Is it really worth splashing out £5 on posh crisps? Experts warn ‘healthy’ snacks can be just as bad for you as Walkers
From truffle-flavoured, hand-cooked crisps to lentil crisps branded as ‘better for you’, Brits are increasingly falling prey to the temptation to pay up to £5 a bag for so-called premium snacks.
Chopped, cauldron-cooked and even made from beetroot, the average Briton consumes around 150 packets of crisps a year; This equates to an estimated six billion bags nationwide.
While classic brands still dominate supermarket shelves, a wave of upmarket competitors have flooded the market, boasting single-origin potatoes, fried in olive oil and minimal added ingredients.
On paper, these chips seem healthy. But nutritionists warn these pricey alternatives with ‘artisanal’ credentials may not be healthier than a £1.20 pack of pre-salted Walkers, despite their packaging suggesting otherwise.
“Words like artisan, handmade and premium tell us much more about branding than nutrition,” said founder Rhiannon Lambert. Rhytration Cliniche told the Daily Mail.
Far from being a guilt-free indulgence, in many cases, shoppers are actually paying a premium for clever marketing rather than any meaningful health benefits.
registered dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine He says higher prices often reflect flavour, texture, packaging and production methods, but there is no significant improvement in nutritional value.
So how do these trendy crisps really come together, and is the lentil, veg and olive oil variety better for you than a classic pre-salted bag? We asked the experts…
The ‘healthy’ crisp market is booming, with flavors such as sweet potato, parsnip and carrot filling supermarket shelves
Trendy kettle chips
Kettle chips, also known as hand-cooked chips, are often considered healthier than regular chips due to their rustic appearance and higher price point.
However, from a nutritional standpoint, they are nearly identical in terms of calories, fat, and carbohydrates with similar amounts per serving.
Tyrrells, based in Herefordshire in the UK, is one of the most popular brands of hand-cooked ‘luxury’ crisps.
Although the brand has long marketed itself as a premium crisp brand with artisanal products, Ms. Ludlam-Raine says the nutritional differences from a standard bag of crisps are modest.
Tyrrells Light Sea Salt crisps are minimally processed with just three simple ingredients: potatoes, sunflower oil and sea salt, but they’re high in calories and fat.
A 40 g bag contains approximately 207 kcal and 11.7 g of fat; this is comparable to a bag of Walkers Ready Salted. 207kcal and 12.4g fat.
“Although some varieties contain slightly fewer ingredients than intensely flavored alternatives, nutritional differences are modest compared to standard crisps, particularly in terms of calories and total fat,” says Ms Ludlam-Raine.
The difference between kettle chips, popularized by the brand Kettle Foods, and regular chips like Walkers is how they are made.
Herefordshire-based Tyrrells is one of the most popular brands of hand-baked chips
Standard chips are made using a continuous conveyor belt method, passing them through an oil bath.
Kettle-cooked chips are made in smaller batches where the temperature of the oil decreases as the potatoes are added, causing the potatoes to absorb similar amounts of oil but resulting in a thicker, crispier texture.
Many are cut thicker, which means they absorb more oil when frying.
Vegetable and lentil chips
For many health-conscious crunch lovers, lentil, quinoa or vegetable chips seem to be a healthier alternative to regular chips.
But experts warn that the so-called ‘health halo’ can be misleading.
recently Which? The report found that some of these products rely heavily on salt and flavorings to make them palatable, putting them on par with classic junk food.
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Among the worst offenders was Proper Chips Lentil Chips BBQ, which scored comparable in health rankings to favorites like Skips and Wotsits Really Cheesy.
Despite bold claims that the snack is ‘better for you’, a standard 30g serving of Properchips Barbecue Lentil Chips contains around 140kcal and 5.8g of fat, including around 0.9g of saturated fat.
It also provides just under 3 g of protein and less than 1 g of fiber, along with about 0.7 to 0.8 g of salt.
Although marketed as lentil-based, they provide very little fiber and amounts of salt comparable to many conventional chips.
Ms Lambert explains that lentil crisps are often promoted as being higher in protein or fibre, but some brands are not significantly different from conventional crisps and may contain longer ingredient lists and added sweeteners.
Vegetable chips are only slightly better. They may offer marginally more fiber, especially varieties made from beetroot or parsnip, but they are still chips (mostly fried) so they shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for vegetables.
