Crisps and protein don’t usually belong in the same sentence. But snacks have changed in recent years, and there’s a wave of brands that are rebuilding the humble bag of crisps around soy, pea and lentil protein instead of just potato and oil. You still get the crunch; it just doesn’t come with the calorie hit a standard bag of crisps does. Plus you get a meaningful amount of protein too.
Now, not every “protein crisp” on the shelf backs up that claim. Some bags rely on scraping 2g of protein per serving despite the branding. So it’s worth knowing exactly what you’re buying.
Below are five brands that put real numbers behind the claim.
EatProtein
EatProtein is a protein and wellness brand built specifically for women, and its protein crisps are the standout entry on this list for sheer protein-to-calorie ratio. Each bag delivers 11g of protein for under 101 calories. This is around five times the protein of a normal bag of crisps and nearly half the calories. Plus they’re baked rather than fried and made from soy protein that’s naturally high in fibre and low in fat. And most flavours are gluten-free.
The EatProtein crisp range comes in seven flavours for you to try out — Cheese & Onion, Salt & Vinegar, Thai Sweet Chilli, Barbecue, Cheddar Cheese Nachos, plus there are Barbecue and Sour Cream zipper packs. This is enough variety to avoid the boredom that kills most “healthy snack” habits before they stick.
Bags start from £1.49 with bundle savings of up to 40% when you buy in bulk, and this brings the cost down considerably closer to what you’d pay for a standard bag of crisps rather than a supplement aisle premium.
What sets EatProtein apart, however, is that this isn’t just a bodybuilding product repackaged for women. It’s been designed specifically to be an everyday snack you can pop in your desk drawer, gym bag, or just to munch on while watching a movie at the end of the day.
The Curators
The Curators make their protein chips from a lentil and soy base, delivering 10g of protein per 35g pack. They are gluten-free, high in fibre and keto-friendly. They come in flavours such as Classic BBQ, Thai Sweet Chilli and Tangy Cheese.
The brand behind them is B Corp certified and was founded in 2018 by Max and Ed, who set out to give classic snacks — crisps, pork puffs, biltong — a nutritional makeover without losing the taste. Beyond crisps, the brand’s wider range includes Pork Puffs, Beef Biltong and Cheesies.
IronMaxx
IronMaxx’s Protein Chips 40 range is built around a 40% protein content with up to 21% dietary fibre depending on the flavour. They are baked rather than fried, low in sugar and made without palm oil. Flavours for you to try out include Cheese & Onion, Paprika and Hot Chilli.
IronMaxx is a German sports nutrition brand, and this Protein Chips 40 line is the one to go if raw protein percentage matters to you more than anything else on this list. The brand also sells a separate high-protein potato chips line made from potatoes, pea protein and rice flour, delivering 30g of protein per 100g with just 6g of fat.
Pea Pops
Pea Pops takes a different route to plant protein. It builds its crisps around chickpeas rather than soy or lentils. The range delivers up to 22% plant protein and is popped rather than fried using heat-popping technology instead of oil.
They are naturally high in fibre, gluten-free, and palm oil-free, and there are three flavours that are suitable for vegans. The brand has also picked up multiple Great Taste Awards, including one for its Salted Honey flavour in 2025.
SlimFast
SlimFast’s Protein Crisps are built from soy protein and potato rather than lentils or pea protein. The Sea Salt flavour carries 7.4g of protein at 94 calories per bag while the Barbecue flavour offers 6.7g of protein at 96 calories.
These crisps are designed to slot into SlimFast’s 3-2-1 weight management plan, so they lean more toward calorie control than maximum protein content.
SlimFast has been a familiar name in weight management for many years, and they have a wider range that includes meal replacement shakes and bars alongside the crisps.
Why This Matters
The gap between a “high protein” label and an actually useful amount of protein can be huge. A bag with 2g of protein isn’t doing much more than your regular bag of crisps, but one with 10g or more is a genuine addition to your protein intake, especially if you’re trying to hit a target and you don’t want to keep relying on shakes or bars to get you there.
When comparing brands, look past the front-of-pack claims and check three things: protein per serving, not per 100g; the calorie count, and whether it’s baked or fried. Then look for the ingredients too. Pea, soy and lentil protein all behave differently, and some brands add digestive enzymes or extra fibre that others might skip entirely.
Final Words
There’s no single best protein crisp brand here. It all depends on what you’re actually optimising for. Some options lead on protein per calorie, others on raw protein percentage and others take an entirely different route altogether. If you’re already following a structured calorie-controlled plan, that’s worth weighing up too. Whatever you end up choosing, check the label against your own targets rather than the marketing on the front of the bag.
FAQs
What counts as a high protein crisp?
Most nutritionists consider anything upwards of 8g of protein per serving worth calling “high protein”; below that the difference from a regular bag of crisps is nominal.
Are protein crisps actually healthier than regular crisps?
Generally yes. But this is mainly because they are often baked, not fried, which lowers the fat content, and the protein source adds fibre that standard potato crisps lack.
Can Protein crisps replace a protein shake?
Not entirely. Most protein crisps offer around 6-11g of protein, well below the usual 20-25g found in protein shakes. They are better used as a snack that contributes to your daily total.
Want to unlock greater wellness?
Listen to our friends over at the Wellness + Wisdom Podcast to unlock your best self with Dr. John Lieurance; Founder of MitoZen; creators of the ZEN Spray and Lumetol Blue™ Bars with Methylene Blue.
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