They’re cheap, convenient, and available in nearly every flavour imaginable at any supermarket or corner shop.
So it’s no surprise that Britons eat as many as 10 billion packets of crisps every year— an annual average of 140 packs per person.
But, as delicious as they are, crisps are also packed with additives, sugars, artificial flavourings and salt.
And while the average packet of crisps on sale in the UK today contains roughly half the amount of salt it did in 1991, according to the Potato Processors’ Association, they’re still pushing the upper limits of a healthy day’s intake.
But crisp lovers – don’t despair just yet.
Not all crisps are created equal, it turns out, when it comes to our health.
‘It’s all about moderation with crisps, as with most things,’ says specialist dietician Nichola Ludlam-Raine.
‘But as long as you’re not eating too much, too often, some aren’t all that unhealthy.’
As delicious as they are, crisps are also packed with additives, sugars, artificial flavourings and salt
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How we ranked them
We had experts rank crisps by their salt and sugar content, as well as how many calories they contain.
Crisps were also evaluated on whether or not they qualify as ultra-processed (UPF).
A primary indicator of a UPF is whether it contains ingredients not found at home, such as emulsifiers, stabilisers, thickeners and artificial flavours.
They were then given a green, orange and red light designation, based on national nutrition guidelines.
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So read on for our expert-led guide to the healthiest crisps on your supermarket shelves – and what to look out for when you’re next purchasing a crunchy snack.
5. Hula Hoops Original
In fifth place for healthiest crisp comes this childhood classic – which you’ll be shocked to hear is not a UPF…
£2.35 for six 24g single packs at Tesco
It may shock you to hear. But Hula Hoops – original flavour, that is – is not an ultra processed food, also known as UPF
UPF rating: ORANGE
Salt: 0.34g ORANGE
Sugar: <0.5g GREEN
Energy per 25g: 120kcal
It may shock you to hear. But Hula Hoops – original flavour, that is – is not an ultra processed food, also known as UPF.
This means that it does not contain any preservatives or additives, and all ingredients could feasibly be bought in the shop or found in one’s pantry.
The much-loved crisp contains potato, sunflower oil, salt and two types of flour – rice and maize.
It does contain potassium chloride – a type of salt that reduces sodium in food – which is not a UPF itself, but can indicate that a food itself is processed.
But unlike many of the other typical UPF ingredients, it has not been linked to conditions like diabetes or bowel cancer – and in fact, is often added to help reduce salt levels in food.
Says paediatric dietician Emma Shafqat: ‘The sugar in the hula hoops was quite good, at less than 0.5g, and the salt’s not too bad either, coming in at less than a gram.’
Health service daily guidelines for sugar and salt intake advise that food is kept to less than 0.3g of salt per 100g serving.
Sugar, meanwhile, should ideally be 5g or less per 100g.
‘A grab bag of Hula Hoops does clock in at 120kcals, however, which is slightly on the higher end,’ added Ms Shafqat.
‘As a dietician, typically when we advise on snacks – particularly to those who are worried about their weight – we stay to stick to something under 100kcals.’
4. Eat Real Hummus Chips – Tomato and Basil 
Made from chickpeas, the Eat Real hummus chips would classify to most as a ‘healthy’ crisp option
In fourth place are Eat Real’s tomato and basil flavoured hummus crisps – made from chickpeas, but with a concerningly long ingredients list…
£2.25 for 110g at Tesco
UPF rating: RED
Salt: 0.23g GREEN
Sugar: 0.5g GREEN
Energy per 22g: 99kcal
Made from chickpeas, the Eat Real hummus chips would classify to most as a ‘healthy’ crisp option.
But a glance at the ingredient list on the packet shows this isn’t quite the case.
These crisps have the most ingredients – and additives – of any in the round-up, with added flavourings, sugar syrup and colouring.
They are, however, on the lower end of the scale calorie-wise, and have much less fat than fried crisps.
‘Surprisingly, given that they’re made of chickpeas, these only have 0.5g of fibre in them,’ said dietician Ms Shafqat.
Adds dietician Nichola Ludlam-Raine, author of How Not to Eat Ultraprocessed: ‘These crisps have quite a lot of ingredients, but they’re also an example that just because something is ultraprocessed, it doesn’t mean it’s bad for you.’