Baked, boiled or fried
The method of cooking chips (frying, baking, or boiling) can significantly change their fat content, calorie density, and overall crispiness. But experts warn the supposed benefits of ‘healthy’ cooking methods may be exaggerated.
Recently Which? According to the report, the consumer group found that ‘baked’ is not necessarily a guarantee of healthy chips, while ‘fried’ does not necessarily mean a less healthy product.
For example, Mini Cheddars Original says: ‘Bake. I’ve never fried it!’ ‘Baked, not fried,’ it says on the packaging and Monster Munch and Wotsits, despite scoring poorly in the health rankings.
However, Twiglets, Sunbites and Walkers Oven Baked varieties are examples of healthier baked goods among snacks. He looked.
When it comes to frying, companies like Tyrrells use a special centrifugal (spinning) technique to remove excess oil, resulting in some fried products being successful.
Kate Winslet was photographed eating limited-edition, baked bean-flavored Walkers crisps in 2003.
Another cooking technique used is to ‘explode’ under heat and pressure rather than frying; this helps reduce fat and calorie content – for example, Popchips ‘passing’ with a health score of 66 out of 100.
Even so, don’t assume that light and airy means healthier; Skips, Quavers and Wotsits, for example, may melt in your mouth but are calorie-dense and have little positive nutritional value to speak of.
Chips with olive oil
Another key selling point for premium brands is the use of extra virgin olive oil, which is widely associated with heart health.
But while olive oil is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, a diet linked to lower rates of dementia, cancer and longer life, frying potatoes in it doesn’t suddenly make chips a ‘health food’, remaining high in fat, calories and often salt.
In fact, some handmade varieties contain as much oil, if not more, than their cheaper counterparts.
One ultra-premium crisp brand that relies on its short ingredient list and use of high-quality extra virgin olive oil for its hefty price tag is Bonilla a la Vista, priced at £6.99 for a 150g bag.
A 30-gram serving of Bonilla a la Vista Olive Oil and Sea Salt chips contains approximately 163 kcal and 10.3 grams of fat, of which 1.6 grams are saturated fat.
Prestige Bonilla a la Vista chips are known to be fried only in olive oil
In comparison, a 30 gram bag of Walkers Ready Salted contains approximately 156 kcal, or 9.3 grams of fat, of which 0.7 grams are saturated fat.
Ms Ludlam-Raine says chips made with olive oil may contain more monounsaturated fats, which are linked to heart health, but many brands remain nutritionally similar to other chips. relatively high in calories and fat.
He adds that these chips are still an energy-dense snack and should be viewed as a slightly improved version of a ‘treat’ food rather than a health food.
Sea salt vs ready-salted
Salt content is another area where premium brands often imply superiority, especially with labels such as ‘sea salt’. But nutritionally there is little difference.
Part of the confusion lies in taste. Premium chips often use larger salt crystals, which dissolve more slowly and make them appear less salty, even if their overall salt levels are comparable.
A 30g serving of high-end Torres Mediterranean Salted Chips, priced at £4.99 for a 150g pack and also available in gourmet flavors such as caviar, black truffle and olive oil, contains approximately 0.27g of salt.
Bonilla a la Vista Olive Oil and Sea Salt crisps contain approximately 0.4g of salt, similar to a standard bag of Walkers Ready Salted.
The NHS recommends consuming no more than 6g of salt a day; That means one small bag makes up roughly six percent of the daily limit.
Both sea salt and table salt contain similar amounts of sodium by weight. Consuming too much sodium is a major cause of health risks such as high blood pressure; This means that replacing one with another does not provide any significant cardiovascular benefit.
Should you avoid regular chips?
Experts agree that while some varieties may have a slight edge, no cereal can be considered truly ‘healthy’ and price is no guarantee of a better choice.
‘If you like premium chips, there’s nothing wrong with choosing them,’ says Ms Lambert. ‘But most do not offer significantly different health benefits compared to standard options.’
Ms Ludlam-Raine adds that chips made with olive oil may contain slightly more beneficial fats, but they are still high in calories, fat and salt.
‘What’s much more important for most people is how often you eat chips and your overall diet; ‘It’s not whether you spend £1 or £5 per bag,’ she says.
In fact, some everyday options compare surprisingly well. Walkers Ready Salted, for example, has a relatively simple nutritional profile and generally contains similar or even lower levels of fat, calories and salt than its premium competitors.
In other words, your wallet may feel the difference, but your body probably won’t.
