Whisps Garlic Herb Cheese Crisps: Nutrition & Labelgrade C- (58/100)
C- 58 / 100 — Baked 100% Parmesan cheese: exceptional protein density (46.4g per 100g) and zero sugar, but the saturated fat (7g) and sodium (370mg) per serving are inherent to the cheese and both score F. A keto-friendly cheese snack whose trade-off is saturated fat and sodium, not carbs.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Whisps Garlic Herb Cheese Crisps are a crunchy snack that’s actually mostly protein — because there is essentially nothing in them but cheese. One 1 oz serving (28g, about 23 crisps) delivers 13g of protein for 150 calories, with 2g carbs and 0g sugar (USDA FDC 2755571). That works out to 46.4g of protein per 100g, which is why protein density earns a flat A+. The honest catch is that the crisp is baked full-fat Parmesan, so it also carries 7g of saturated fat and 370mg of sodium per serving — both of which score F and pull the overall Labelgrade down to C- (58/100). Buy it for the rare combination of crunchy and protein-dense; just don’t mistake it for a low-sodium food.
Why the C-
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | A+ | 100 / 100 | 46.4g per 100g — the formula caps it at A+. Every gram comes from the Parmesan, with no added isolate or protein blend doing the work |
| Ingredient quality | B- | 70 / 100 | Real Parmesan leads the list; the only marks against it are a maltodextrin carrier and a trace of sugar the label itself calls “trivial” |
| Sugar load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0g — aged cheese contributes essentially none, so this is a clean perfect score |
| Sodium load | F | 4 / 100 | 370mg per serving (1,321mg per 100g). Parmesan is a naturally salty aged cheese, so the salt is baked into the food, not sprinkled on |
| Saturated fat load | F | 15 / 100 | 7g per serving (25.0g per 100g) — about 35% of a day’s saturated fat. This is full-fat cheese; the sat fat rides along with the protein |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0g — unavoidable for a 100% cheese product, with no plant matter to contribute any |
The two F’s aren’t a formulation mistake — they’re physics. You can’t dehydrate Parmesan into a crisp and leave its sodium and saturated fat behind. The grade is honest about that: A+ for what cheese does well (dense protein, no sugar, no carbs), F for what cheese does poorly (salt and saturated fat). The C- is the average of a snack that is genuinely excellent on one axis and genuinely heavy on another.
The real selling point: crunch that’s mostly protein
Almost every crunchy snack is built on starch — potato, corn, or a “protein chip” base of pea or whey isolate glued together with tapioca. Whisps skips the starch entirely. The base is just cheese baked until it crisps, which is why the protein here is the cheese, not an additive bolted onto a cracker. At 46.4g of protein per 100g, the protein-to-weight ratio beats most things you’d reach for when you want something to crunch on.
That has a practical consequence: a single 1 oz portion is 26% of the FDA Daily Value for protein — a real dent in a protein target, from a handful of crisps you can eat off a desk. If your problem is “I want to snack on something crunchy and I’m trying to hit a protein number,” this is one of the few products that solves both at once instead of forcing you to choose.
The calcium upside almost no one mentions
Because it’s pure aged cheese, this snack quietly does something most protein snacks don’t: it delivers 350mg of calcium per serving — about 27% of the 1,300mg Daily Value in one 1 oz handful. A starch-based protein chip gives you protein and very little else; an all-Parmesan crisp gives you a meaningful calcium dose for free, simply because dairy is where that calcium lives. It’s not a reason to buy the product on its own, but it’s a genuine nutritional bonus that the front of the bag rarely advertises.
The honest catch: sodium and saturated fat are concentrated, not added
The trade-off is the flip side of “it’s just cheese.” Concentrating Parmesan into a crisp concentrates everything in it, including the parts you might be watching. Each serving brings 370mg of sodium (16% of the 2,300mg daily limit) and 7g of saturated fat (about 35% of a day’s worth). Eat two servings as a casual snack and you’re near 740mg of sodium and 14g of saturated fat before the rest of the day’s food.
For a low-carb or keto eater, that math is usually fine — carbs are the thing they’re avoiding, and this product has almost none. For anyone managing blood pressure or saturated fat, the calculus flips: the very thing that makes this a great keto snack (it’s all cheese) is what makes it a food to portion deliberately. The grade reflects exactly this split — and it’s why a near-zero-carb, high-protein snack still lands at C- rather than higher.
Ingredients
Parmesan Cheese (Pasteurized Part-Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Maltodextrin, Garlic (Powder), Spices, Salt, and a trace of Sugar the label notes “adds a trivial amount.” In plain terms: real cheese plus garlic-herb seasoning, and nothing resembling a protein isolate, oil, or sweetener system. (Verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 2755571.)
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 oz (28 g / about 23 crisps)
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 oz (28 g / about 23 crisps)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 150 |
| Protein | 13g |
| Total Fat | 10g |
| Saturated Fat | 7g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 2g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 0g |
| Added Sugars | 0g |
| Sodium | 370mg |
| Cholesterol | 30mg |
| Calcium | 350mg |
| Iron | 0.1mg |
| Potassium | 40mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Whisps Garlic Herb Cheese Crisps · UPC 00810030721017. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains animal-derived ingredients
contains no listed meat or fish
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Whisps Garlic Herb Cheese Crisps actually high in protein, or is that marketing?
Genuinely high. 13g of protein per 1 oz (about 23 crisps) is 26% of the FDA 50g Daily Value — above the 20% bar a food has to clear to legally claim 'high in protein.' At 46.4g of protein per 100g, this is one of the few crunchy snacks where protein, not starch, is the main event (USDA FDC 2755571).
Where does the protein come from — is there an added protein blend?
No blend, no isolate. All 13g comes from the Parmesan itself. The crisp is just cheese that's been baked until the moisture is gone and what's left crisps up, so the protein density you see is simply concentrated cheese protein.
Why only a C- if the protein density is A+?
Because the crisp IS cheese, it inherits cheese's two liabilities: 7g of saturated fat (35% of a day's worth) and 370mg of sodium per serving, both of which score F. The protein density and the 0g sugar are excellent; the saturated fat and salt are what pull the overall grade down to 58/100.
How much calcium is in a serving?
350mg — about 27% of the 1,300mg Daily Value in a single 1 oz portion. That's a real, often-overlooked upside of an all-Parmesan snack: aged cheese is calcium-dense, so you get a meaningful dose alongside the protein.
Are these keto-friendly?
Yes, cleanly. 2g total carbs and 0g sugar per serving, with the calories coming almost entirely from protein and fat — it fits ketogenic and low-carb plans easily. For this product, carbs are the one thing you don't have to worry about; sodium and saturated fat are.
How does the calorie-to-protein ratio compare to a leaner protein source?
150 calories for 13g of protein works out to 11.5 calories per gram of protein. That's the cost of getting protein wrapped in full-fat cheese — for reference, plain chicken breast runs closer to ~5 cal per gram of protein. You're paying for the crunch and the fat, not just the protein.
When was this data last verified?
2026-05-31, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 2755571. We re-verify top-traffic pages monthly and update within 7 days when a manufacturer reformulates.