3. Tyrells Sea Salted Veg Sharing Crisps
Coming in third are Tyrells root vegetable crisps – with just three ingredients, they don’t contain any flavourings or preservatives. But their sugar content left our experts gobsmacked…
Tyrells sea salt vegetable crisps have just three ingredients – root vegetables, oil and salt
£2.75 for 125g at Tesco
UPF rating: GREEN
Salt: 0.33g ORANGE
Sugar: 7.1g RED
Energy per 30g: 157 kcal
Tyrells sea salt vegetable crisps have just three ingredients – root vegetables, oil and salt.
They also have a whopping 11g of fibre – nearly half the recommended daily amount for women (25g) and a third of men’s (38g).
Fibre has been shown to have a number of health benefits in recent years – helping with anything from weight loss to reducing the risk of certain cancers.
A high fibre content will also help contribute to a feeling of fullness, says dietician Ms Ludlam-Raine, which could keep people from overeating.
‘They’ve also got 5g of protein in them, which will also contribute to satiety,’ she said.
The veg crisps are Ms Ludlam-Raine’s favourite of the round-up – for their non UPF ingredients, and great nutritional profile.
However, as Ms Shafqat points out, they are also quite high in sugar – clocking in at 7g per serving.
‘The perception with vegetable crisps is that they’re healthy and better for you,’ she said.
‘But I was really shocked by how much sugar these had in them – 7g per 30g serving is a massive amount.’
That said, she adds, the lack of added sugar on the ingredients list means it must come from the root vegetables themselves, which naturally have a high sugar content.
‘I think for this reason that other options on this list are healthier,’ said Ms Shafqat.
2. Proper Chips Sea Salt Lentil Chips
In second place are these high protein lentil chips – which excel in every category bar one, say experts…
Like the chickpea Hummus crisps, these lentil crisps would likely appear in the healthier end of the crisp aisle
£1.50 for 85g at Morrisons
UPF rating: GREEN
Salt: 0.37g ORANGE
Sugar: 0.2g GREEN
Energy per 20g: 96kcal
Like the chickpea Hummus crisps, these lentil crisps would likely appear in the healthier end of the crisp aisle.
But unlike the hummus crisps, these genuinely don’t have any additives or UPF ingredients.
‘The lentil crisps are relatively high in calories,’ said Ms Shafqat – ‘but their sugar content is low, making them a better option than the vegetable crisps.’
‘They also have 10g of protein – not surprising given that lentils are naturally high in protein – and added iron, which is relatively rare for processed food to contain.’
To make them even healthier? Add a nutritious dip like hummus, salsa or guacamole, says Ms Ludlam-Raine.
‘That can help make crisps more of a satisfying, mindful snack rather than something you just eat mindlessly,’ she said.
1. Kettle Lightly Salted Crisps 
Finally, in nutritional first-place, somewhat surprisingly, are a simple classic – Kettle’s Lightly Salted Crisps
And the winner is…Kettle lightly salted. A simple classic – low in salt, sugar and with no artificial ingredients…
£2.65 for five single packs at Tesco
UPF rating: GREEN
Salt: 0.2g GREEN
Sugar: 0.1g GREEN
Energy per 25g: 129kcal
Finally, in nutritional first-place, somewhat surprisingly, are a simple classic – Kettle’s Lightly Salted Crisps.
Both dieticians were pleasantly surprised by the crisp’s three ingredients – potatoes, oil, salt – as well as its relative lack of salt or sugar.
These crisps are high in fat – having been fried in oil – so should be eaten in moderation, says Ms Shafqat, as with most tasty things.
‘If you’re avoiding oil, look for crisps that are popped, not fried,’ she explained.
‘But make sure these don’t have nasty additives to make them tastier to make up for it.’
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The Worst Offenders
Some of Britain’s most popular packets of crisps, however, are among the worst offenders for salt, sugar and fat.
‘The main issue with UPFs is how easy they make it to overeat,’ Rob Hobson, a registered nutritionist and author of Unprocess Your Life, told the Daily Mail.
‘Enjoy these packets but just keep an eye on portion size and balance them out nutritionally with what else you’re eating that day.’
