Choose a chocolate biscuit with a clearly stated individual wrapper or sealed portion pack if you want to take one portion in your gym bag; check the current pack to see how many biscuits each wrapper contains. Convenient packaging doesn’t tell you anything about nutritional value. If you’re keeping an eye on your protein intake after exercise, compare the nutritional information per portion with what else you eat.
Want to pop a biscuit into your gym bag without opening a larger pack? Look for a clear statement that the biscuits are individually wrapped or portion-packed. The number of biscuits on the front doesn’t tell you how they’re packaged inside.
Want something sweet after your workout, while also knowing how the portion fits into your diet? Compare the nutritional information per portion. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, what you need to eat around exercise depends, among other things, on how strenuous the activity is; a biscuit’s name doesn’t tell you that.
If you need to avoid certain ingredients, the ingredients list on the current pack is more important than a previous purchase or an online product title. Also read the allergen information and any warnings about the possible presence of other allergens.
Start with what matters most to you: does it have to be a chocolate biscuit, or is a sealed individual portion more important? Then check the nutritional information and ingredients for the product you’ve chosen.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sealed portion to take with you | Look for ‘individually wrapped’ or ‘portion pack’ and check how many biscuits each wrapper contains. | I want to keep one biscuit in my gym bag without opening the rest of the pack. Around 36% of consumers prioritise an individually sealed portion. |
| Nutritional value per portion | Compare protein and energy per portion; values per 100 g aren’t automatically the same as values per biscuit. | After exercising, I want to know how a biscuit fits in with what else I eat. For around 29% of consumers, this nutritional consideration is the top priority. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list, highlighted allergens and any warnings on the current pack. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, I want to be able to check the current packaging before eating. This is the top priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Pack and portion size | Compare the number of biscuits, the net weight and how they’re divided between any inner wrappers. | I’m looking for a size that suits how often I take a biscuit with me, without unnecessarily opening a larger pack. For around 14% of consumers, this is the first consideration. |
The difference between the products matters: according to Lotus, an individually wrapped Lotus Biscoff biscuit is a speculoos biscuit, not a chocolate biscuit. Likewise, a box of chocolate biscuits with a stated number of pieces doesn’t prove that each biscuit has its own wrapper. So, if both are important to you, don’t choose based on the category or the number of pieces alone.
‘9 pieces’ describes what’s in the pack, not the inner packaging. You may still need to open a shared wrapper before you can take one biscuit with you.
Check whether the pack mentions individual wrappers or sealed portions and, if possible, look at the inner packaging.
Chocolate flavour and convenient portions don’t tell you how much protein or energy you’re actually eating. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre emphasises that what you need around exercise depends on the type and duration of the activity.
Read the nutritional information per portion and consider the biscuit as part of your overall diet, rather than assuming it has a particular benefit based on the product name.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. Albert Heijn itself points out that product information may change over time.
Check the label on the pack you receive every time you buy it, including any warnings about the possible presence of allergens.
A useful option if an individually sealed biscuit matters more to you than chocolate flavour.
Worth considering if you want to choose a biscuit with chocolate first and check the pack size afterwards.
A supermarket range where you can compare different chocolate biscuits.
A supermarket range for comparing biscuits and chocolate varieties from different brands.
These products offer different kinds of chocolate snack to take with you: a chocolate biscuit, a chocolate wafer and a chocolate-flavoured biscuit bar. If individual packaging is a must for you, check the current pack and the number of pieces in each inner wrapper for every product.
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For anyone who specifically wants to take a milk chocolate biscuit with them after exercise. Check the pack to see how the biscuits are divided between any inner wrappers, and use the nutritional information per portion if you want to compare quantities.
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For anyone considering a chocolate wafer as an alternative to a chocolate biscuit. Check the current packaging to see whether the wafers are individually wrapped and what the nutritional information is per wafer.
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For anyone who wants to compare a chocolate-flavoured biscuit bar with a traditional chocolate biscuit. Check how much product is in each individual wrapper, if applicable, and read the ingredients on the current pack.
Look for an explicit statement on the current pack that the biscuits are individually wrapped or come in sealed portions, and check how many biscuits each contains. The total weight or the words ‘9 pieces’ only confirm what’s in the pack, not how it’s packaged inside.
No, the wrapper tells you nothing about the nutritional value. Check the protein and energy per portion on the label, and consider how that portion fits in with the rest of your diet; according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, what you need around exercise varies with the activity.
Check all ingredients and allergens relevant to you on the current label, along with any warnings about possible traces. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists gluten-containing cereals, milk, soya, peanuts and nuts among the allergens that must be clearly identified on prepacked food.
Not necessarily: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, sports bars and gels aren’t needed when you exercise for less than an hour. Choose a chocolate biscuit as a snack based on your preference and the information on the label, not because the packaging suggests it has a sports function.
