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BRITAIN has a serious snack habit. It seems last year alone we spent over £4.75 billion on crisps, savoury snacks and nuts. But as we know, they can be packed with fat, sugar and salt. 

So is it worth opting for the ‘healthy’ alternatives now available? MANDY FRANCIS asked Ruth Kander, a dietitian at Fleet Street Clinic in London, to examine some of the health claims. We then rated (and tasted) them. 

Nim’s Watermelon Fruit Crisps, 22g, 95p,  nimsfruitcrisps.com

Per 100g: Calories, 291; saturated fat, <0.1g; protein, 14.3g; fibre, 17.1g; sugar, 46g; salt, 0g

CLAIM: ‘Licensed by the Department of Health as one of your five-a-day. High in fibre and retains vitamin C. No added sugar.’

EXPERT VERDICT: These crisps are made from unpeeled slices of air-dried watermelon and nothing else. 

A bag will count as one of your five-a-day and provide 13 per cent of your daily fibre recommendation — much of it from the peel.

Air-dried fruit and veg retain nutrients really well, and watermelon is a good source of vitamin C — however, you will only get around 3 per cent of your recommended daily amount from this portion.

There’s no salt — a good thing, but these are 46 per cent sugar. The sugar comes naturally from the watermelon in the form of fructose and should be absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream because of the high proportion of fibre.

TASTE: Initially sweet and crunchy but with a chewy, leathery aftertaste from the skin. 4/10

Pep & Lekker Fennel And Chia Seed Snack, 30g, £1.70,  ocado.com

Per 100g: Calories, 504; saturated fat, 3.8g; protein, 20.3g; fibre, 13g; sugar, 5g; salt, 1.1g

CLAIM: ‘Supports good gut health. 14 ingredients selected for nutritional value. Source of protein.’

EXPERT VERDICT: The mix of plant-based ingredients will be great for the diversity of your gut microbiome — the trillions of tiny organisms that live in your gut, which are thought to be important for everything from heart health to mood and weight control.

Seeds are a good source of fibre and omega-3 fatty acids.

One pack will also give you 13 per cent of your recommended daily fibre and 6g protein (an egg’s worth), so these should be quite satisfying.

There is some chicory root fibre here, which can cause gas and bloating in people with sensitive guts.

TASTE: Chunky, seeded crackers with a powerful fennel flavour. Tasty. 8/10

Other Foods Crunchy Shiitake Mushrooms, 40g, £2.69,  hollandandbarrett.com

Per 100g: Calories, 494; saturated fat, 12.8g; protein, 5.4g; fibre, 13.4g; sugar, 19g; salt, 0.6g

CLAIM: ‘One of your five-a-day. High in fibre, copper, selenium, magnesium and zinc. Good source of vitamins B5, B6 and D’.

EXPERT VERDICT: A 30g portion (3/4 of a bag) of these shiitake crisps would count as one of your five-a-day. 

Shiitake mushrooms are a useful source of all the vitamins and minerals ­mentioned above, including magnesium (for bone health) and B5 (for healthy skin, liver and nervous system). They are also one of the few plant sources of vitamin D — important for immunity.

However, you are unlikely to get a ‘high’ amount of any of these nutrients in this small serving. And while a good source of fibre, these are high in saturated fat (from palm oil), which may be bad for cholesterol levels. 

There is almost a teaspoonful of sugar in a serving — coming naturally from the mushrooms and added maltose.

TASTE: Ugly-looking but tasty, with a good crunch. 7/10

Eat Grub Crunchy Roasted Crickets Salt & Vinegar, six 12g packs, £10.99,  eatgrub.co.uk

Per 100g: Calories, 515; saturated fat, 7.7g; protein, 42.9g; fibre, 6.2g; sugar, 0.7g; salt, 2.8g

CLAIM: ‘Highly nutritious. 43 per cent protein. Gluten free.’

EXPERT VERDICT: Crickets are a good source of protein, fats and vitamins, including B12, for healthy blood and nerve cells. They are also high in calcium, iron and fibre.

These are a more environmentally friendly option than other animal protein sources because insects have a smaller carbon footprint than other traditionally farmed animals.

You’ll get just over 6g of protein in a bag, about the same as you’d get from a boiled egg.

However, this mix of crickets, seasoning and rapeseed oil has, gram for gram, around twice as much salt as some ready salted crisps.

