A chocolate biscuit can be a snack around your marathon training, but it isn’t necessarily suitable just before or during a long run. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against large portions and high-fat foods shortly before exercise. During prolonged, intense activity, it’s important to give separate consideration to carbohydrates, fluids and how well you tolerate the portion you choose.
If you’re looking for a snack before or after a run, timing and portion size both matter. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises caution with large portions and high-fat foods shortly before exercise.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, carbohydrates and fluids become more relevant during exercise lasting longer than an hour when you’re sweating heavily. Choosing a biscuit also means considering the portion size and how it sits while you’re running.
If you want to plan portions or need to take ingredients into account, compare the nutrition information per 100 g with the packaging and the current allergen label. This also makes it easier to see the difference between an individually wrapped biscuit and a large pack.
First decide when you want to eat the biscuit. Then compare the nutrition information per 100 g and work out how much you’ll actually take with you or eat.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who might this matter more to? |
|---|---|---|
| Timing and stomach comfort | Check the fat content per 100 g and think carefully about how much you’ll eat shortly before running. | Before a run, I don’t want to have a large or unfamiliar snack that might feel heavy. Around 42% of shoppers put timing and stomach comfort first. |
| Long training sessions | Work out the carbohydrates in the portion you plan to eat, and include fluid intake in your plan too. | If I’m running for a long time at high intensity, I want to know whether a biscuit fits into my plan for carbohydrates and fluids. This is the main consideration for around 33% of shoppers. |
| Portion size and label | Compare carbohydrates, sugars, fat and fibre per 100 g and per portion. If you have an allergy, check the current packaging. | When choosing a pack, I want to be able to plan portions and check the ingredients. Portion size and the label come first for around 25% of shoppers. |
The length of your session makes a difference. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, sports bars and gels are generally unnecessary during shorter periods of exercise. During prolonged, intense activity with heavy sweating, however, carbohydrates and fluids need more attention.
Tailor what you eat and drink to the length of your session. If you want to eat a biscuit on the go, try it during a regular training session first.
Chocolate biscuits also contain fat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against having a large portion or high-fat food shortly before exercise, as it can stay in your stomach for longer.
Check both carbohydrates and fat per 100 g, and consider when you plan to eat it.
If you have an allergy, the information on the packaging is important: ingredients and warnings about possible traces can vary between products.
Before eating the product, check the current label on the exact variant you’ve bought.
Lotus Bakeries Netherlands lists a dark chocolate variant of its speculoos biscuits in a pack of 7 × 3 biscuits.
Albert Heijn lists AH Sugared Biscuits with Dark Chocolate in a 400 g pack.
Jumbo lists dark chocolate biscuits in a 125 g pack, with a stated serving size of 14 g.
Lidl Netherlands lists Sondey Choco Biscuits Milk in a 125 g pack for in-store sale.
ALDI lists Biscotto chocolate biscuits in packs of two, as well as Choceur Choco & biscuit with milk cream and milk chocolate.
These products may suit you if you’re looking for a chocolate biscuit to snack on around a training session. Choose a portion based on the packaging and label; the product format alone won’t tell you how a biscuit will feel while you’re running.
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An option if you’d like to take a small pack with a chocolate flavour to have around your training session.
The pack is 47 g; check the label to work out the nutrition information for the amount you choose.
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A chocolate biscuit to consider as a snack outside the immediate running window.
The pack is 150 g; check the portion size and compare carbohydrates and fat on the label before planning how much to eat.
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An option if you’re looking for a chocolate and vanilla biscuit to enjoy as a snack around your training session.
The pack is 171 g. Check the label to see how much one biscuit weighs if you want to work out its nutritional values per biscuit.
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A chocolate cereal biscuit to compare if you’re looking for a snack around a training session.
The pack is 171 g. Check the nutrition information per 100 g and consider how much you actually want to eat.
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A pack of chocolate biscuit sticks for anyone who’d rather take sticks than individual biscuits.
The pack is 32 g; check the weight of the amount you eat before comparing nutrition information per portion.
No, a chocolate biscuit isn’t essential sports nutrition. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre distinguishes between different durations and levels of intensity: carbohydrates and fluids become more important during prolonged, intense exercise when you’re sweating heavily, but that doesn’t mean a chocolate biscuit is necessarily suitable.
It depends on the portion size, timing and how the product affects you. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against large portions and high-fat foods shortly before exercise. It’s better to try a new biscuit during a regular training session rather than just before an important run.
First compare the same nutritional values per 100 g, then look at the portion you plan to eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre uses comparisons per 100 g to compare products. For your own portion, pay attention to carbohydrates, sugars, fat and fibre.
Read the current label on the exact product variant, including the ingredients and any warnings about possible traces. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority outlines the rules on declaring allergens on food labels; don’t rely solely on an older online product description.
