The Mail on Sunday Asks: Just How Healthy Are "Healthier Crispy Snacks"?

The Mail on Sunday's Health page decided to take a look at the so-called healthier crisps on sale these days. Ans there's no denying there are plenty of them.

The Mail says: It is the snack trend of the moment: crisps made from root vegetables, beans, chickpeas, egg-whites or, if it must be potato, baked rather than fried. They promise not only to preserve our waistlines but also boost our health. I am not convinced this is correct. Healthy option crisps are an old story and most of them say they are "guilt free" rather than try to convince you they are actively good for you.

So anyway the Mail on Sunday asked nutritionist Fiona Hunter to examine some of the most popular "healthy crisps"... and her verdicts may come as a surprise. Well, maybe, but I hope you've noticed that my sidebar shows "crispy snacks that may be a little more healthy for you than most". They may be slightly healthier but I'm not convinced that any crispy snack is particularly healthy because almost all are chock full of salt (and fat and goodness knows what else) and these days salt is universally agreed to be a bad thing.

So what's the verdict then? Here's my synopsis, and my comments, going anti-clockwise round the page.

Popchips Sea Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips
The packet says "All the flavour with less than half the fat of fried crisps."
Fiona says 3/10
Low in fibre so no positive contribution to your diet.
I think Fiona is a bit optimistic expecting a positive contribution from a crispy snack, but there you go. I tried Popchips Barbecue Flavour and wasn't that impressed. I seem to remember the texture was fine. But not the flavour.

Walkers Sunbites Sun Ripened Sweet Chilli
The packet says "An extraordinarily tasty multigrain snack, 30% less fat than regular crisps."
Fiona says 5/10
Multigrain is one of those terms that sounds good but offers no nutritional benefits whatsoever.
I tried a packet of Sour Cream & Cracked Black Pepper Sunbites and rather enjoyed them.

M&S Eat Well Spicy Chorizo Sweet Potato Snacks
The packet says "Baked not fried."
Fiona says 8/10
Fewer calories and less fat than many other snacks... fibre equivalent to about two oatcakes.
The reluctant taste testers and I haven't tried these. Mostly because I tend to avoid sweet potato snacks. I have to admit this is a pretty good score but I don't terribly like chorizo so not sure about the flavour.

Tyrrell's Mixed Root Vegetable Crisps
The packet says "Hand cooked beetroot, parsnip and carrot crisps with sea salt. No artificial ingredients, Free from gluten."
Fiona says 4/10
The bag contains more fat than a McDonald's cheeseburger.
Frankly I think I'll stick with a cheeseburger! Again, I haven't tried this crispy snack because I don't usually buy vegetable crisps. But there's really nothing to stop me expanding my horizons.

Chirps Free-Range High Protein Egg White Bites Sour Cream & Onion Flavour
The packet says "Made with free-range eggs: high protein, low in carbohydrate, low fat, low sugar, natural flavouring, 30% less calories than other crisps."
Fiona says 3/10
Low in fibre and the highest in salt of all the crisps we looked at.
I have never seen an egg white crispy snack and the concept sounds all wrong to me. What do you think? I mean, what do you have to do to an unsuspecting egg white to come up with a crispy snack? I might try this for the purpose of research but reluctantly.

Yushoi Sweet Chilli & Lemon
The packet says "Baked, source of protein, high fibre, made with 68% green peas, no artificial colours, flavours or MSG."
Fiona says 7/10
Peas are better than a potato-based snack... you should feel fuller for longer.
The reluctant taste testers and I tried Yushoi Snapea Rice Sticks Smoked Salt & Szechuan Pepper. I've got to say we weren't mad keen. I've tried several pea based snacks and honestly? I'll take potato every time. However, the most popular post on this blog is pea-based: M&S Eat Well Green Chilli Lime & Coriander Pea Snaps. Which the reluctant taste testers and I thought were horrid. And that has absolutely not stopped anyone wanting to read about them. Remarkable.

RW Garcia Organic Thai Sweet & Spicy Tortilla Chips with Flaxseed
The packet says "The perfect organic snack. Organic, non GMO, transfer free and gluten free certified."
Fiona says 5/10
The suggested serving size (50g) is far too big for a snack...
This sounds like clutching at straws. I have never seen any RW Garcia products but certainly 50g is about twice the size of a small packet of crisps - which I would usually take as a serving.

