Before a children's party, first ask about any allergies and dietary requirements. Then choose chocolate biscuits or digestives whose ingredients you can check on the packaging, and buy an amount that fits the agreed treat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum) recommends small portions; even a gluten-free digestive may contain other allergens.
Ask in advance which children need to avoid certain ingredients. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends checking for allergies and dietary requirements. Then use the allergen information on the exact pack you plan to hand out.
If you want to give each child a modest treat, check how many biscuits or portions are in a pack. This fits with the Netherlands Nutrition Centre's advice to keep treats small and avoid buying more than you need.
For a group, the pack weight is not the only thing that matters: you also need to know how many biscuits you plan to hand out. Compare the number of biscuits or portions in similar products, rather than choosing based on a large pack alone.
First, decide whether biscuits are right for the party and the children attending. Then choose the type of biscuit and work out how many you need.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens | Ask about allergies and check the ingredients, allergens and any ‘may contain’ statement on the exact pack. | If any children need to avoid certain ingredients, I only want to hand something out once I know whether it is suitable for them. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this check. |
| Portion size | Compare the number of biscuits or stated portions with the number of children and the portion you plan to give each one. | For a small treat, I want to be able to work out in advance what each child will get. A manageable portion is a priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Party rules | Check whether the school, after-school club or party venue allows edible treats before buying biscuits. | If the party is at school or an after-school club, I want to know whether biscuits are allowed under the rules. This is the first consideration for around 27% of consumers. |
| Pack size | Check the weight and number of biscuits or portions. Compare similar products only once you know how many you need. | For a small group, I want to bring enough biscuits without being left with lots of leftovers. Around 20% of consumers prioritise getting the amount right. |
The name does not mean a biscuit is gluten-free. The standard chocolate digestives described by Albert Heijn and Jumbo list wheat or gluten-containing cereals; the separate gluten-free Jumbo version also lists other allergens.
Think of ‘digestive’ as a type of biscuit, and check the ingredients and allergens for the version you choose.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that some schools and after-school clubs have a policy against handing out edible treats. A pack you have bought may not be suitable for the planned party.
Check what the venue allows first, then decide whether to buy biscuits.
The pack weight does not tell you how many biscuits you can give each child. The portion you want to serve and any dietary requirements also determine whether a pack is suitable.
First count the children and decide how many biscuits each will get. Then check the pack contents.
Albert Heijn notes that ingredient, nutrition and allergy information can change. If someone has an allergy, the information on the pack you buy is what matters.
Read the packaging again before handing out the biscuits.
Verkade Chocorondjes Milk Chocolate are chocolate biscuits, not digestives.
Lotus Speculoos with chocolate offers a speculoos biscuit as an alternative to a digestive.
AH Digestive Dark Chocolate is a supermarket own-brand option in a 300 g pack.
Jumbo offers a standard digestive with dark chocolate and a separate gluten-free version with milk chocolate.
Sondey Choco biscuits milk are chocolate biscuits in Lidl's range.
ALDI lists both digestives and separate chocolate biscuits under the Biscotto brand.
This selection includes chocolate digestives as well as other chocolate biscuits and biscuit sticks. Choose the type of biscuit only after checking the party rules and any allergies. If you're buying for a group, check how many are in each pack, too.
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A chocolate biscuit for anyone looking for something other than a digestive.
150 g pack. Check the number of biscuits and the label before buying for the whole group.
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Milk chocolate biscuit sticks for anyone who wants to hand out something other than digestives.
75 g pack. If you need separate portions for each child, check how the biscuits are packed, and read the label if there are any allergies.
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A milk chocolate digestive if you want to hand out this type of biscuit.
266 g pack. Check how many biscuits are in the pack before working out how much you need. If there are any allergies, read the pack label.
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A dark chocolate digestive if you prefer that version to milk chocolate.
266 g pack. For a group, check how many biscuits are in the pack, and check the label if there are any allergies.
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A chocolate-flavoured biscuit stick as an alternative to a digestive.
47 g pack. Check how many sticks are included when buying for a group, and read the allergen information on the pack.
Yes. Ask in advance which children need to avoid certain ingredients. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also recommends asking about dietary requirements. Make your final choice based on the ingredients and allergens listed on the pack you buy.
Not necessarily: the standard versions described by Albert Heijn, Jumbo and McVitie's list wheat or gluten-containing cereals. Jumbo also has a separate gluten-free milk chocolate version, which, according to the product information, contains milk, oats and soya and may contain nuts.
Keep the treat small, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Before buying, decide how many biscuits you want to give each child, then compare your plan with the number of biscuits or portions in the pack.
For the AH and Jumbo products described, the advice is to store them somewhere cool, dark and dry, and to seal an opened pack properly. Check the storage and best-before information on your own pack, too.
