Only put chocolate digestives in treat bags if the school or after-school club allows biscuits and the ingredients are suitable for the children in the group. The standard varieties described contain wheat or gluten. If you need to avoid gluten, you could consider a product specifically labelled gluten-free, but still check the packaging for milk, oats, soya and possible traces of nuts.
If you’re putting together treat bags for a school class or after-school club, you’ll need to know which treats are allowed and which ingredients may not be suitable for children in the group. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends asking about allergies and other dietary restrictions in advance.
One biscuit per child is a manageable portion if biscuits are allowed under the school’s rules. Before you buy, check how many portions the pack contains and whether you’re allowed to portion them out yourself.
A digestive explicitly labelled gluten-free is a different product from a standard chocolate digestive. Check for other allergens too: the gluten-free variety described contains milk, oats and soya, and may contain nuts.
First, ask what the school or after-school club allows and which ingredients are relevant to the group. Then compare the portions and decide whether you specifically want a digestive or would also consider another type of chocolate biscuit.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| School rules and allergens | Ask about the school’s policy on treats and any dietary restrictions in the group. Check the ingredients, allergens and any ‘may contain’ warning on the pack you buy. | When I’m packing treats for a class, I want to know which children can have the biscuit I’ve chosen. For around 42% of consumers, school rules and allergens come first. |
| Portion size and pack contents | Compare the number of portions with the number of children, and check whether the biscuits are individually wrapped or can be portioned out yourself. | I want to give each child a small portion without having lots of biscuits left over. Around 33% of consumers give portion size and quantity top priority. |
| Type of biscuit | Check that it’s a chocolate digestive; a chocolate speculoos is a different type of biscuit. Compare the ingredients of the exact variety. | If I’m specifically looking for a chocolate digestive, I don’t want to accidentally choose a different biscuit. An estimated 25% of consumers prioritise the type of biscuit. |
The standard chocolate digestives described contain wheat or gluten; chocolate varieties also contain milk and soya. The product name is no substitute for checking the allergen information.
Read the label of the exact variety. If you need a gluten-free option, only choose a product explicitly labelled as such, and check for other allergens too.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, schools may have their own policies on treats and celebrations. So even if a biscuit’s ingredients are suitable, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s allowed as a treat.
Before you buy, ask the school or after-school club what you’re allowed to hand out and what dietary restrictions apply to the group.
A stated number of biscuits or portions doesn’t tell you whether each biscuit has its own wrapper. That matters if the school has rules about handing out treats.
Check the pack itself and confirm whether you’re allowed to portion out the biscuits before deciding how many packs to buy.
Lidl directs customers to the packaging for food ingredients. So for Sondey Digestives pure chocolade, check the current pack for allergen information.
Read the label in store and compare it with the group’s requirements before choosing this variety.
Verkade offers several chocolate digestives, including Digestive Puur and Digestive Chocolade Cream. Check the allergens for each variety.
Lotus Biscoff with chocolate is a chocolate speculoos, not a digestive. It’s only an alternative if you’re flexible about the type of biscuit.
AH Digestive pure chocola is a supermarket own-brand option if you’re specifically looking for a chocolate digestive.
Jumbo lists both a standard digestive with dark chocolate and a separate gluten-free digestive with milk chocolate.
Lidl lists Sondey Digestives pure chocolade in a 300 g pack.
ALDI lists Biscotto Digestive Biscuits as standard wheat biscuits, not chocolate digestives.
No. First, ask what the school or after-school club allows and what allergies or other dietary restrictions apply to the group. Then check the label of the variety you’ve bought; the standard digestives described contain wheat or gluten.
The standard varieties described aren’t: they list wheat or gluten. A chocolate digestive explicitly labelled gluten-free is a separate variety, but you’ll still need to check for milk, oats, soya and possible traces of nuts.
Giving each child one biscuit is one way to keep the portion small, provided the school allows biscuits. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends small treats; Albert Heijn lists one 16,7 g biscuit as a portion of Verkade Digestive Puur. Also check whether you’re allowed to portion out the biscuits yourself.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack for the variety you’ve chosen. The product information described recommends storing them in a cool, dry, dark place and sealing the pack securely after opening.
