A digestive biscuit can work as a small post-workout snack, but it isn’t a sensible choice on its own if getting enough protein after intense exercise is your main goal: the standard digestives we looked at provide around 1 g of protein per biscuit. Voedingscentrum highlights the importance of getting enough protein after intense exercise. If that applies to you, have a biscuit alongside a suitable protein source or as part of a meal. Then choose a biscuit based on its ingredients, nutritional values and any dietary or allergen requirements.
After an intense workout, you’ll want to know how a biscuit fits into your meal. Don’t just focus on the biscuit: Voedingscentrum highlights the importance of getting enough protein for muscle growth and recovery after intense exercise.
You’re after a digestive biscuit, but you also want to check the proportion of wholemeal flour, the amount of fibre and sugar, and the serving size. Always compare the specific varieties you’re considering.
If you need to avoid gluten or a particular allergen, start with the product description and allergen information on the current packaging. Differences in flavour or fibre come second.
First decide whether you’re mainly concerned with protein in your overall meal, the biscuit’s ingredients, a small snack portion or a dietary requirement. Then compare nutritional values on a like-for-like basis: per 100 g when products have different serving sizes.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Protein after exercise | Check the protein per biscuit and think about what else you’ll eat with it. The standard varieties we looked at provide around 1.0–1.1 g of protein per biscuit. | After an intense workout, I want my snack to fit into my protein intake rather than consist of just a biscuit. This combination is a priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Fibre and wholemeal flour | Compare the proportion of wholemeal flour in the ingredients list and the fibre per 100 g; a product name alone won’t tell you how much wholemeal flour it contains. | I like to choose a biscuit with more fibre and want to know how much wholemeal flour it actually contains. Around 29% of consumers give this top priority. |
| Flavour and serving size | Check the serving size and compare sugar and saturated fat per 100 g if you’re weighing up a plain variety against a chocolate one. | For me, the main reason to choose a biscuit is to have a small, crunchy snack after exercise. This is the top preference for around 21% of consumers. |
| Dietary requirements and allergens | Check the gluten-free claim and the information about allergens present and possible traces on the current packaging. | If I need to avoid gluten or another allergen, the variety I choose must meet that requirement first. This is the main consideration for around 14% of consumers. |
The standard digestives we looked at provide around 1.0–1.1 g of protein per biscuit. So if you’re consciously trying to get enough protein after intense exercise, you can’t rely on the biscuit alone.
If you like, have the biscuit alongside a suitable protein source or as part of a meal, and consider your protein intake across your overall diet.
A digestive biscuit can contain both wholemeal wheat flour and wheat flour. The varieties we looked at from Albert Heijn and Jumbo also differ in fibre per 100 g, so the product name isn’t a substitute for comparing the labels.
Check the proportion of wholemeal flour in the ingredients list and compare fibre, sugar and protein per 100 g for the specific varieties.
According to Jumbo’s product information, the Pure Chocolade Digestive we looked at contains 27.4 g of sugar and 12.9 g of saturated fat per 100 g. The Krokante Digestive we looked at lists 19.2 g of sugar and 1.8 g of saturated fat on the same basis.
Choose a chocolate variety based on the ingredients that suit your preferences, and compare both labels per 100 g and per serving.
For the Digestive 0% suiker we looked at, Albert Heijn lists polyols and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. The sugar claim alone tells you nothing about the rest of its nutritional value.
Check the serving size, ingredients and nutritional information too, and factor in the warning on the packaging when making your choice.
These product ranges show the different options within and beyond the digestive biscuit category. Always compare the specific variety mentioned: another biscuit from the same brand may have different ingredients or allergens.
The own-label range includes classic, wholemeal and 0% sugar digestives we’ve looked at, which you can compare using the information on the labels.
The own-label range offers the classic, wholemeal and chocolate digestives we looked at, making it possible to compare ingredients and nutritional values.
Digestives Original is a classic wheat digestive for anyone looking for a plain biscuit.
According to the product information, the Digestive choc we looked at is specially prepared for people with gluten intolerance.
Biscoff Original is a speculoos biscuit for a different kind of snack, not a digestive variety.
Not if you’re also relying on it to provide enough protein. The standard digestives we looked at provide around 1 g of protein per biscuit; Voedingscentrum highlights the importance of getting enough protein after intense exercise. If you like, have a biscuit alongside a protein source or as part of a meal.
No, a protein shake isn’t automatically necessary. Voedingscentrum highlights the importance of getting enough protein after intense exercise, so consider what you get from your overall diet rather than judging a digestive biscuit or a shake in isolation.
You can’t tell from the name alone. According to the product information, the AH Digestive volkoren with tarwebloem we looked at contains 37% wholemeal wheat flour and 22% wheat flour; the Jumbo Digestive Volkoren we looked at also contains both ingredients. Check the ingredients list of the variety you’re buying.
Not necessarily: the sugar claim doesn’t tell you how much protein or fat the biscuit contains. For the Digestive 0% suiker we looked at, Albert Heijn lists 465 kcal and 20 g of fat per 100 g. The variety also contains polyols and carries a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
As well as checking the gluten-free claim, check all the allergen information on the current packaging. According to the product information at Albert Heijn, the Schär Digestive choc we looked at contains milk and soya, and may contain eggs and lupin. Gluten-free therefore doesn’t mean this variety will meet every allergen requirement.
