are all great marketing tools making the consumer think they’re choosing snack options that are much better for their health than standard fried potato crisps, but don’t be fooled.

‘If the production method of such savoury snacks has been altered with the purpose of lowering fat or calories to make them a more attractive purchase to the general public, you need to question what has been added to compensate for the effect the lower levels of fat will have on taste, flavour and mouth feel. 

‘Snack a Jacks provide a good example here; they may be 40% lower in calories and have only 20% of the fat contained within the standard crisps but they contain nearly double the salt and quadruple the sugar. 

‘There is a common misconception that these supposed ‘healthier’ options are always lower in fat too which absolutely isn’t the case. 

‘Often they’re still fried and as can be seen by the Tesco Finest Root Vegetable crisps, the fat content is nearly 50% higher than the standard crisps.’

And sadly a packet of fruit or vegetable crisps doesn’t do much towards getting your five a day.  

‘There may be some minute benefits to micronutrient values in opting for fruit or vegetable crisps over the standard potato crisps but due to the high temperatures and cooking processes of such products, there will undoubtedly be vitamin and mineral destruction,’ she explained.

‘So you’ll always be nutritionally better off just eating the raw fruit or vegetable as a snack instead. 

‘Any process that involves drying out a fruit or vegetable also means the natural sugars become concentrated as can be seen with the fruit crisps which have nearly 200 times the sugar per serving of the standard potato crisps. 

‘My advice would be to keep your intake to occasional of all the below types of processed nibbles and look at tasty and natural, more nutritious snack options. 

‘Why not try making your own baked kale chips with Pink Himalayan salt cracked black pepper or roast some pumpkin seeds with chilli powder and lime zest? 

‘Both are simple, delicious and packed full of goodness.’