If you want a school lunch with less sugar, the De Ruijter aniseed sprinkles checked here aren’t a suitable choice: Albert Heijn lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for Gestampte muisjes and Feestmuisjes. If you want to keep the aniseed flavour, you can use aniseed sprinkles as a limited sweet topping. For everyday sandwiches, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre suggests options including 100% peanut butter with no added salt or sugar, and bean spread with little salt.
If aniseed sprinkles are intended as an everyday sandwich topping, their sugar content matters more than their festive appearance. The varieties checked here aren’t low-sugar options; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre also suggests other types of sandwich filling for school lunches.
The distinctive aniseed flavour may be why you choose them. If so, treat them as a sweet topping to include in moderation, rather than a lower-sugar option. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends packing no more than one slice of bread with a sweet topping for primary school children.
If your child needs to avoid wheat or gluten, the current packaging is what matters. Albert Heijn’s product information lists wheat and cereals containing gluten for De Ruijter Gestampte muisjes. Check the ingredients and allergen information again the next time you buy it.
When: Choose this if the aniseed flavour matters to you and you don’t need aniseed sprinkles to be your everyday topping.
Trade-off: A smaller or less frequent portion doesn’t make the sugared sprinkles themselves low in sugar.
When: Choose a different type of topping if reducing sugar matters more than keeping the aniseed sprinkles.
Trade-off: You’ll lose the distinctive aniseed flavour and appearance. Check the ingredients and allergens of any alternative, too.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Less sugar | Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g across products of the same type. Albert Heijn lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for De Ruijter Gestampte muisjes and Feestmuisjes. | When I pack an everyday sandwich topping, I don’t want to judge it by festive packaging alone. For around 50% of consumers, reducing sugar is the priority when making this choice. |
| An occasional festive treat | Decide how many sprinkles to put on the sandwich. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends packing no more than one slice of bread with a sweet topping for primary school children. | I want to enjoy the aniseed flavour now and then without making the whole lunch a sweet one. For around 33% of consumers, keeping it in moderation comes first. |
| Wheat and gluten | Read the current ingredients and allergen information. Albert Heijn lists wheat and cereals containing gluten for De Ruijter Gestampte muisjes. | If my child needs to avoid wheat or gluten, I need to know what the packaging says before they eat it. Checking the label is a priority for around 17% of consumers. |
Aniseed sprinkles are a sandwich topping, but the Gestampte muisjes and Feestmuisjes described by Albert Heijn are sugared aniseed seeds. The nutritional information lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for both.
Don’t let the colour or flavour sway you if your aim is to reduce sugar. Compare the nutritional information for products of the same type, or choose a different kind of topping.
The sugar listed per portion depends on the serving size used on the packaging. This means portion values for different products aren’t necessarily comparable.
First compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g, then consider how much you actually sprinkle on a sandwich.
Albert Heijn lists wheat and cereals containing gluten for De Ruijter Gestampte muisjes. If your child needs to avoid these ingredients, the product name alone isn’t enough to help you decide.
Check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging every time you buy it.
The De Ruijter product information checked at Albert Heijn describes Gestampte muisjes and Feestmuisjes as sugared aniseed seeds.
The De Ruijter Gestampte muisjes and Feestmuisjes checked here aren’t a low-sugar option: Albert Heijn lists 79 g of sugars per 100 g for both. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also gives 11.9 g of sugar for a 15 g serving of aniseed sprinkles in its general nutrition information; the amount you put on a sandwich may vary.
Use them as a sweet topping in moderation, rather than as a low-sugar basis for lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends packing no more than one slice of bread with a sweet topping for primary school children.
Look for a different type of topping rather than a different colour of aniseed sprinkles. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre suggests options including 100% peanut butter with no added salt or sugar, and bean spread with little salt. Check the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens on the packaging before choosing.
Check the current allergen information on the packaging before serving. Albert Heijn lists wheat and cereals containing gluten for De Ruijter Gestampte muisjes, so this variety isn’t suitable if your child needs to avoid these ingredients.
