Proper Barbecue Lentil Chips, 85g

Proper Barbecue in the 85g sharing bag is the smoky lentil chip for a table of people. The label divides the bag into four 20g servings, and the full product name on the pack is Lentil chips with a barbecue seasoning.

A lentil chip

According to the published pack listing, the chips are made from lentil flour (28%), potato starch, vegetable oils (sunflower, rapeseed and coconut), corn flour, sugar, salt, natural flavourings, onion, garlic, rice flour, smoked chipotle pepper, tomato and spices.

Lentil flour is the largest single ingredient, and with potato starch, corn flour and rice flour it makes a light, airy chip with a crumbly crunch rather than the glassy snap of a fried potato slice. None of those base ingredients is a gluten containing cereal, and the pack carries a gluten free claim.

The barbecue seasoning

Smoked chipotle pepper is the heart of the flavour. Chipotle is a jalapeño that has been dried and smoked, so it brings smoke and a gentle warmth at once. Sugar gives the sweetness of a barbecue sauce, tomato its fruity base, and onion and garlic its savour, with spices to round it off. It is a warm, smoky chip with a mild kick, not a hot one.

Read the allergy advice on this bag

The published allergy advice for this 85g bag says the chips may contain nuts, peanuts, sesame and soya. That is a longer list than the 31g bag and the multipack of the same flavour, whose listings say may contain soya only. The difference matters for anyone with a nut, peanut or sesame allergy, so read the advice on the pack in your hand. No allergens are highlighted in the ingredients themselves. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

Diet

The pack says the chips are suitable for vegans and vegetarians, carries a gluten free claim and states no palm oil. That combination makes this bag a useful choice for a mixed group, provided nobody at the table has a nut, peanut or sesame allergy.

Numbers per serving

The label gives, per 20g serving, 94 kcal (394 kJ), 3.9g of fat, 0.6g of saturates, 12.7g of carbohydrate, 0.9g of sugars, 0.2g of fibre, 1.9g of protein and 0.51g of salt. That serving is about 5% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake and 9% of the salt. Per 100g it is 469 kcal (1970 kJ), 19.4g of fat, 2.9g of saturates, 63.6g of carbohydrate, 4.5g of sugars, 0.9g of fibre, 9.5g of protein and 2.55g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 19.4g is red, just over the 17.5g threshold. Saturates at 2.9g are amber, with coconut oil in the blend. Sugars at 4.5g are green, just under 5g. Salt at 2.55g is red, and it is the number to watch with any Proper chip: a 20g serving holds 0.51g.

Why a lentil chip is different

Compared with the fried sliced potato crisps in our range, lentil chips carry less fat per 100g and more protein, but the Proper chips we stock carry more salt per 100g than most of those crisps. So the lentil chip is a different balance rather than a simple swap, and portion size matters.

How the chips are made

The published listing does not say how the chips are cooked. They are formed from a mix of lentil flour and starches rather than sliced, and the seasoning is applied afterwards. The pack says the bag is packaged in a protective atmosphere, and the published listing gives the United Kingdom as the country of origin.

Serving the bag

A smoky lentil chip suits a barbecue, a picnic or a film night. Serve it with a guacamole, a salsa or a bean dip, and pour a 20g serving into a small bowl if you are keeping count. It also makes a crunchy side for a bean burger or a halloumi wrap.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the chips make a smoky, gluten free crumb for the top of a mac and cheese or a baked sweet potato, or a crunchy layer over a bean chilli. Add them just before serving so they stay crisp.

Party quantities

The label's four 20g servings make this a bowl for four people as a side, or a generous bowl for two. For a larger table, two bags in one wide bowl, with two or three dips around it, is plenty for six to eight as part of a spread.

The packaging

The published recycling guidance says the whole packaging should not be recycled. The pack names Proper as the maker.

Other sizes and flavours

The same flavour comes as a 31g bag and a five bag multipack of 14g bags. In the same 85g size we stock Proper Sea Salt, Salt and Vinegar, Prawn Cocktail, All the Cheese and Hot Sauce House.

Storage

The published listing gives no storage advice for this bag; keep it in a cool, dry place and clip it after opening.

Sizes of Proper Barbecue Lentil 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.