Beanitos White Bean Chips
The packet says "Source of protein, high fibre, gluten free... beans are better."
Fiona says 8/10
As much fat as a bag of [Walkers] cheese & onion, but similar protein to a 150ml glass of skimmed milk and the same amount of fibre as two and a half Ryvita Multigrain crackers. But available only as a 170g pack so you might end up eating more than the suggested serving of 28g.
Again, I have never seen a Beanitos product but this crispy snack seems to get the best review (and I have quoted it in full).

The thing is, most people don't expect to get their fibre or protein from a crispy snack; they don't say to me "well, I'm hoping this crisp will lower my cholesterol/blood pressure". No, they expect to get a quick fix of salty yumminess.

I can't help feeling it's going to take a whole lot of education to make your average snacker think about protein in their snacks. And a whole lot of crispy snack manufacturers making completely different crispy snacks.

Of course that would be considerably healthier for all of us, but a miserable prospect for me. I love salty crispy snacks. I know they aren't good for me... OK, they're bad for me. But I can't help loving them. Is it my fault my parents decided sweets and chocolate were a bad thing and gave me and my brother salty crispy snacks instead?

Actually I really do eat fewer crisps and crispy snacks than you think. I have the reluctant taste testers and the Chef to help me out and often try only 1 or 2 crisps. Yes of course, sometimes I eat a lot more, but truly I could be eating a great many more crisps than I do. And the great thing is to understand how bad for you the average crisp is.

So my advice is:

• Don't feel the need to eat "healthy" crispy snacks that you don't fancy.
• Eat fewer crispy snacks. Eat crispy snacks as a special treat, as a luxury that you will savour. Save up your crispy snack ration for the weekend or a special occasion. Make a packet of cheese & onion or slightly salted something to look forward to. Try not to nosh down a vast packet of high salt, high fat, low protein, low fibre (which is to say totally normal) crisps every day.
• And eat them slowly; a small packet lasts longer that way. 

Sounds simple doesn't it? If you think you eat too many crisps why not give it a try?

M&S Guilt Free Snacking Cheese & Onion Popped Potato Chips

Specially designed tasty treats to help you count your calories says the packaging; not fried not baked the deliciously moreish alternative to potato crisps.

I'm really not sure I like popped chips much. They aren't proper crisps; they're made with dried potatoes and potato starch and coconut oil (what's that for?). They stick to your teeth. That is not a good attribute in a crispy snack.

And the cheese & onion favouring here is kind of.... well there's a bit too much flavouring. It's not a bad taste, it is kind of cheese & onion flavour, it's just a bit too strong.

Not bad, not nasty, possibly a bit better for you than an ordinary crisp. Only 94 calories per bag but then the bag is 23g small. I'm just not mad keen on this crispy snack.

And, let's go for the jugular here (and why not) I didn't like the bright yellow packaging.

M&S make lots of great crisps. I just didn't like this one.

M&S Guilt Free Snacking Chocolate & Pecan Popcorn

Noble Friend suddenly produced this packet of low calorie guilt free popcorn. She said it was irresistible. She was fairly accurate there. 

Although I suspect the low calorie element of this tasty popcorn is the fact that each 27g packet is very small with not very much popcorn in it. This photograph shows a whole packet. And Noble Friend admits the problem is that you eat a little packet and find it delicious then you can't help fancying another packet... Only 118 calories... but more if you can't resist the second packet. Or the third.

Toffee coated popcorn with pecan nut pieces, drizzled with Belgian milk chocolate. Yum!

This is a very tasty popcorn. Yummy chocolate and pecans too. Not that I'm mad for pecans, but the combination really is extremely good.

The Dutch taste tester ran to the kitchen to make sure she tasted this tasty snack!

M&S Guilt Free Snacking Sweet & Salty Popcorn

I don't know how they do it but M&S keep coming up with the goods when it comes to guilt free snacking. This Sweet & Salty Popcorn is a case in point.

Not too sweet, not too salty, but just tasty enough; this popcorn works very well for a crunch at lunch if you are trying to eat a healthy diet.

