Are baked crisps more healthy?

[Boringnamechanging]

School sent an email about September in which there was a reminder of lunchbox rules. One of them is to limit crisps to 2/3 days a week (absolutely fine by me) and have to be baked. Is this really healthier as they might have less fat but they all have more sugar?

I can’t actually answer the question but I won’t let that stop me. I wouldn’t have thought they were ‘healthier’ as such; just different.

Non-UK here and our children are allowed sandwiches (any quantity) and fresh fruit/veg (any quantity). Apparently Babybel is also ok. Only water to drink.

Presumably there are allowances for dietary requirements but that doesn’t apply to us so I don’t know.

The children all seem happy enough and they get treated to ice lollies on hot days, it’s not THAT strict

You're right imo, whether additional fat is more detrimental to your health than additional sugar probably depends on the rest of your diet.

Fat has been demonised for a long time.

Possibly though, it's not the difference between say, normal walkers and baked walkers that they are thinking about, but the difference between Doritos and baked walkers.

Ask for their reasoning about baked crisps. The calories are around the same and the fat not much lower, but the sugar is far higher, so they're not healthier at all.

www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/diabetes-food-myths/crisps

There reasoning for the rules are that we need to teach our children to eat healthily.
'We need to lower the sugar content of daily snacks and lunchtime food so that children get used to eating well and so they can manage their school day with ease.'
'High sugar foods or drinks provide a burst of energy, followed by a ‘sugar low’ or crash which make it harder to concentrate. Behaviour can also be a concern when children are full of sugar and then tired or dehydrated'

I would tell them it's a crisp...it's not meant to be healthy and I doubt anyone eats crisps for nutrition.

Baking must be better than frying? Surely!

baked chrisps contain less fat.
our school doesn't allow crispy snacks or sweets/chocolate in the lunchbox.

So they would be better to have a small bag of standard crisps rather than higher sugar baked ones then?

Not if it has more sugar in instead...

It’s not actual sugar though?

Well they’re not as tasty so if you want to discourage school crisp eating that’s the way to go

Better to say no crisps! If m my schoolchildren are not Lowes to being on snack food or sweets

I've yet to ever send him with a packet of crisps though he has them occasionally at home.

But this rule is a bit mad as it doesn't seem healthier to me to replace some of the fat with sugar.

Plus I could send biscuit in for dessert as long as its not one with lots of chocolate such as a mars bar

@3ormore3

It’s not actual sugar though?

It's in the ingredients as sugar

Sunbites:

120cal
0.6g fat
15.2g carbs, 1.8g of which is sugar
.24g salt

@GuyFawkesDay

Sunbites:

120cal
0.6g fat
15.2g carbs, 1.8g of which is sugar
.24g salt

0.6g of sat fat 5.4g of fat

“Non-UK here and our children are allowed sandwiches (any quantity) and fresh fruit/veg (any quantity). Apparently Babybel is also ok. Only water to drink.”

This strikes me as quite sensible!

I actually really like baked crisps but I’ve never bought into the health benefits or anything. Normal crisps aren’t the devil anyway- ready salted crisps are just fried potatoes and a bit of salt (cheese and onion not so much!)

Of FFS. More sugar? I did not know that. I prefer them as they are less greasy but I don't want more sugar.

By comparison:

Sensations sweet chilli per 30g

148cal
7.4gm fat 0.7g sat fat
17.7gm carb
0.43gm salt
1.1gm fibre

So sunbites better (just) and much better for fibre content.

There is slightly less fat, but I find them dry and tasteless so never buy them. I find this policing of lunchboxes ridiculous, it just makes life tougher for parents amd will make very little difference to those children who have a poor diet overall. I don't know what the answer is, except more health education for everybody, and promotion of the benefits of a healthy diet.

Yes, lunch boxes are much easier with a clear yes/no policy.

Our kids school allows them on Fridays. That's easier to manage for parents and staff.

Mine take sandwich, fruit, yoghurt tube and something protein based like a baby Bel or chicken breast strips. It's plenty.