If you want to take one snack with you for a short coffee break, start by checking the packaging and the weight of each piece. A lower-sugar spiced cake bar suits a different priority from crunchy speculoos or a chocolate biscuit. Before choosing, compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion.
For a break on the go or at the office, individual packaging is handy. For example, Albert Heijn says that the Peijnenburg Ontbijtkoek naturel 10-pack contains ten individually wrapped slices weighing 28 g each. Check the weight of a single piece for other products too.
Start with the nutritional information per 100 g, then consider the portion you’ll actually eat. A claim such as ‘less sugar’ refers to a specific comparison, so check the ingredients and other nutritional values too.
A soft breakfast cake bar, crunchy speculoos and a chocolate biscuit are all different kinds of snacks. Decide which one you’d like with your coffee, then assess that product’s packaging and nutritional information separately.
First, decide which feature matters most for your coffee break. Then compare products of the same type per 100 g and check how much one portion contains.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and nutritional value | Compare similar bars per 100 g for sugars and other nutritional values. If you’re looking at a sweetener-sweetened variety, check the ingredients and warnings too. | If I’m mainly watching my sugar intake, I want to know what a claim is being compared with before choosing a bar. This comparison is the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Portion and packaging | Check how many pieces there are, the weight of each one and whether they’re individually wrapped. | For a short break, I want to be able to take one piece with me without having to split up a pack. This convenience is the main priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Flavour and texture | Choose deliberately between options such as soft spiced cake, crunchy speculoos and chocolate biscuits. | With coffee, I’m mainly looking for a particular flavour and bite; a nutrition claim doesn’t make the decision for me. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact variety. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, I want to be able to check the packaging myself before eating anything. For around 20% of consumers, this check is the first thing they consider when choosing. |
‘Individually wrapped’ doesn’t tell you how much you’ll eat at a time. Albert Heijn lists the Peijnenburg Ontbijtkoek naturel 10-pack as 28 g per slice, and the AH Kruidkoekreep naturel as 65 g per bar.
Check the weight of each piece before deciding whether one pack is right for your coffee break.
According to Albert Heijn’s product page, AH Kruidkoekreep zero contains 80% less sugar than AH Kruidkoekreep naturel. That comparison alone tells you nothing about all the other ingredients or nutritional values. The zero variety contains xylitol and carries a warning about excessive consumption.
Compare similar products per 100 g, consider your portion and read the warning on the packaging.
Ingredients and information about possible traces vary between products and varieties. A brand name or previous purchase is no substitute for checking the label on the pack you’re using now.
Check the current ingredients and allergen information with every purchase, especially if you need to avoid an ingredient.
Lidl lists the biscuit bars described as products sold in store. A product description doesn’t tell you whether the pack you want will be available when you shop.
Check current availability with the shop where you plan to buy it.
One breakfast cake option if you’d like an individually wrapped slice with your coffee. Albert Heijn lists ten 28 g slices in the naturel 10-pack.
The own-brand range includes both a naturel spiced cake bar and an individually wrapped zero variety.
Lotus Bakeries presents Biscoff as a crunchy biscuit to enjoy with coffee. It’s a different type of product from a soft breakfast cake bar.
This Lidl own-brand range includes biscuits and bars. Lidl describes its biscuit bars as coming in packs of six.
ALDI lists a pack of eight muesli bars under this brand. A muesli bar is not the same as a breakfast cake bar or a speculoos biscuit.
These are biscuits and wafers to consider for a coffee break, not interchangeable biscuit bars. Focus on the type of product, pack size and the portion you want to eat.
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A milk chocolate biscuit for when you’d rather have biscuits than a soft bar with your coffee.
The pack contains 150 g. Check how many biscuits you’d like as one portion, and read the current label if you have allergies.
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A strawberry wafer for anyone who’d prefer a wafer rather than a biscuit bar with their coffee.
The product name lists twelve pieces at 27 g each. Check the nutritional information and allergens on the current packaging before relying on these details.
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A speculoos biscuit for when you fancy that flavour with your coffee instead of soft breakfast cake.
The product name lists eight pieces and 200 g. Check the packaging to see how the biscuits are divided up if you want to take one portion with you.
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A biscuit option for a short break if a bar isn’t your preference.
The product name lists seven pieces. Check whether they’re divided into separate bags and how much one portion weighs on the packaging.
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Filled biscuits with a coconut latte flavour for anyone looking for a coffee-inspired treat during their break.
The bag contains 92 g. If you want to take exactly one small portion with you, check whether it contains individually portioned packs.
Use the values per 100 g to compare similar products on a like-for-like basis. Then check the weight of the bar or pack you’ll actually eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises comparing the nutritional values of similar products per 100 g.
No. The claim relates to the sugar content in a specific comparison, not all your criteria for choosing. According to Albert Heijn, its zero spiced cake bar contains 80% less sugar than its own naturel variety. Also consider the portion, other nutritional values, ingredients and the warning about the sweetener used.
No. Read the current ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack before eating the product. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains which allergens must be listed on the label; different types and varieties of biscuits don’t automatically contain the same ingredients.
No. A bag of biscuits doesn’t automatically give you a pre-portioned snack to take with you. Check how many pieces or individual bags it contains, and decide how much you want to eat during one coffee break.
