Hula Hoops facts for kids
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| Owner | KP Snacks |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Introduced | 1973 |
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Hula Hoops are a popular snack food. They are made from potatoes and corn. These tasty snacks are shaped like small, hollow rings, almost like tiny hula hoops!
Hula Hoops were first made in the United Kingdom in 1973 by a company called KP Snacks. You can find Hula Hoops in the UK, Republic of Ireland, and South Africa. They are also sold in Belgium under the name "Croky" and in France by Vico.
KP Snacks makes Hula Hoops in many different flavours. In 2008, they even launched 'Hula Hoops Tortilla', which are made from corn. These came in flavours like Cool Original, Chilli Salsa, and Nacho Cheese.
Contents
What Flavours Can You Find?
Hula Hoops come in many exciting flavours! The colour of the packet often tells you what flavour is inside.
- BBQ Beef (brown packet)
- Cheese & Onion (green packet)
- Original (red packet)
- Roast Chicken (mustard packet)
- Salt & Vinegar (blue packet)
- Smoky Bacon (purple packet)
Past Flavours to Remember
Over the years, some Hula Hoops flavours were only available for a short time. This might have been for special promotions or because they weren't as popular.
- Sweet Chilli (pink packet)
- Tikka (deep purple packet)
- Crisp Roulette (dark red packet)
- Tangy Cheese (light orange packet)
- Barbecue (brown packet)
- Beef and Mustard (black 'Big O's' & XL bag)
- Cheese (yellow packet)
- Prawn Cocktail (purple packet)
- Sour Cream and Chive (dark green packet)
- Tomato Ketchup (blue packet)
- Vanilla Cream (dark pink crisp roulette bag)
Different Kinds of Hula Hoops
Hula Hoops have had several different versions over the years. Some were bigger, some were smaller, and some had a different texture!
Big O's
In 1998, KP Snacks launched 'Big O's'. These were much larger Hula Hoops. They came in bigger bags and were only available in Beef & Mustard flavour. The bags were black with a large 'Big O's' logo. These larger hoops are no longer made.
Shoks
In the early 2000s, KP made 'Hula Hoops Shoks'. These were tiny versions of the classic Hula Hoop. They had a very strong flavour! Shoks were sold in small plastic cubes or resealable pots. KP Snacks invested a lot in launching Shoks, hoping they would be very popular with young people aged 12 to 24.
Shoks came in these flavours:
- Totally Cheesy (orange, cube)
- Beef (brown, pot)
- Pickled Onion (green, cube)
- Sweet Chilli (pink, cube or pot)
- Salt and Vinegar (blue, cube)
- Rib and Saucy (purple, cube)
Hula Hoops XL
In 2001, 'Hula Hoops XL' were launched. Like Big O's, these were larger than regular Hula Hoops. They also came in bigger bags. However, they didn't sell very well and were soon stopped.
XL flavours included:
- Beef & Mustard
- Chilli
- Nacho Cheese
- Curry
Frozen Hula Hoops
In 1999, KP Snacks even made Hula Hoops that you could cook at home! These weren't crisps; they were more like hash browns. They started making them again in 2013. You can find these frozen versions in Iceland stores.
As of 2025, you can find them in:
- Original Salted (red packet)
- BBQ Beef (brown packet)
Big Hoops
In 2011, 'Big Hoops' were introduced. These were similar to the XL range, being larger than regular Hula Hoops. They were made for adults who remembered putting Hula Hoops on their fingers as kids, but couldn't do it with the smaller ones anymore!
Big Hoops have been available in these flavours:
- Salted (formerly Original, red packet)
- BBQ Beef (brown packet)
- Spicy Chilli (magenta packet)
- Salt & Vinegar (blue packet)
Some discontinued Big Hoops flavours include:
- Sour Cream & Chive (dark green packet)
- Sweet Chilli (pink packet)
- Chilli (black packet)
Puft
In early 2015, KP Snacks launched 'Hula Hoops Puft'. These are a "lighter version" of the snack. They are described as "Light and crispy puffed hoops."
As of 2025, Puft is available in four flavours:
- Salted (red packet)
- Sweet Chili (purple packet)
- Salt & Vinegar (blue packet)
- Beef (brown packet)
Flavarings
In May 2018, KP started making 'Hula Hoops Flavarings'. These are larger rings than standard Hula Hoops. They are made from maize (corn), not potato, so they have a different texture. They are described as "Big crispy bursts of flavour."
As of 2025, Flavarings come in these flavours:
- Tangy Cheese (yellow packet)
- Salt & Vinegar (blue packet)
- Spicy (red packet)
What's in Your Hula Hoops?
A regular 24g bag of original Hula Hoops has about 120 calories. They also contain small amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. The exact amounts can change depending on the flavour.
Hula Hoops Slogans
Hula Hoops have used different slogans to describe their snacks over the years:
- "Now 55% less Saturated Fat - Same great taste"
- "Cooked with 100% Sunflower Oil"
- "Best ever flavour"
- "Amazing taste and satisfaction"
- "Now no artificial flavours, colours, or MSG. Same great taste!"
Helping Others with Hula Hoops
In 2010, Hula Hoops worked with Sport Relief to organize special events called 'Hoopathons'. On Sunday, March 21, 2010, 1,388 people took part in a huge event across the UK. They all hula-hooped at the same time for two minutes! This set a Guinness World Record for the largest number of people hula-hooping together.
