For a single snack on an NS train journey, a small pack of chocolate biscuits is a good fit; for sharing, a pack with enough biscuits for everyone is more practical. Choose a box of chocolates if you’re taking a gift. Check the label on your chosen product for ingredients, allergens and nutritional information, and put packaging waste in a bin or take it with you, as NS asks passengers to do in its house rules.
A small pack or one divided into portions makes it easier to take only what you want to eat during your journey. Verkade lists Choco Wolken in a 3 × 35 g pack; Lotus Bakeries also lists packs with smaller portions. Check how the portions are packed in the product you choose.
Compare the number of biscuits with the number of people travelling with you and the number of times you plan to eat. For example, ALDI lists a Biscotto pack containing 20 chocolate biscuits, with a total weight of 250 g.
If you’re keeping an eye on ingredients, allergens or nutritional information, you’ll need the details for the exact product variant. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that the allergens that must be declared on prepacked foods need to be clearly shown on the label.
Decide whether you’re looking for something to enjoy in one sitting, to share or to give as a gift. Then consider how much you want to take and which information on the label matters to you.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Easy to pack | Check the number of portions, the weight per portion and how to open the pack you’ve chosen. | If I’m travelling alone, I don’t want to open a large pack for a single snack. Around 33% of consumers give top priority to a compact, portioned snack. |
| Sharing or giving as a gift | Compare the number of pieces and the total contents; if it’s a gift, check whether you can take the box with you intact. | If I’m travelling with others, I want enough to share; if it’s a gift, how I present it matters too. Around 27% of consumers prioritise sharing or giving a gift. |
| Shopping stop and quantity | Consider which size suits your planned stop at the shops and how much you’ll have left after your journey. | I want to be able to pick something up on the way without taking more biscuits than I plan to use. A practical purchase and a suitable quantity are priorities for around 20% of consumers. |
| Label and nutritional information | Read the ingredients and allergen information for the exact variant; compare the nutritional values per 100 g and per portion you plan to eat. | If ingredients or nutritional value influence my choice, I don’t want to rely on the front of the pack alone. Around 20% of consumers prioritise information on the label. |
Ingredients can vary between product variants. For Lotus Biscoff with chocolate, Lotus Bakeries lists ingredients including wheat, milk and soya; this doesn’t tell you which ingredients are in other Lotus products.
Read the ingredients list and allergen information on the pack you’re actually buying, even if you’ve tried another variant before.
A sharing pack may suit a group of fellow travellers, but after one snack you may have biscuits left to carry and store. For example, ALDI lists a Biscotto pack containing 20 pieces.
Choose a number of biscuits that suits the people you’re sharing with and the times you plan to eat. Keep any leftover biscuits sealed; put your rubbish in a bin or take it with you, as NS asks.
The name or picture of a chocolate biscuit won’t tell you how much sugar or fat is in the portion you’ve chosen. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also recommends checking the ingredients and nutritional information when choosing a snack.
Compare the nutritional information for the products you’re considering per 100 g, then think about how much you want to eat.
Verkade offers chocolate biscuits in smaller formats, including Choco Wolken in a 3 × 35 g pack and Duo’tjes Chocolade.
Lotus Bakeries lists speculoos in a range of formats, including a chocolate variant in a 7 × 3 pack and a Pocket Pack of the original speculoos.
Jumbo’s range of chocolate biscuits includes own-brand chocolate biscuits in a variety of pack sizes.
ALDI lists Biscotto chocolate biscuits in a 20-piece, 250 g pack, with dark, white and milk chocolate variants.
Albert Heijn has a category for chocolate biscuits, which also includes products from Verkade.
These products include biscuits, biscuit sticks and chocolate wafers for a snack break or to share. If you’re choosing a box of chocolates as a gift, consider the box and its contents separately.
No image available
A pack of milk chocolate biscuits for taking with you. Check how the portions are divided if you only want to eat some of the pack during your journey.
No image available
A chocolate wafer as an alternative to a chocolate biscuit; the pack contains 180 g. Check how the wafers are arranged in the pack if you want to take some for several snack breaks.
No image available
The 32 g size is an option if you’re looking for a small pack of chocolate biscuit sticks. Check the number of sticks per pack if you want to hand them out individually.
No image available
These chocolate wafers come in a pack of nine, which may be useful if you want to share. Check whether the pieces are individually wrapped before counting on it.
No image available
A 177 g pack of coconut biscuits with milk chocolate, for taking with you or sharing. Check how many biscuits are in the pack and how you can store the rest if you open it during your journey.
Take an amount that suits your planned snack break and keep the rest sealed. Put wrappers in a bin or take them with you; that’s what NS asks passengers to do in its house rules.
Yes, if ingredients or allergens matter to your choice: check the exact variant you’re buying. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that the allergens that must be declared on prepacked foods need to be clearly shown on the label.
Compare the nutritional values per 100 g and consider the portion you plan to eat too. This lets you compare the stated sugar and fat content of the products themselves without relying on pack size alone.
A box of chocolates is a good choice if you’re giving a gift or sharing chocolate with others; for a single snack, a small pack of biscuits is a better fit. If you choose a box, check its contents and allergen information, and whether you can take it with you intact.