5. Walkers Ready Salted
The ever popular crisp contains fewer ingredients than the worst offenders but is still high in salt, experts say…
In the 76 years Walkers have been making crisps, its original ready salted packet has stood the test of time for popularity
£2.15 for six single packs at Tesco
UPF rating: RED
Salt: 0.34g ORANGE
Sugar: <0.1g GREEN
Energy per 25g: 130kcal
In the 76 years Walkers have been making crisps, its original ready salted packet has stood the test of time for popularity.
While the flavour is high in salt and fat – higher than crisps on the healthy list, experts do agree that Walkers crisps come on a spectrum of health.
‘With Walkers it really depends on the flavour,’ Mr Hobson says.
‘The ready salted variety is essentially potato, oil and salt, so it’s a ‘simpler’ UPF, but UPF nonetheless.
‘Many other stronger Walkers flavours contain extra additives and flavour enhancers.’
4. Quavers
Despite having fewer calories per portion, the crisp is still high in fat, sugar and salt…
£2.15 for six 16g single packs in Tesco
‘Quavers are most definitely UPF’, says Ms Ludlam-Raine
UPF rating: RED
Salt: 0.64g RED
Sugar: 0.8g ORANGE
Energy per 34g: 161kcal
‘Quavers are most definitely UPF’, says Ms Ludlam-Raine, with flavour enhancers including MSG as well as Disodium 5′-Ribonucleotide.
They also boast a high salt content per 34g, of 0.64g — well above health service guidance on salt levels.
But the crisp is pre-portioned in packets of just 16g.
This means, per portion, they are in fact far lower in calories and salt than on first glance.
‘They’re a hit with my patients who want a small portion of something that they fancy without over doing it,’ Ms Ludlam-Raine adds.
3. Baked Wotsits
The cheesy favourite has long been a hit with children, but they are surprisingly high in salt and sugar…
The cheese-flavoured corn puffs that are the favoured flavour of many British households
£2.15 for six 16.5g single packs at Tesco
UPF rating: RED
Salt: 0.47g RED
Sugar: 2.2g ORANGE
Energy per 30g: 148kcal
The cheese-flavoured corn puffs that are the go-to snack of millions of British households.
While they are baked and not fried, which helps to keep their calorie content lower, they are ‘particularly high in fat’, says Ms Ludlam-Raine.
They are also loaded with flavour enhancers.
‘Wotsits look light and airy but that’s more to do with texture than nutrition,’ Mr Hobson adds.
‘They’re still UPFs and can be surprisingly high in salt for such small bags.
‘Their ingredient list is not as long as Pringles but it also doesn’t look like a traditional potato crisp.’
2. Doritos Cool Classic
They’re a classic sharing crisp enjoyed with friends and family but Doritos nutritional content leaves a lot to be desired…
A long list of unappetising ingredients means we are again in UPF territory
£2.40 for five 30g single packs at Waitrose
UPF rating: RED
Salt: 0.33g ORANGE
Sugar: 0.6g GREEN
Energy per 30g: 144kcal
A long list of unappetising ingredients means we are again in UPF territory.
Doritos’ traditional cool flavour is packed with flavour enhancers including MSG as well as cheese powder, as opposed to real cheese.
According to experts, its high salt level too makes it a crisp best left on the supermarket shelf.
‘Doritos follow closely behind in second position because of sat, fat content and the highly seasoned coatings that push up salt,’ Mr Hobson says.
And at 144 calories per 30g too, the corn snack is a high calorie crisp option.
This is also because ‘realistically people don’t just eat 30g from a share bag’, Ms Ludlam-Raine says.
1. Pringles Original
It won’t surprise you that Pringles are ultra-processed. But there’s more than one reason why the moreish snack claims top spot as the worst…
Although these are identified as crisps, Pringles actually only contain around 42 per cent potato
£2.25 for a 165g pack in Tesco
UPF rating: RED
Salt: 0.33g ORANGE
Sugar: 0.4g GREEN
Energy per 30g: 160kcal
Although these are identified as crisps, Pringles actually only contain around 42 per cent potato.
This leaves the other 58 per cent to a blend of wheat starch, sunflower oil, maize oil, rice flour and seasonings.
‘They’re made from a reconstituted potato dough rather than whole slices,’ Mr Hobson says.
‘This means more additives, flavour enhancers and generally a higher fat load per portion.
‘The ingredient list is the longest of the bunch.’
A 30g serving also equates to around just 13 crisps, containing over 9g of fat and high levels of salt — very little to recommend them nutritionally.