Shop for lessprocessed snacks
A label checklist for the snack aisle: what to read, in what order, and what to compare.
Build my snack swaps listFree, no sign-up. Tick it on your phone or print a pocket card.
Or tick the checklist belowBefore you go: pick your three snacks
You do not need to check the whole aisle. Start with the snacks that reach your basket most weeks.
- Name them. Crisps, bars, crackers, nuts, popcorn or fruit snacks: pick up to three.
- Pick a brand to compare against. Choose the pack you usually buy and one alternative of the same kind.
- Take the checklist. Tick it on your phone, or print it as a pocket card from the list builder.
- Compare, then choose. The aim is a clear picture of both lists, not a perfect score.
The snack label checklist
Work through these in order, from the first word of the list to the nutrition panel. Tick them off as you go.
1. Order and length
2. Sugar names
Sugar often appears more than once under different names. See the full sugar names list.
4. Nutrition panel
Free, no sign-up. Tick it, print it or share it.
Two packs of peanuts, side by side
Example ingredient lists, written for illustration. Highlighted words are the items the checklist asks about.
Pack A
Peanuts, salt
2 items. No sugar names. No additive families.Pack B
Peanuts, palm oil, sugar, maltodextrin, flavourings, flavour enhancer (E621), anti-caking agent (E551)
7 items. 2 sugar names. 3 additive entries across 2 families.Same snack, two very different lists. The checklist is a way to see that difference quickly, and the choice stays yours.
Snack by snack: what to compare
Where each snack tends to differ between brands, and a shorter pattern to look for.
- Crisps and puffsMaltodextrin, flavour enhancers, colours, a long seasoning sub-list.Shorter pattern: potatoes, oil, salt.
- Cereal and snack barsGlucose syrup, protein isolates, humectants, emulsifiers.Shorter pattern: nuts, seeds, dates.
- Crackers and oatcakesEmulsifiers, modified starch, invert sugar, flavouring.Shorter pattern: flour or oats, fat, salt, water.
- PopcornFlavour dust, colours, sweet coatings with syrups.Shorter pattern: kernels, oil, salt.
- Nuts and seedsSugar coatings, flavourings, anti-caking agents.Shorter pattern: nuts, maybe salt.
- Fruit snacksFruit paste, sweeteners, thickeners, colours.Shorter pattern: fruit as the only ingredient.
Pick snacks, sauces, bread and more in one list.
Check snacks at the shelf: the free label checklist
One page for the fridge door or your phone: NOVA groups in plain words, eight giveaway ingredient groups to tick, and simple swap lines.
Instant download. Details used only to reply and send what was asked for, privacy-friendly analytics, email [email protected] to access or delete.
Frequently asked questions
What does less processed mean for a snack?
Here it means a shorter list of ingredients you would recognise from a kitchen, with fewer of the markers the NOVA framework highlights: sugars under other names, protein isolates, modified starch, flavourings, emulsifiers and cosmetic colours. NOVA groups foods by the extent and purpose of industrial processing.
Is a long ingredient list always a sign of an ultra-processed snack?
No. Length is a prompt to read on, not a verdict. A long list of spices, seeds and fruit reads differently from a list of syrups, isolates and additives. That is why the checklist asks what the extra items are.
Why compare per 100 g?
Pack sizes and serving sizes differ between brands. A per 100 g figure puts two snacks on the same footing, so the sugar and salt lines can be compared directly.
Can I use the checklist on a phone in the shop?
Yes. The ticks above work on a phone, and the swaps list builder turns the same points into a list you can tick, print as a pocket card or share.