Choose a dark chocolate biscuit for your gym bag as a measured snack, not as a replacement for a meal around your workout. If you’re eating shortly before exercising, focus on portion size and fat and fibre content. For something to take with you every day, also check the nutrition information, allergens and how to reseal the packaging.
If you feel hungry shortly before a workout, when you eat and how much you have matter more than the percentage of chocolate. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against eating a large portion just before exercising, and recommends avoiding foods high in fat, protein or fibre.
For when you’re out and about, choose based on taste and a portion size decided in advance. Compare the chocolate content and sugars per portion, and check how to store the pack once opened.
The word ‘dark’ doesn’t tell you whether a biscuit is free from milk, wheat or soya. Check the current ingredients list and allergen information every time you buy. A gluten-free alternative may carry warnings about other allergens.
Looking for a dark chocolate biscuit or a ready-made alternative to take in your gym bag? Start by thinking about when you’ll eat it. Then compare the portion size, nutrition information and allergens.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| When you’ll eat it | Check the portion size and fat and fibre content. Time your snack to suit your workout. | If I’m going to exercise soon, I want a small bite rather than a large portion just before my workout. This is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Portion and taste | Compare the chocolate content and number of biscuits per portion. Check how to reseal an opened pack. | When I’m out and about, I want a biscuit whose portion I can decide in advance and whose dark chocolate flavour I enjoy. Around 25% of consumers prioritise this combination. |
| Nutrition information | Compare sugars and fibre on a like-for-like basis: per 100 g and per portion. | I want to see how much sugar and fibre my chosen portion contains, rather than relying on the front of the pack. Nutrition values are the most important factor for around 25% of consumers. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients list and allergen warnings, including for gluten-free alternatives. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, the label determines whether I can choose the snack. This check is the top priority for around 17% of consumers. |
A dark chocolate biscuit isn’t automatically a good choice just before a workout. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, foods high in fat, protein or fibre can stay in your stomach for longer.
First, think about when you’ll be exercising. If you still want a biscuit shortly beforehand, keep the portion small. Don’t let it replace your meal or hydration plan.
The chocolate content doesn’t tell you how much sugar a biscuit contains. Jumbo lists 37 g of sugars per 100 g for its Chocolade Biscuits Puur, which contains 63% chocolate. Its Pure Chocolade Digestive, with 30% dark chocolate, contains 27.4 g per 100 g.
As well as the chocolate percentage, check the nutrition information per 100 g and per portion. Then decide which factor matters more for when you’ll eat it.
Milk, wheat and soya are listed in the allergen information for the dark chocolate biscuits discussed here. So the product name alone isn’t enough to check whether it’s suitable for a restricted diet.
Read the current packaging, including any allergen warnings. If you choose a gluten-free alternative, check separately which other allergens may be relevant.
It’s harder to stick to your intended portion when you take biscuits from a large pack. Once opened, it’s also important to follow the product’s storage and resealing instructions.
Take a portion you’ve chosen in advance and follow the pack’s instructions for storing the rest.
Jumbo lists both Chocolade Biscuits Puur, with 63% chocolate, and a Pure Chocolade Digestive, with 30% dark chocolate.
Albert Heijn lists a biscuit with 63% dark chocolate, as well as rice cakes with 60% dark chocolate. Rice cakes aren’t biscuits.
Lotus Biscoff offers The Original Speculoos with dark chocolate in a pack of 7 × 3 biscuits.
Verkade Choco Wolken is a filled cocoa biscuit with chocolate, rather than a biscuit topped with a layer of dark chocolate.
This selection is a digestive biscuit with dark chocolate to take as a snack. Choose a portion to suit when you’ll eat it, and check the label if allergens are important to you.
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An option if you’d like to take a dark chocolate digestive biscuit as a snack. Check the pack for the amount per biscuit and the allergens before choosing your portion.
It depends on when you eat it, the portion size and what you find comfortable. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against having a large portion or foods high in fat, protein or fibre just before exercise. A biscuit also isn’t a substitute for a meal or a drink.
No, you can’t tell from the name. The Lotus Biscoff, Jumbo and Albert Heijn dark chocolate products discussed here list milk or milk derivatives. Check the current allergen information every time you buy.
No, a gluten-free label doesn’t cover all allergens. Albert Heijn states that its gluten-free rice cakes with dark chocolate may contain milk, sesame and lactose. They’re rice cakes, not biscuits.
At the very least, check the ingredients, allergens, nutritional information, best-before date and any storage instructions relevant to your choice. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that the 14 designated allergens must be clearly listed on the labels of pre-packed foods in the Netherlands.
Take a portion you’ve chosen in advance and store the rest according to the instructions on the pack. Jumbo advises storing the biscuits discussed here in a cool, dry place. For its Chocolade Biscuits Puur, it also says to close the pack securely after opening.
