Parents who want to set aside a treat time
You want to decide in advance how much chocolate biscuit to serve. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises giving children aged 4 to 12 a sweet snack at a set time and in a small portion.
Who is this relevant to?
Shoppers looking for a snack to take with them
For a day out or a playdate, you want an amount you can choose in advance and pack easily. Check whether the pack contains small individual pieces or whether you need to take some out of a larger pack yourself.
Households checking for allergens
Read the label of the specific product before buying. Milk, wheat and soya are found in Jumbo’s product examples; some varieties also mention possible traces of nuts.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide how much you want to serve at each snack time. Then choose a suitable pack format and check the information on the packaging.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size | Check the number of biscuits or grams per unit, and how much you actually want to serve. | For a planned treat time, I want to know in advance how much will be served. Portion control would be the main consideration for around 40% of consumers. |
| Taking it with you and storage | Check whether the units are individually wrapped and how to store an opened pack. | For a day out, I want to take a chosen amount without packing an opened multipack. Convenience for taking snacks along would be the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the latest ingredients list and allergen information, including any warning about possible traces. | If someone at home has a food allergy, I need to check whether this particular pack is suitable. For around 30% of consumers, this check would be their first purchasing priority. |
Common mistakes
-
Thinking of a sharing bar as one snack portion
A large bar may be intended for sharing. Even resealable packaging doesn’t determine how much you eat at one time.
Choose small individual pieces if you don’t want to portion them yourself. Otherwise, break off an amount before snack time and put the rest away.
-
Going by the front of the pack alone
Chocolate biscuits can contain different allergens. For its Milka Choco-Biscuit, Jumbo lists milk, soya and wheat, among other ingredients, as well as possible traces of nuts.
Check the ingredients list and allergen information on the packaging every time you buy, especially if an allergen is relevant to your household.
-
Confusing nutritional values per 100 g with those per portion
A value per 100 g doesn’t automatically tell you how much you’re serving. With a bar or pack containing several pieces, the amount you serve could be very different from 100 g.
Compare the nutritional values per 100 g with the amount in your chosen portion. Only then work out the values per snack time if you want to compare them.
-
Relying on an earlier product listing
Albert Heijn points out that ingredients, nutritional values, and dietary or allergy information can change.
Check the label, best-before date and storage instructions on the product you’re buying.
Brands to consider
Verkade
Verkade offers both smaller packs and a large chocolate biscuit bar.
- Verkade sells Choco Wolken in a 3 × 35 g pack, making it easier to choose an amount in advance.
- Verkade describes its XXL Choco Biscuit Karamelsmaakvulling as a bar to share or enjoy as a treat, rather than an obvious single portion.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Bakeries Netherlands lists Biscoff biscuits with chocolate in a pack of 7 × 3 biscuits.
- The packs of three biscuits make it easy to plan a biscuit break in advance.
- Check the ingredients for your chosen variety: according to Lotus, the chocolate variety contains wheat, milk products and soya, among other ingredients.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn lists own-brand chocolate bars with caramel and biscuit.
- The own-brand range is another option to compare with different pack formats when you’re shopping.
- Albert Heijn warns that product information can change. Always check the current pack for ingredients and allergens.
Jumbo
Jumbo lists milk chocolate biscuits in a pack of nine, alongside products from other brands.
- For its own-brand milk chocolate biscuits, Jumbo lists nine 14 g portions per pack.
- The biscuits are not individually wrapped. Follow the storage advice on the packaging once opened.
Lidl Way To Go
Lidl’s Way To Go range includes a variety with chocolate, caramel and biscuit.
- This variety offers another flavour and pack format to consider in store.
- Check the specific product for the number of pieces and the latest nutritional information.
Choceur
ALDI describes a Choceur Choco & biscuit pack containing nine pieces and weighing 300 g.
- The stated number of pieces makes it easier to choose an amount in advance.
- Check the packaging for ingredients and portion size, and see whether the variety is available in store.
Products for a planned snack time
These Joybuy products are chocolate wafers or biscuits to consider if you want to choose a snack amount in advance. The number of pieces or pack weight doesn’t always tell you whether each piece is individually wrapped, so check if you plan to take them with you.
Image unavailable
Nestle Kitkat Strawberry Short Cake, 9 pieces, 104.4 g
Worth considering if you want to choose the number of pieces for a snack time in advance.
The product name lists nine pieces and a total weight of 104.4 g. Check the label for nutritional information per piece and allergens.
Image unavailable
Meito Pukupukutai Chocolate Wafer, 16.5 g per pack
An option if you’re looking for a small pack for one planned snack time.
The product name states 16.5 g per pack. Check the sales unit to see how many packs you get, and read the ingredients and allergen information.
Image unavailable
LU Scholiertje milk chocolate biscuits, 150 g
Suited to a biscuit break where you decide in advance how many biscuits to serve.
The pack weighs 150 g. Check the packaging to see how many portions it contains and which allergens are listed for this product.
Image unavailable
Franzzi Dark Chocolate Flavour Cookies, 70 g
Worth considering if you’re looking for biscuits with a dark chocolate flavour and want to decide the snack portion yourself.
The product name gives a pack weight of 70 g. Check the pack for the number of biscuits, portion size and allergens.
Image unavailable
KitKat Gold wafer with salted caramel flavour, 9 pieces
An option if you want to decide in advance how many wafers to have at snack time.
The product name lists nine pieces. Check whether they’re individually wrapped if you plan to take them with you, and read the latest allergen information on the label.
Frequently asked questions
Are chocolate biscuits suitable for every snack time during the school holidays?
It’s better to make them part of a specific treat time than the automatic choice for every snack. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises giving children aged 4 to 12 a sweet snack at a set time and in a small portion.
How can I stop a large bar being eaten as one portion?
Decide how much you want to serve before eating and put the rest away, or choose a pack with smaller individual pieces. Even with a resealable bar, you’ll need to break off the amount yourself.
Which allergens should I check for in chocolate biscuits?
Read the full allergen information on the latest packaging, focusing on any allergies relevant to your household. Jumbo’s product examples include milk, wheat and soya, and some varieties mention possible traces of nuts. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that the 14 allergens specified by law must be listed on the labels of prepacked foods.