If you’re mainly after a dark chocolate flavour for a bike ride, choose a biscuit based on portion size, nutrition information and ingredients. Don’t automatically treat it as sports nutrition. On a long, intense ride, your overall carbohydrate and fluid intake matter more, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre also explains. What’s more, the label ‘dark chocolate’ doesn’t tell you how much cocoa the chocolate contains.
If you cycle for a long time at high intensity, you’ll want to know how a biscuit fits into your planned carbohydrate and fluid intake. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre covers carbohydrates during endurance exercise, so judge a biscuit by the portion you’ll actually eat, not just its chocolate flavour.
If you want a dark chocolate biscuit before or after a ride, a stated portion size or pack containing a few biscuits can be useful. The words ‘dark chocolate’ on the label don’t, by themselves, confirm a high cocoa percentage.
If you need to take food allergens into account, or want to choose something that feels comfortable to eat just before cycling, check the latest ingredients list and nutrition information. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises avoiding large portions and foods high in fat, protein or fibre just before exercise.
First decide whether you want a biscuit for its flavour and convenience, or to plan your intake on a long ride. Then compare the portion you’ll actually eat and check exactly what the label says about the chocolate.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel for a long ride | Check the carbohydrates per portion and work out how the biscuit fits into your overall food and drink plan. | On a long, intense ride, I don’t want to rely on the chocolate flavour to decide what I eat along the way. This planning is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Cocoa and flavour | Look for an explicit cocoa percentage and check what it refers to: the chocolate itself or the proportion of chocolate in the biscuit. | If I’m looking for a pronounced dark chocolate flavour, I don’t want to mistake a stated chocolate percentage for the cocoa content. This is the first consideration for around 29% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and tolerance | Check the latest allergen information. Just before cycling, also consider portion size, fat and fibre. | Before a ride, I want to know what ingredients I’m eating and whether the portion suits me. Around 21% of consumers prioritise these checks. |
| Taking it with you and portioning | Compare the number of biscuits and the weight per portion or individual pack. | For a ride, I want to decide in advance how many biscuits to take, without having to open a whole pack. This convenience comes first for around 14% of consumers. |
A percentage for chocolate or chocolate pieces doesn’t necessarily tell you how much cocoa the chocolate contains. For example, Jumbo states that its Chocolate Cookies contain 40% dark chocolate pieces; this isn’t a cocoa percentage.
If a particular cocoa content is important to you, check whether the current pack explicitly states a cocoa percentage for the chocolate.
The chocolate flavour doesn’t tell you how many carbohydrates you’ll get in the portion you eat. For endurance exercise, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights carbohydrate intake and advises against eating a large portion or foods high in fat, protein or fibre just before exercise.
Consider the biscuit as part of your overall food and drink plan, and try an unfamiliar snack during a regular training session first.
The amount you actually eat may be very different from 100 g. Albert Heijn lists a portion of two biscuits weighing 25 g for LU Scholiertje dark chocolate, while AH Zaans huisje dark chocolate has a stated portion of 14 g.
Compare nutrition information based on the portion you plan to take with you.
Listed allergens vary from one biscuit to another. The varieties mentioned here include ingredients such as wheat, milk and soya; some also carry a warning that they may contain nuts.
When buying and eating biscuits, check the latest ingredients and allergen information on the pack.
Lotus Bakeries Netherlands describes its Original Speculoos with dark chocolate as coming in a pack of 7 × 3 pieces.
Albert Heijn lists a portion of two biscuits, weighing 25 g in total, for LU Scholiertje dark chocolate, with a bar of dark chocolate.
Jumbo describes McVitie's Digestives Dark Chocolate as a wheat biscuit coated with dark chocolate.
According to Albert Heijn, AH Zaans huisje dark chocolate is a butter biscuit with a stated portion size of 14 g.
According to its product page, Jumbo Chocolate Cookies contain dark chocolate pieces and have a stated portion size of 18,75 g.
These biscuits are a good match if you’re looking for a dark chocolate flavour to enjoy around a bike ride. Use the pack and nutrition information to decide whether the portion suits your snack break; the flavour description doesn’t confirm a high cocoa content.
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A dark chocolate-flavoured biscuit for anyone choosing mainly for the taste. The pack contains 70 g. If you’re taking it on a ride, check the portion size, nutrition information and allergens on the current label.
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A chunky dark chocolate-flavoured cookie for a snack break before or after cycling. The pack contains 72 g. Check the current label for the weight of one portion and the listed ingredients and allergens.
Don’t assume so: check the carbohydrates in the portion you’ll eat as part of your overall food and drink plan. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre discusses extra carbohydrates mainly for prolonged, intense exercise; the words ‘dark chocolate’ don’t tell you whether a biscuit is suitable for this purpose.
Consider the portion size and what you personally find comfortable to eat before cycling. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against large portions and foods high in fat, protein or fibre at this point. It’s better to try an unfamiliar biscuit during a regular training session first.
No. You need an explicit statement of the cocoa content. Percentages such as 30% dark chocolate in McVitie's Digestives or 40% dark chocolate pieces in Jumbo Chocolate Cookies describe the proportion of chocolate in the biscuit, not the percentage of cocoa in that chocolate.
Check the allergen information for the specific biscuit on the current pack. The products discussed here include ingredients such as wheat, milk and soya, while some also carry a warning that they may contain nuts.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack of your product. For its Chocolate Cookies, Jumbo advises storing them in a cool, dry place and sealing the pack well after opening. Instructions may vary between biscuits.
