Gym-bag snackers short on space
If you don’t want to take an opened pack with you, look for biscuits wrapped individually or in pairs. You can take one sealed portion and leave the rest at home.
Who are these packs useful for?
Lunchbox fillers and sharers
If you’re filling several lunchboxes or sharing biscuits after a workout, the number of individual portions in a pack matters. With a larger roll or pack, you’ll need to portion them out yourself.
Label checkers
A convenient pack size tells you little about what’s inside. Compare the nutritional information and ingredients for the exact variant, and always check the current label if you have any relevant allergies.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you need a sealed portion or want to portion the biscuits out yourself. Then compare the amount in the portion you’ll actually take with you.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed portion to take with you | Check whether the biscuits are individually wrapped or wrapped in pairs, and how many are in each packet. | I want to put a biscuit in my gym bag without having to portion out an opened pack first. Around 33% of consumers give this kind of sealed portion top priority. |
| Nutritional information and ingredients | Compare sugars, fats and fibre per portion and per 100 g; check the ingredients list too. | If I take one packet with me, I want to know what’s in that specific amount and which ingredients it contains. For around 27% of consumers, comparing labels is the most important factor. |
| Portioning for lunchboxes | Count the individual packets or work out how many portions you can divide a larger pack into yourself. | When filling several lunchboxes, I want to split the contents up easily without sending the whole pack along. This is the main consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
| Keeping a supply and portioning it yourself | Check the total contents and decide whether you’ll use your own container or bag for portions to take with you. | I’d rather keep a larger pack at home and prepare a portion when I’m ready to leave. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this way of portioning. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming a large pack contains individual portions
Having lots of biscuits in one pack doesn’t mean they come in separate packets. If you only want to take one portion, an opened pack takes more preparation.
Look for wording such as ‘individually wrapped’ or ‘wrapped in pairs’ in the product description, and check how many individual packets the pack contains.
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Taking a claim on the front of the pack as the whole story
A claim about fibre or a vegan recipe doesn’t tell you how much sugar and fat your portion contains. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also recommends checking the ingredients in snacks.
Read the nutritional information per portion and per 100 g, as well as the ingredients list for the variant you’ve chosen.
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Relying only on outdated allergen information online
If you’re choosing biscuits because of an allergy, the information on the packaging you’re actually using is what matters.
Read the current label before eating, even if you’ve bought the same product before.
Brands and product ranges to consider
Lotus Biscoff
If you’re looking for speculoos biscuits in twin packs, Jumbo lists Lotus Biscoff XL as containing 10 packets, each with 2 biscuits.
- The packets are already portioned, so you can take them individually.
- Check the ingredients and allergens on the label for the variant you choose.
Peijnenburg
The original ontbijtkoek (Dutch breakfast cake) shown by Jumbo as a 10-pack consists of 10 individually wrapped slices weighing 28 g each.
- It’s easy to take one wrapped slice with you.
- Ontbijtkoek is a different type of product from a biscuit, so compare the nutritional information for the slice you choose.
BioToday
Albert Heijn lists BioToday spelt speculoos for shoppers who want to compare the ingredients and nutritional information of a pack of biscuits.
- The nutritional information shown includes 6 g of fibre per 100 g.
- Before buying, check whether the pack contains individual portions to take with you; a stated serving size doesn’t confirm that it does.
Biscotto
ALDI lists both larger packs of biscuits and variants with smaller individual packets in the Biscotto range.
- The chocolate biscuits shown come in 20 biscuits, wrapped in pairs.
- Check the format of the exact variant: not every larger pack contains individual portions.
Biscuits and wafers on Joybuy
These products come in a range of pack sizes for a biscuit or wafer on the go, from a 150 g pack to packs containing 9 or 10 pieces. If you’re looking for a single sealed portion for your gym bag, check whether the pieces in each product are individually wrapped.
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LU Scholiertje milk chocolate biscuits, 150 g
A pack of biscuits to consider if you want to take milk chocolate biscuits with you. If you’re buying for several gym-bag or lunchbox occasions, check how many individual portions the pack contains.
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Ülker Probis sandwich biscuits, 10 pieces, 280 g
With 10 pieces, this pack could be divided up for several occasions on the go. Check whether the biscuits are individually wrapped, and read the nutritional information and allergens on the current label.
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Nestlé KitKat Strawberry Short Cake, 9 pieces, 104,4 g
This pack of wafer bars is an option if you’d rather take a bar than a biscuit. Check the packaging to see how the 9 pieces are wrapped, and compare the nutritional information for the portion you choose.
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Spitz hazelnut and milk wafers, 10-pack with 10 pieces
A pack with several wafers for you to portion out for different occasions on the go. Check whether each piece has its own wrapper before relying on it as a sealed portion for your gym bag.
Frequently asked questions
Should I check the nutritional information per 100 g or per portion?
Use the figures per portion to see what you’ll actually be taking with you, and those per 100 g to compare products on the same basis. Check what the manufacturer counts as one portion: for the Peijnenburg 10-pack shown by Jumbo, it’s one 28 g slice.
Are biscuits from a multipack automatically suitable as a snack after a workout?
No. The packaging mainly tells you how easy it is to take a portion with you. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that snacks can contain a lot of sugar or saturated fat, so compare the nutritional information for the biscuit you choose rather than judging it by the convenience of the packaging.
How do I check allergens in prepacked biscuits?
Read the allergen information on the current packaging before eating the biscuits. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that allergens must be listed on food labels. If you’re buying the product again, don’t rely solely on a product page you viewed previously.
Can I rely on the ingredients listed on an online product page?
Use online information to compare products, but check the pack you receive too. Albert Heijn notes in its product information that details such as ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change.
How can I take biscuits from a large pack with me?
Put the amount you want to take in a securely sealed container or bag, and follow the storage advice on the packaging. If you’d rather not portion them out in advance, look specifically for a variant with individually wrapped biscuits.