Choose a chocolate digestive for your gym bag based on the portion you’ll take with you, its nutritional value and the label – not just because it’s called a ‘digestive’. A biscuit can be a handy treat on the go, but its name doesn’t tell you whether it suits a particular sports nutrition goal. If you need to avoid gluten, look for a product clearly labelled gluten-free and check for other allergens too.
If you’re looking for a chocolate biscuit to take on the go, you can compare sugar, saturated fat, fibre and protein per 100 g and per portion. Voedingscentrum highlights these differences as things to consider when choosing a snack.
An individually wrapped portion is handy if you don’t want to take an opened pack of biscuits with you. Check how many biscuits or how many grams are in each portion, and how to store the rest.
If you have coeliac disease or a diagnosed gluten sensitivity, look for a clear gluten-free label. If you have a wheat allergy, check the information about wheat specifically, and always read the full allergen information on the current packaging.
First, decide what matters most to you: nutritional value, a portion that’s easy to take with you, or avoiding gluten. Then compare the packaging and nutritional information of the options that fit your needs.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Nutritional value | Compare sugars, saturated fat, fibre and protein per 100 g and per portion. | I want to know the nutritional value of the amount of biscuits I’m taking with me, rather than relying on the front of the pack. An estimated 50% of consumers put this comparison first. |
| Portion and packaging | Check the weight or number of biscuits in each individual pack and the storage advice. | If you only want to put a small amount in your gym bag, a sealed portion means you don’t have to open the rest of the pack. An estimated 38% of consumers make this their top priority. |
| Gluten and allergens | If needed, look for an explicit gluten-free label and read the full allergen information, including details about wheat and other ingredients. | If I need to avoid gluten, the label determines which biscuits are suitable for me; the product name alone isn’t enough. This is the most important requirement for an estimated 12% of consumers. |
The McVitie’s chocolate digestives described by Albert Heijn contain wheat, milk and soya. A biscuit’s name doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable for you if you need to avoid certain allergens.
Read the current allergen information before buying. If you need to avoid gluten, look for an explicit gluten-free label and check the other ingredients and warnings too.
A biscuit that fits easily in your bag won’t necessarily meet a specific post-exercise nutrition goal. Nutritional values also vary from product to product and by portion size.
Decide what you’re looking for at that particular snack time, then compare the nutritional information per portion. Don’t choose based on the word ‘digestive’ if, for example, protein is your main point of comparison.
An opened pack offers less protection for biscuits when you’re carrying them around. The digestive packs reviewed advise storing them in a cool, dry place.
Take a sealed individual pack with you, or transfer biscuits from an opened pack to a clean, dry, airtight container.
AH Digestive puur is a chocolate digestive you can compare with other dark chocolate options.
The range includes milk and dark chocolate digestives; the option you choose determines which nutritional values you compare.
Schär Digestive choc is worth considering if you need a biscuit clearly labelled gluten-free and wheat-free.
Verkade Chocorondjes are chocolate biscuits, not digestives; they’re an option if you’re choosing by biscuit type and flavour.
Chocolate speculoos biscuits and chocolate wafers are alternatives if you’re not specifically looking for a digestive.
This selection includes a classic chocolate digestive and chocolate biscuits or wafers you could consider as an alternative for when you’re out and about. A wafer or another type of chocolate biscuit isn’t the same as a digestive, so choose the type of biscuit first, then check the portion size, nutritional information and allergens.
No image available
A chocolate-flavoured wafer for anyone looking for an alternative to a digestive. Check whether it has individual packaging if you want to take a measured portion with you, and read the label if you need to avoid allergens.
No image available
A chocolate wafer to consider if you’d rather take a wafer than a digestive with you. Before comparing quantities, check the weight per wafer and the nutritional values per 100 g and per portion on the packaging.
No image available
A chocolate biscuit for anyone who isn’t specifically looking for a digestive. Check how many biscuits make up a portion you can take with you, then use the nutritional information on the pack to compare it with other biscuits.
No image available
A chocolate and strawberry-flavoured wafer for anyone who wants to take a small pack instead of a digestive. Compare nutritional values on the same basis, and check the allergens on the packaging.
No image available
A classic chocolate digestive if that’s the type of biscuit you’re looking for. According to Albert Heijn’s product information, this milk chocolate option contains wheat, milk and soya. Check the current packaging for allergens, nutritional values per portion and how best to take it with you.
It depends on what you want to eat at that moment; ‘digestive’ isn’t a sports nutrition label. Voedingscentrum highlights sugar, saturated fat, fibre and protein as some of the differences to consider when choosing snacks. If you have a specific nutrition goal, compare the nutritional value of the portion you’ll actually eat.
Don’t go by the name: the McVitie's options described by Albert Heijn contain wheat or cereals containing gluten. If you need to eat gluten-free, choose a product clearly labelled gluten-free and read the full allergen information too. If you have a wheat allergy, check the information about wheat specifically.
Check whether the product comes in sealed individual packs and how many biscuits each contains. Lotus Biscoff, for example, says its crispy chocolate wafers are individually wrapped in portions of four. Store opened biscuits according to the advice on the packaging, preferably in a dry, airtight container.
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information must be shown on the label of prepacked foods. Read the current packaging before buying or eating a product, even if you’ve bought it before.
