Don’t use chocolate speculaas or a box of chocolate biscuits as your go-to fuel during a marathon. For prolonged exercise, choose something that lets you plan your carbohydrate intake per serving, and remember to plan your drinks too. Plain speculaas can work as a snack outside your run, provided you’ve tried it beforehand. A chocolate version is better suited to a treat or gift than to your fuelling plan on the go.
You want to plan what to eat and drink, and when, while running. According to Voedingscentrum, carbohydrates can be relevant during prolonged exercise. Try your chosen product and drinks plan during training first.
You’re looking for a small snack to have before or after a run. Timing, portion size and how well you tolerate it all matter. Voedingscentrum advises against large portions and foods high in fat, protein or fibre just before exercise.
You’re looking for biscuits to share or give as a gift. Check the flavour, packaging and allergens for the recipient, and don’t present the gift as marathon fuel.
First decide whether you need something for a long run, want a snack to have outside your run or are choosing a gift. The occasion will determine which details about portion size, nutritional value and ingredients matter most.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrates you can plan during a run | Check the carbohydrates per serving and whether you can consume your chosen option on the go; plan your drinks separately. | During a long run, I want to plan my intake per serving without forgetting to drink; for around 45% of consumers, this ability to plan would be the top priority. |
| Timing and stomach comfort | Compare portion size and fat content, and try a snack during training first. | I don’t want to eat a large snack just before a run if I don’t know how it will sit; around 36% of consumers would prioritise a small, familiar portion. |
| Treats and allergens | Check the chocolate variety and read the latest ingredients and allergen information on the packaging. | If I’m giving chocolate speculaas as a gift, I want to know whether the recipient can eat the ingredients; for around 19% of consumers, the treat itself would be the main reason for choosing it. |
Biscuits won’t automatically give you the right amount of carbohydrates per hour or a plan for what to drink. Voedingscentrum discusses carbohydrate intake and drinking separately for prolonged exercise.
Check the carbohydrates per serving of anything you plan to eat during your run, and practise when to eat and drink beforehand.
Voedingscentrum advises against large portions and foods high in fat just before exercise. Albert Heijn lists 22 g of fat per 100 g for Lotus Biscoff Speculoos Belgian chocolate; the amount in a serving will depend on its size.
Try a small portion on a training day rather than eating something new for the first time just before a race.
Ingredients and allergens vary between chocolate speculaas products. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information must appear on the label of pre-packed products.
Read the current packaging, especially if the recipient has a food allergy. Don’t rely on the product name or a photo alone.
These brands offer different types of speculaas and chocolate speculaas. Compare the packaging of the specific variety you’re considering; the brand name alone doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable for a marathon.
Albert Heijn lists both plain Lotus Biscoff Speculoos and a variety coated in Belgian chocolate.
Albert Heijn lists speculaas with dark chocolate under its own brand.
Jumbo lists Speculaas Molens with milk chocolate and chocolate truffles with speculaas under its own brand.
Jumbo lists Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade in a 135 g pack.
ALDI Nederland lists Biscotto Bakkersspeculaas as plain speculaas, without chocolate.
These Joybuy products are plain speculaas or speculoos biscuits to consider as a snack outside your run. For food during a long run, choose based on measurable carbohydrates per serving and make a separate plan for what to drink.
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An option for a snack outside your run. Check the portion size and allergens on the packaging if you want to work out how many biscuits to have.
This is speculoos without chocolate, not a box of chocolate speculaas or a complete marathon fuelling plan.
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A speculaas option for a snack outside your run. Check the packaging to see what counts as a serving and which ingredients and allergens are listed.
This isn’t chocolate speculaas; the pack size alone doesn’t give you a useful carbohydrate serving for fuelling on the go.
Don’t make it your go-to choice if you want to plan your carbohydrate intake while running. For endurance exercise lasting 1 to 2.5 hours, Voedingscentrum gives 30 to 60 g of quickly absorbed carbohydrates per hour as a guideline. So check the carbohydrates per serving, try your choice during training and plan your drinks separately.
Plain speculaas is better suited to a small, tried-and-tested snack outside your run than as the basis of your marathon fuelling plan. Voedingscentrum advises against large portions and foods high in fat, protein or fibre just before exercise; bear this advice in mind when choosing your timing and portion size.
Always check the allergens for the specific variety on its current packaging. The Lotus Biscoff chocolate products reviewed list wheat, milk and soya, among other ingredients; for one variety with dark chocolate and speculoos pieces, Albert Heijn also lists possible traces of nuts. Don’t assume every variety has the same ingredients.
