Evening snackers watching their portions
Want to have one or a few biscuits late in the evening? Compare the stated serving size and energy per biscuit with the amount you actually plan to eat.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Shoppers keeping an eye on fibre
Considering a wholemeal option within the biscuit category? Compare the fibre per 100 g, but check the sugar and salt values too. The wholemeal label doesn’t answer those other questions.
Shoppers with ingredient requirements
Do you need to avoid gluten, watch out for other allergens or want an option with no added sugar? Check the ingredients, allergens and any warnings on the specific pack; digestives with similar names can have different ingredients.
What should you look for when choosing?
Start with your main reason for choosing a different digestive: the portion, fibre content or ingredients. Then compare the other nutritional values for the exact variety, especially if a label such as wholemeal or 0% sugar is influencing your choice.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should consider this? |
|---|---|---|
| Portion and energy | Compare the stated serving size and energy per serving; check the value per 100 g too. | If I have a biscuit late at night, I want to know in advance what my chosen portion contains. For around 50% of consumers, portion size is the main consideration. |
| Fibre and type of biscuit | Compare fibre per 100 g and the ingredients in a wholemeal option; check sugar and salt as well. | I want a biscuit, but I’d rather choose based on its fibre content than on the word wholemeal alone. This takes priority for an estimated 30% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information; for varieties with sweeteners, check the warnings too. | If gluten, other allergens or added sugar limit my choice, the ingredients in this exact variety need to suit me. This is the first consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
-
Assuming wholemeal means a lighter biscuit
A wholemeal digestive may contain more fibre than a standard variety, without being low in sugar or energy. Albert Heijn lists 6 g of fibre, 20 g of sugar and 460 kcal per 100 g for AH Digestive Volkoren.
Compare the nutritional values for the same serving size and decide how many biscuits you want to have.
-
Assuming 0% sugar means you can eat as much as you like
Albert Heijn lists 465 kcal and 14 g of polyols per 100 g for AH Digestive 0% suiker. The product also carries a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Choose this variety only if its sweeteners suit your preferences, and compare the energy per serving too.
-
Assuming all digestives have the same allergens
The standard and wholemeal varieties discussed here contain wheat. A digestive labelled gluten-free and coated in milk chocolate may contain other allergens, including milk and soya.
Before buying, read the allergen information for the exact flavour and pack, even if the front says gluten-free.
Brands compared
These brands offer examples of different digestive varieties. Always compare the specific product range and pack, not just the brand name.
McVitie's
The Original is a classic wheat digestive in a 400 g pack. According to the product information on Jumbo, the pack contains an average of 27 servings of one biscuit each.
- The stated serving size of one biscuit is useful if you want to portion out a late-night snack one biscuit at a time.
- The Original contains wheat and may contain milk; check the latest allergen information.
AH
The range includes a standard digestive, a wholemeal variety and AH Digestive 0% suiker.
- Albert Heijn lists 6 g of fibre per 100 g for AH Digestive Volkoren, compared with 3.2 g for AH Digestive.
- AH Digestive 0% suiker contains polyols and carries a warning about excessive consumption. Check the other nutritional values for each variety too.
Jumbo
Jumbo sells both a wholemeal digestive and a separate digestive with milk chocolate that is labelled gluten-free.
- Jumbo’s product information lists 5.8 g of fibre per 100 g for the wholemeal variety.
- The wholemeal variety contains wheat. According to Jumbo, the gluten-free milk chocolate variety contains milk, oats and soya, among other ingredients; gluten-free doesn’t mean free from other allergens.
Sondey
Lidl Netherlands lists Sondey Digestives as a plain 400 g variety available to buy in store.
- The product page lists the pack weight and describes the variety as a source of fibre.
- If these details affect your choice, compare the nutritional information and allergens on the latest pack.
Biscotto
ALDI Netherlands describes Biscotto Digestive Biscuits as wheat biscuits in a 400 g pack containing around 27 biscuits.
- The stated number of biscuits gives you a starting point for deciding on your preferred portion.
- Check the nutritional information and allergens on the pack, especially if you need to avoid wheat or gluten.
Digestive biscuits on Joybuy
These products include a classic plain digestive and two varieties coated in chocolate. First choose the biscuit you’d like; then check the information on the latest pack to help with your late-night portion and any allergy requirements.
Image unavailable
McVities Digestive Original, 400 g
A plain digestive if you’d rather skip the chocolate coating with your late-night snack.
400 g pack. Check the nutritional information per biscuit for your chosen portion, and if you have allergies, look for wheat and possible milk in the allergen information.
Image unavailable
McVitie's Digestives Milk Chocolate, 266 g
A digestive coated in milk chocolate if you’re specifically looking for a chocolate topping.
266 g pack. For a portion measured in biscuits, compare the latest nutritional information and check the ingredients list if you have allergies.
Image unavailable
McVitie's Digestives with Dark Chocolate, 266 g
A digestive coated in dark chocolate if you prefer it to a plain or milk chocolate variety.
266 g pack. Check the latest pack for the nutritional value of your preferred portion and for allergen information.
Frequently asked questions
Is a digestive automatically a light late-night snack?
No. The name digestive says nothing about the size or nutritional value of your portion. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that many ready-made snacks are high in energy, sugar, salt or saturated fat. So compare the nutritional value per biscuit and per 100 g for the variety you choose.
Which digestives can I compare if I want more fibre?
Compare the fibre per 100 g in wholemeal varieties with that in a standard digestive. Albert Heijn lists 6 g of fibre per 100 g for AH Digestive Volkoren and 3.2 g for AH Digestive; Jumbo lists 5.8 g for its wholemeal variety. Also check the sugar, salt and ingredients on the exact pack.
Can I choose a standard digestive if I need to avoid gluten?
Don’t choose based on the product name alone: the standard and wholemeal digestives discussed here contain wheat. Look for a product explicitly labelled gluten-free, and check the other allergens on the latest label too. For example, a gluten-free digestive with milk chocolate may contain milk and soya.
Does 0% sugar mean I don’t need to watch my portion?
No. Albert Heijn lists 465 kcal and 14 g of polyols per 100 g for AH Digestive 0% suiker, with a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Compare the energy per serving and check which sweeteners the variety contains.