Walkers Lightly Cheese and Onion Crisps, 6 x 25g

Walkers Lightly is the Walkers range seasoned with less salt, and this is the cheese and onion. The pack puts its salt against the average of regular potato crisps in a roundel on the front. This is the multipack of six 25g bags, 150g in all, and the label gives figures for each bag. The full product name on the pack is cheese and onion flavour potato crisps, and the maker on the label is Walkers Snack Foods Ltd.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the crisps are made from potatoes, vegetable oils (sunflower and rapeseed, in varying proportions), a cheese and onion seasoning (onion powder, whey powder, lactose, sugar, flavouring, salt, potassium chloride, whey protein, cheese powder, citric and malic acids, garlic powder and colours: annatto bixin and paprika extract, with the whey, lactose, flavouring, whey protein and cheese powder all from milk) and antioxidants (rosemary extract, ascorbic acid, tocopherol rich extract and citric acid).

The salt

The label gives 0.62g of salt per 100g and 0.16g in a 25g bag, amber on the front of pack scale. The standard Walkers Cheese and Onion carries 1.2g per 100g.

Potassium chloride

Potassium chloride sits beside the salt. It tastes salty but contains no sodium, and the salt figure on a UK label is worked out from sodium.

The cheese and onion

Onion powder leads the seasoning, with whey powder, lactose, whey protein and cheese powder for a mild, milky cheese, and garlic, citric and malic acids for a light tang.

Great British potatoes

The pack carries a badge with a Union flag reading 100% Great British potatoes.

Antioxidants

Rosemary extract, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), tocopherol rich extract (vitamin E) and citric acid are antioxidants that help keep the oil fresh.

No added MSG

The pack says there is no added MSG and no artificial colours; the colours are annatto and paprika extract.

Numbers for one bag

The label gives 130 kcal (540 kJ), 7.4g of fat, 0.6g of saturates, 13g of carbohydrate, 0.7g of sugars, 1.6g of fibre, 1.7g of protein and 0.16g of salt for each 25g bag. That is about 7% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 11% of the fat and 3% of the salt.

Numbers per 100g

Per 100g the label gives 518 kcal (2161 kJ), 29g of fat, 2.4g of saturates, 54g of carbohydrate, 2.6g of sugars, 6.4g of fibre, 6.6g of protein and 0.62g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 29g is red. Saturates at 2.4g are amber. Sugars at 2.6g are green. Salt at 0.62g is amber.

Acids

Citric and malic acids give a light tang, the sharp edge of the cheese and onion.

Colours

Annatto bixin and paprika extract give the seasoning its pale orange colour; the pack says no artificial colours.

Sugar

A little sugar sits in the seasoning; the label gives 2.6g of sugars per 100g, green on the front of pack scale.

Protein

The label gives 6.6g of protein per 100g and 1.7g in a bag.

Classic Walkers

The crisps are sliced from potatoes and fried in sunflower and rapeseed oils, like the standard Walkers crisps.

Sealed fresh

The listing says the crisps are packaged in a protective atmosphere, which helps keep them fresh in the sealed bag.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight milk, in the whey, lactose, flavouring, whey protein and cheese powder. The allergy advice says the crisps may contain cereals containing gluten, mustard and soya. The pack says they are suitable for vegetarians; they are not vegan, because of the milk. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

Six bags

Six 25g bags make a school week of lunchboxes with one to spare, and the listing counts them as six servings. The listing says the crisps are packaged in a protective atmosphere.

Sunflower and rapeseed oil

The listing gives sunflower and rapeseed oils in varying proportions. The label gives 29g of fat per 100g, red on the front of pack scale, and 2.4g of saturates, amber.

Carbohydrate and fibre

The label gives 54g of carbohydrate per 100g, of which 2.6g are sugars; the rest is starch from the potato. Fibre is 6.4g per 100g.

The pack

The outer bag is cream with a deep blue band, with the Walkers logo, the word Lightly in dark blue script, cheese and onion, a few crisps, the Union flag potato badge, a blue roundel comparing its salt with regular crisps, a large 6 pack mark and a single bag shown beside it.

Who it suits

A cheese and onion crisp with 0.16g of salt in a bag suits anyone keeping an eye on salt across the week, and the vegetarian statement suits most tables. It is not suitable for anyone avoiding milk.

In a lunchbox

A bag goes beside a sandwich, a piece of fruit and a drink.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the crisps make a cheese and onion crumb for the top of a potato bake.

Storage

The listing advises a cool, dry place.

At a party

Tip a few bags into a bowl beside the Walkers Lightly Salted for a party with less salt on the table.

Other Walkers Lightly

We also stock Walkers Lightly Salted in the same six bag multipack.

The published listing gives the United Kingdom as the country of origin. The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.