Proper All the Cheese Lentil Chips, 85g

Proper All the Cheese is a lentil chip with four cheeses in the seasoning. This is the 85g sharing bag, which the label divides into four servings of 20g. The full product name on the pack is Lentil based chips with a four cheese seasoning.

A chip made from lentils

According to the published pack listing, the chips are made from lentil flour (28%), potato starch, vegetable oil (rapeseed and sunflower), corn flour, buttermilk powder (milk), salt, cheese powders (milk), naming Cheddar, Gouda, Mozzarella and Emmental, sugar, natural flavouring, onion and rice flour.

Lentil flour is the largest single ingredient, which is why these are called lentil chips. Potato starch, corn flour and rice flour make up the rest of the base and give the chip its light, crisp structure. None of those contains gluten, and the pack carries a gluten free claim.

Four cheeses

Most cheese crisps list cheese powder without saying which cheese. This one names four. Cheddar gives a sharp, savoury tang; Gouda a sweeter, nuttier note; Mozzarella a mild, milky one; and Emmental the nutty, slightly sweet flavour of Alpine cheese. Buttermilk powder adds a soured, creamy tang on top, and onion and a little sugar round it out.

Protein and fat

Lentils are a pulse, and it shows in the panel. Per 100g the label gives 11g of protein, compared with about 6g to 7g for the fried sliced potato crisps in our range, and 20g of fat, compared with about 29g to 31g for those crisps. The carbohydrate is higher at 60g, which reflects the starches.

Buttermilk powder

Buttermilk is the slightly sour liquid left from churning butter, and dried into a powder it adds a gentle tang and creaminess. It sits early on this list, before the cheeses, so the first impression is soft and tangy, with the four cheeses building on top of it.

Why lentils

Lentil flour gives these chips their name and much of their protein. It also gives a slightly earthy, nutty background flavour that suits cheese, in the way a cracker made with pulses suits a cheese board better than a plain one.

Numbers per serving

The label gives, per 20g serving, 95 kcal (399 kJ), 4.1g of fat, 0.5g of saturates, 12g of carbohydrate, 0.6g of sugars, 0.4g of fibre, 2.3g of protein and 0.49g of salt. That serving is about 5% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake and 8% of the salt. Per 100g it is 475 kcal, 20g of fat, 2.3g of saturates, 60g of carbohydrate, 2.8g of sugars, 2.2g of fibre, 11g of protein and 2.45g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 20g is red, just above the 17.5g threshold. Saturates at 2.3g are amber. Sugars at 2.8g are green. Salt at 2.45g is red, well above the 1.5g line. The salt is the figure to note: a 20g serving carries 0.49g, close to the 0.54g in a 45g bag of Walkers Cheese and Onion.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight milk, in the buttermilk powder and the four cheese powders. The allergy advice says the chips may contain soya. The pack carries a gluten free claim, and no gluten containing cereal is listed. No vegetarian or vegan statement appears on the published listing for this flavour, so we cannot describe it as either; some cheeses are made with animal rennet, and the label does not say. The other Proper lentil chips we stock, which list no milk, are marked suitable for vegans. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

How the chips are made

The published listing does not say how the chips are cooked. What it does show is a chip formed from a mix of lentil flour and starches, rather than a slice of anything, with the cheese seasoning applied afterwards. The pack names Proper as the maker.

Serving the bag

A four cheese lentil chip suits a snack board with grapes, apple slices and chutney, a glass of cider, or a bowl of tomato soup. It is also a useful bag for a guest who avoids gluten but eats dairy, since the pack carries a gluten free claim.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the chips make a cheesy, gluten free crumb for the top of a cauliflower cheese or a baked tomato. Scatter them on just before serving so they stay crisp.

The Proper range

In the same 85g bag we stock Proper Sea Salt, Barbecue, Salt and Vinegar, Prawn Cocktail and Hot Sauce House lentil chips, and several come in 31g bags and five bag multipacks. Proper Sea Salt shows the least salt of the Proper chips we stock: 1.62g per 100g in the 31g bag and 1.84g in the 85g bag.

Storage

The pack advises a cool, dry place. Clip the bag after opening; lentil chips soften in damp air like any other crisp.

Other 85g packs of Proper Chips we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.