Purely Plantain Chips Nice & Spicy, 28g, £1,  hollandandbarrett.com

Per 100g: Calories, 531; saturated fat, 2g; protein, 1g; fibre, 7g; sugar, 1g; salt, 0.24g

CLAIM: ‘An energy-boosting snack with just four ingredients. Good for your heart. High in antioxidants.’

EXPERT VERDICT: There are just a handful of basic, natural ingredients here, which is great. Plantain is a member of the banana family and a good source of slow-to- digest complex carbohydrate — so these crisps should offer a ­useful energy boost.

Plantain is also a source of vitamin E, vitamin C and selenium (for immune function). High in fibre, it’s also a major source of potassium, good for high blood pressure. If you have kidney or heart failure and have high blood potassium levels, however, you should avoid potassium-rich foods such as these.

TASTE: Like a thick, slightly floury potato crisp. Well spiced. 8/10

Abakus Foods Seaweed Crisps Cheese Flavour, 18g, 99p,  hollandandbarrett.com

Per 100g: Calories, 564; saturated fat, 6g; protein, 9.6g; fibre, 13.7g; sugar, 0g; salt, 2.3g

CLAIM: ‘High in fibre. Gluten free. Source of iodine.’

EXPERT VERDICT: Tapioca, the main ingredient and a starch extracted from cassava root, is a good energy food but its high carb ­content means its calories can be easily stored as fat. These are 28 per cent seaweed — a good source of iodine, needed for ­thyroid hormone production, which plays a role in metabolism. Nutritional yeast has been added to give these a cheesy flavour — providing vitamin B12, important for healthy red blood cells and your nervous system. Iodine and B12 are mainly found in animal products, so this could be a useful source of both for vegans.

TASTE: Crispy curls of tapioca wrapped around thin layers of seaweed — pleasant once you get used to odd combination. 6/10

Boundless Chipotle And Lime Activated Chips, 23g, 90p,  hollandandbarrett.com

Per 100g: Calories, 434; saturated fat, 1.4g; protein, 10.6g; fibre, 11g; sugar, 2.3g; salt, 1g

CLAIM: ‘Sorghum grains [an ancient wholegrain] are activated (germinated) to reduce phytic acid and leave a goldmine of ­nutrients previously locked away. High fibre. Gluten free. Kind to your gut.’

EXPERT VERDICT: Sorghum, the main ingredient, offers ­useful amounts of B vitamins as well as antioxidant selenium and zinc (for immunity).

Sprouting — soaking grains and seeds and allowing them to germinate — has been shown to reduce phytic acid, found in plant seeds, nuts and grains, that can hamper our absorption of some minerals but this effect is usually a concern where people are on a limited diet. 

At just 99 calories a bag, these are a good alternative to crisps

TASTE: Crunchy puffs with good spice and lime flavour. 8/10

Goat’s Cheese Cheesies, 20g, £1.20,  ocado.com

Per 100g: Calories, 629; saturated fat, 37g; protein, 35g; fibre, 0g; sugar, 0g; salt, 2.6g

CLAIM: ‘High protein. No carbs. No sugar.’

EXPERT VERDICT: These are small cubes of crispy, baked goat’s cheese — the goat’s milk provides some filling, muscle-building protein (the equivalent of a large egg’s worth in a bag) and there’s no sugar or carbohydrates, which is good news if you have to keep blood sugar levels steady. 

Goat’s milk is also a good source of calcium and selenium.

There’s a lot of saturated fat here — one pack will give you 7g — about a third of the daily limit for women and under a quarter of the limit for men.

These are almost twice as salty as some brands of ready salted crisps.

TASTE: Salty, pungent goat’s cheese flavour. A little oily, but moreish. 7/10

Nudie Cauliflower Crisps Cheese And Caramelised Onion, 12 22g packs, £9.99,  nudiesnacks.co.uk

Per 100g: Calories, 507; saturated fat, 2.3g; protein, 4.3g; fibre, 4.1g; sugar, 3.5g; salt, 1.5g

CLAIM: ‘Lower in fat than traditional potato crisps. Gluten free. Made with fresh cauliflower.’

EXPERT VERDICT: Cauliflower is a good source of vitamin C and ­vitamin K, which is needed for blood clotting and healthy bones. 

These puffed discs only contain 40 per cent cauliflower puree, however, so won't count towards your five-a-day. The other ingredients are mostly processed versions of ­natural foods — potato starch, potato flakes and pea fibre.

With the fibre content on the low side, these are unlikely to fill you up for long. They are lower in fat and saturated fat than ordinary crisps, but only just.

TASTE: Like cauliflower-flavoured Quavers. Tasty. 8/10