Proper Sea Salt Lentil Chips, 85g

The plain Proper lentil chip in its sharing size: an 85g bag of Proper Sea Salt, which the label divides into four 20g servings. The full product name on the pack is Lentil chips seasoned with sea salt, and the pack names Propercorn as the maker.

Five ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the chips are made from lentil flour (30%), potato starch, corn flour, sunflower oil and salt. This bag lists a single oil, sunflower, where the smaller Sea Salt bags list sunflower and rapeseed, so the three sizes are close relatives rather than identical recipes.

What a plain lentil chip tastes of

With only salt on top, the lentil flour does the talking: a mild, slightly nutty, earthy flavour, lighter than a potato crisp and with a crumbly rather than glassy crunch. It is the Proper chip that shows the base most clearly, and the easiest to pair with other food.

The dip chip

A plain chip is the most useful thing to put next to dips, because it lets the dip carry the flavour. Proper Sea Salt suits houmous, guacamole, salsa, a bean dip or a vegan tzatziki, and the chips are firm enough to scoop a smooth dip if you dip at an angle. For a mixed table, the pack's vegan statement and gluten free claim make it a safe base for most diets, with the usual check for allergies.

Numbers per serving

The label gives, per 20g serving, 96 kcal, 4.2g of fat, 0.6g of saturates, 12.7g of carbohydrate, 0.2g of sugars, 0.1g of fibre, 1.9g of protein and 0.37g of salt. That serving is about 5% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake and 6% of the salt. Per 100g it is 482 kcal (2023 kJ), 20.8g of fat, 3g of saturates, 63.6g of carbohydrate, 1g of sugars, 0.7g of fibre, 9.7g of protein and 1.84g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 20.8g is red. Saturates at 3g are amber. Sugars at 1g are green. Salt at 1.84g is red, though towards the lower end of the Proper range we stock; only the 31g Sea Salt bag, at 1.62g, shows less.

One oil

This is the only Sea Salt size we stock that lists a single oil, sunflower. It is light and neutral, so it keeps the lentil flavour to the fore. The label gives 3g of saturates per 100g, amber on the front of pack scale.

Salt per serving

A 20g serving holds 0.37g of salt. The whole bag holds about 1.6g, around a quarter of an adult's daily reference intake, so sharing it as the label intends keeps each portion modest.

Allergens and diet

No allergens from the UK list of 14 are highlighted in the published ingredients. The allergy advice says the chips may contain soya. The pack says they are suitable for vegans and vegetarians and carries a gluten free claim. 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. They are formed from a mix of lentil flour and starches rather than sliced, and salted afterwards. The label 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

Pour a 20g serving into a small bowl for yourself, or a wide bowl of the bag beside two or three dips for a group. It also makes a light side for soup, salad or a sandwich platter, and a plain option on a table where the other bowls are flavoured.

Party quantities

The label's four 20g servings make the bag a side for four, or a dip bowl for six to eight as part of a larger spread. Two bags in one wide bowl with three dips around it is an easy centrepiece for a party with mixed diets.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the chips make a plain, gluten free crumb for coating fish or chicken, which takes on whatever herbs or spices you mix in. A handful over a bowl of soup adds crunch without adding flavour.

Why the crumb works

Because the chips carry only salt, their crumbs take on whatever you add. Mix crushed chips with smoked paprika for a chicken coating, with lemon zest and dill for fish, or with chilli flakes for a spicy topping. The lentil base browns lightly in the oven and stays crisp longer than breadcrumbs.

Other sizes and flavours

Proper Sea Salt also comes as a 31g bag and a five bag multipack of 14g bags. In the same 85g size we stock Proper Barbecue, 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 Sea Salt 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.