This 28g packet contains 137 calories.  The packet describes it as crunchy and moreish (marketing-speak for addictive) which is about right. The packet also says delicious treats, portion controlled, designed to help you count your calories.

Yes. But I sort of get the impression that if I don't eat the entire packet my portions won't be properly controlled. Oh no! We can't have that.

I can't eat too much popcorn (all that roughage is so unhealthy) but I do love it. There's something about those fluffed up clouds of exploded yumminess. Especially wonderful is microwave popcorn so you can enjoy the hot salty butteriness (or alternately hot buttery saltiness) in the privacy of your own home with the movie of your choice. But I suppose one must admit that this is a healthier option.

And more blossom because there is so much this year and it seems a shame not to take advantage of it. This is Prunus 'Kanzan'. Rather a dull tree 50 weeks of the year but stunning in full flower.

M&S Guilt Free Snacking Cracked Black Pepper & Salt Popped Chips

Noble friend at work who tries hard to eat a healthier snack for her crunch at lunch tried these popped crisps. And she really didn't like them at all. So like the generous person she is, she brought them in to work for me and the reluctant taste testers to try.

And frankly, we were baffled. These are really nice. What's not to like?

Nice texture. Made of potato flakes and extruded into the correct circular shape (so not your usual slice of potato), and flavoured with salt and pepper.

Nothing fancy, nothing fabulous or strange, just a really great taste of salt and pepper. Quite a big taste of pepper but I honestly thought these were really good.

Small 23g bag containing 95 calories of crispy snack. And a very smart dark grey packet with black trim. I think well done Marks & Spencer.

M&S Guilt Free Snacking Barbecue Wholegrain Snacks

To be honest I bought these to try because they came in a small packet. Because I didn't fancy them that much and wouldn't have wanted a large packet. So here's this 25g packet of wavy crunchy slightly faux-bacon-style crispy crunchy snacks.

The packet says (on the back) corn, wheat, rice and barley based snacks with honey barbecue seasoning. Another very complicated sounding recipe. I really prefer something simply made of slices of potato.

Still. Not too barbecue-y which in my book has got to be a good thing. A gentle sweet barbecue flavour (that'll be the honey then) and a gently sweet barbecue aroma when you open the packet. A good crunch - not too hard, not too soft - and plenty of tasty flavour dust. The wholegrain flavour is perhaps a little bit too strong but otherwise no complaints.

So not bad at all although it's not the kind of flavour I go mad for.

Allergy information: contains wheat, barley, oats, gluten. And Important: this product contains honey. Not suitable for children under 12 months. What? Oh my goodness! Yet another something that someone shouldn't eat because they are young, elderly, pregnant or suffering from some syndrome/disease or other.... I can't keep up. Of course this information is important but these days it seems that everyone has a something they cannot eat. Has this always been so? I mean, have we all been feeling rotten or, much worse, been dying from eating wheat or honey (or in my case fish and celery) for hundreds of years and no-one has done anything about it? I don't know the answer to this but I would be interested to learn.

Anyhow. Supposedly healthier for you than most barbecue snacks. Not bad.

M&S Guilt Free Snacking Salted Popped Potato Chips

I wasn't very taken with the Popchips Barbeque flavour so I thought I'd try this M&S salted flavour from their guilt free snacking range.



Here's one held up to the light. It looks rather as though a handful of rice crispsies have been glued together to make a flat crispy snack. A bit weird. But tasty. I think this is rather a good crisp.

The crunch is a little bit soft but not too soft. The crisps are all very round as though they are extruded from a machine or something - who knows? I have no clue how they manufacture these things. Especially with the popping which is suddenly so fashionable. And the taste is pretty good. I'm impressed.

Just about the right amount of saltiness. Impressive.

And now the science bit:

• no artificial colours, flavourings or preservatives
• Suitable for vegetarians
• Portion controlled. What? Is that like a bag of crisps from one of these companies that send you your entire diet for a whole week to make controlling your diet easier? 
• Designed to fit with my Count on Us menu planner. Again: what? I didn't know there was a Count on Us menu planner. I guess I haven't been paying attention.

Some of the crisps have a really weird look. Like brains.... don't let that put you off. I really like them. Top marks.