Who is this choice relevant to?

Sharing Sunday breakfast

You’re looking for a crunchy chocolate digestive to serve with coffee, tea or a more substantial breakfast. In that case, choosing between dark and milk chocolate is mainly a matter of taste.

Comparing nutritional information

You want to know how a portion of biscuits fits in with the rest of your breakfast, so you compare things like fibre, sugars and saturated fat on the label.

Shoppers with an allergen requirement

You need to avoid certain ingredients, so you check the current ingredients list, allergen information and any warnings about possible cross-contamination.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether taste, nutritional information or an essential allergen requirement will guide your choice. Then compare the packaging of the product you actually plan to buy.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Taste and texture Check whether it’s a biscuit topped with dark or milk chocolate, or a filled biscuit. If I’m putting biscuits out to share at breakfast, I mainly want to choose a chocolate flavour and texture that suit the occasion. Around 40% of consumers put this choice first.
Nutritional information and serving size Compare the serving size and the amounts of fibre, sugars and saturated fat, both per 100 g and per serving. If you’re serving other breakfast foods too, you’ll want to judge what a portion of biscuits adds to the meal. For around 30% of consumers, this consideration matters most.
Gluten and allergens Where necessary, check for a gluten-free label, as well as the ingredients, allergens and warnings on the exact packaging. If I need to avoid gluten or an allergen, the label must meet my dietary requirement before taste comes into it. This check comes first for around 20% of consumers.
Pack size and availability Check the pack weight and confirm current availability with the retailer. If I’m catering for a small group, I don’t want to buy more biscuits than I expect to use. Around 10% of consumers give this practical consideration top priority.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming the name ‘digestive’ means it’s a good breakfast choice

    The product name doesn’t tell you how much fibre, sugar or saturated fat you’ll get in a serving. Nor does it tell you whether the biscuit is a suitable base for your breakfast.

    Compare the nutritional information and serving size. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists wholemeal bread, among other options, as a possible breakfast staple; consider biscuits alongside whatever else you eat.

  • Confusing gluten-free with allergen-free

    According to the product information, Prewetts Milk Chocolate Digestive, which is labelled gluten-free, still contains oats, milk and soya, and carries a warning about nuts. The classic varieties reviewed contain wheat or gluten.

    Check the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging for every variety, even if the product name seems to meet one dietary requirement.

  • Relying on an old product page

    A product description tells you which variety it is, but it doesn’t in itself confirm whether you can order it now or what the label on the current packaging says.

    Check availability with the retailer just before buying, and read the information on the packaging you receive before eating the product.

Brands to compare

McVitie's

McVitie's makes classic Digestives topped with milk or dark chocolate, in 266 g packs.

  • The two varieties let you choose your preferred type of chocolate within the same biscuit range.
  • The varieties reviewed contain wheat or gluten, milk and soya; check the label on the pack you choose.

Albert Heijn

The own-label range includes a reviewed dark chocolate digestive in a 400 g pack and a milk chocolate version in a 300 g pack.

  • According to the product information, both varieties are 30% chocolate; the pack sizes differ.
  • Check which variety is currently available before counting on a particular pack for breakfast.

Verkade

Alongside a dark chocolate digestive, Verkade offers Digestive Cream, filled with chocolate-flavoured cream.

  • The filling gives it a different texture from a biscuit topped with chocolate.
  • For the Digestive Cream reviewed, the product information lists 30 g of sugars and 16 g of saturated fat per 100 g. Compare the exact variety rather than relying on the name ‘digestive’.

Prewetts

The Prewetts Milk Chocolate Digestive reviewed is labelled gluten-free and made with gluten-free oats.

  • Its explicit gluten-free label makes this variety worth looking into if you need to avoid gluten.
  • The product also contains milk and soya and may contain nuts. Check the current packaging and availability.

Lotus

Lotus Speculoos with chocolate is a chocolate biscuit to consider alongside digestives, rather than a classic chocolate digestive.

  • According to Lotus Bakeries, this speculoos variety contains 22% chocolate.
  • Because it’s a different type of biscuit, it isn’t a direct substitute if you’re specifically looking for the texture of a digestive.

Related products on Joybuy

Related products will be available soon.

Frequently asked questions

Is a chocolate digestive a suitable base for Sunday breakfast?

It’s better to think of a chocolate digestive as part of breakfast rather than an obvious breakfast staple. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists wholemeal bread, among other options, as a possible breakfast staple. For biscuits, consider the serving size and nutritional information alongside the rest of your breakfast.

Are all digestives gluten-free?

No. The classic Albert Heijn and McVitie's varieties reviewed contain wheat or gluten. The Prewetts variety reviewed is labelled gluten-free, but contains oats, milk and soya and may contain nuts. So be sure to read the label for the exact variety.

Should I check the label if an online shop lists the allergens?

Yes. Check the current packaging before eating the product too, especially if you need to avoid an ingredient. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens are listed on prepacked food labels. As well as checking the ingredients list, look out for warnings about possible cross-contamination.

How should I store chocolate digestives after opening?

Follow the storage instructions on the packaging for the variety you choose. For the AH Digestive dark chocolate variety reviewed, the advice is to store the biscuits in a sealed tin after opening; for the McVitie's variety reviewed, it’s to keep them in a sealed pack.