Cyclists planning food for a longer ride
You want to take a small snack with you on a longer, more intense ride. You’re thinking not only about the carbohydrates in your food, but also planning what you’ll drink.
Who is this option for?
Fans of dark chocolate
You’re looking for speculaas with dark chocolate because you enjoy the flavour. The type of chocolate is one of your selection criteria, not proof that the biscuit is better suited to a bike ride.
Cyclists who read labels carefully
You compare carbohydrates per portion, fat and fibre, and check the ingredients and allergens before choosing a biscuit to take with you.
What should you look for when choosing?
If you’re considering speculaas for a bike ride, start with the ride itself: do you want something to eat while you’re out, or are you mainly looking for a biscuit for another snack occasion? Then compare the portion, nutritional information and type of chocolate.
| What to consider | Check | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrates for a longer ride | Check the carbohydrates per portion and work out how much you’ll actually take with you. Plan your drinks separately. | For a longer, more intense ride, I want to fit a portable portion into my eating plan without forgetting to drink. For around 46% of consumers, this practical carbohydrate intake is the most important factor. |
| Digestibility and nutritional information | Compare the fat and fibre per portion and check the ingredients list for allergens. | If I eat shortly before or during a bike ride, I want to know how a biscuit containing fat or fibre will sit with me and what ingredients it contains. An estimated 27% of consumers prioritise this consideration. |
| Dark chocolate flavour | Check that dark chocolate is listed on the label, and distinguish the percentage of chocolate from any cocoa percentage. | For my snack, I’m mainly looking for speculaas with a dark chocolate flavour, not just any chocolate-flavoured biscuit. This flavour preference comes first for around 27% of consumers. |
For endurance exercise lasting 1 to 2.5 hours, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre suggests that an intake of 30–60 g of rapidly absorbed carbohydrates per hour may be suitable. This isn’t a recommended portion of speculaas: consider what you actually eat and how well you tolerate food during your ride.
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘dark’ means a specified high cocoa content
Lotus Bakeries states that its speculoos with dark chocolate contains 22% chocolate. This percentage describes the proportion of chocolate in the product, not the cocoa percentage of that chocolate.
If cocoa content is one of your selection criteria, check both details separately on the current packaging.
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Counting a chocolate biscuit as a drink
A biscuit can be part of what you eat on a longer ride, but it doesn’t provide the fluids you need to drink while cycling.
Plan food and drinks separately to suit the duration and intensity of your ride.
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Trying a new biscuit just before an intense ride
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, foods high in fat or fibre can stay in your stomach for longer. How a chocolate or multigrain biscuit sits with you depends on the cyclist and when they eat it.
Try a new variety on an easy ride first, and start with a small portion.
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Using an old product page as current shopping information
Albert Heijn’s product page marks AH Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade as ‘Discontinued’. A page like this doesn’t tell you which pack you can buy now.
If you find the product in a shop, check the current packaging and product information.
Brands compared
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Bakeries lists speculoos with dark chocolate in a pack of 7 × 3 biscuits. The brand also offers a separate 6-grain variety without the dark chocolate positioning.
- According to Lotus Bakeries, the dark chocolate variety contains 68.2 g of carbohydrates, 22.0 g of fat and 39.6 g of sugars per 100 g.
- The dark chocolate variety contains wheat, milk and soya. The stated 22% chocolate content is not a separate cocoa percentage.
- The 6-grain variety lists 4.7 g of fibre per 100 g and contains cereals containing gluten and soya; don’t compare it as though it were the same biscuit.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn has a product page for 320 g of AH Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade. The page marks the product as ‘Discontinued’.
- Don’t use the old product listing as proof that it’s currently available or as evidence of the ingredients in a pack you find elsewhere. Check the current label instead.
Verkade
Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade, listed by Jumbo, is a different category from speculaas with dark chocolate. Only compare it if milk chocolate also suits your taste.
- The Jumbo listing gives 60.1 g of carbohydrates and 29.1 g of fat per 100 g for this product.
- The listing states that the milk chocolate contains at least 29% cocoa solids. This doesn’t make it a dark chocolate variety.
- According to the product listing, it contains milk, cereals containing gluten, soya and wheat, and may contain nuts.
Plain speculaas as a planned snack
This Joybuy selection is plain speculaas for anyone considering a biscuit as a planned snack around a bike ride. If you’re specifically looking for dark chocolate, check the type of chocolate and the nutritional information on the packaging of another product.
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Hellema Smoeltjes Speculaas, 8 biscuits, 200 g
An option if you’re looking for plain speculaas for a planned snack. The product name lists 8 biscuits and 200 g; check the nutritional information and allergens on the packaging before including a portion in your eating plan.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need speculaas or sports nutrition for a bike ride lasting less than an hour?
Sports bars and gels aren’t necessary for a ride lasting less than an hour, according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. You can choose speculaas as an everyday snack, but not because you need a biscuit for a ride of this length.
Can dark chocolate speculaas be part of my food plan for a long ride?
It can be part of your eating plan, but a chocolate biscuit doesn’t replace drinks or a complete plan for a long ride. For endurance exercise lasting 1 to 2.5 hours, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre suggests 30–60 g of rapidly absorbed carbohydrates per hour as an amount that may help; use the nutritional information to work out how much a biscuit contributes for the portion you actually eat.
Does dark chocolate mean a speculaas biscuit contains a lot of cocoa?
No. The proportion of chocolate in a biscuit isn’t the same as the cocoa percentage of that chocolate. If you’re choosing based on cocoa content, check both details on the current packaging.
Which allergens should I check in chocolate speculaas?
Always read the allergen information for the specific product. Lotus Bakeries lists wheat, milk and soya in its speculoos with dark chocolate; the listing for Verkade Speculaas Melkchocolade also mentions the possible presence of nuts. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that allergens must be listed on the label of prepacked foods.
How should I store an opened pack of biscuits?
Store opened biscuits in a cool, dry, dark place in an airtight container, as advised by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Also follow the storage instructions on the packaging of the product you’ve bought.