Looking for a classic biscuit to enjoy with Sunday breakfast? Choose a plain or wholemeal digestive, and compare the nutritional information and ingredients on the packaging. If flavour is your priority, choose a chocolate digestive or Lotus Biscoff; speculoos isn’t a classic digestive. If you have an allergy or dietary requirement, always check the packaging of the product you’re buying.
If you want a biscuit as a small part of your breakfast, look beyond the word ‘digestive’. Compare fibre per 100 g and per serving. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends getting fibre from a range of food groups.
If the biscuits are mainly going to be served with coffee or tea, you can choose between a classic digestive, a chocolate version and the caramelised flavour of Lotus Biscoff. Biscoff is speculoos, not a digestive.
If you need to avoid wheat, milk, soya or gluten, for example, check the ingredients and allergen information for your chosen variety. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens must be clearly listed on the labels of prepacked foods.
First decide what part the biscuit will play at Sunday breakfast: a small addition, a particular flavour or a product that meets a dietary requirement. Then compare the current packaging of the varieties that fit the bill.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Your whole breakfast | Think about what you’ll serve alongside the biscuit and how many biscuits you’ll have. | If the biscuit is only a small part of my breakfast, I want to leave room for other breakfast foods too. Around 36% of consumers prioritise the overall make-up of their breakfast. |
| Fibre and ingredients | Compare fibre and sugars per 100 g, and check the ingredients list to see what type of flour is used. | If I’m choosing a biscuit for its fibre content because it’s called a ‘digestive’, I want to know what it actually contains. For around 29% of consumers, comparing labels is their first concern. |
| Flavour and sharing | Choose between plain, chocolate and speculoos; if you’re sharing, consider the pack size too. | When sharing coffee or tea, I mainly want to choose a flavour we’ll enjoy serving. Flavour is the top priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Allergens and dietary requirements | Read the current allergen information and, if necessary, look for a product explicitly labelled gluten-free. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, suitability comes before the flavour I want. For around 14% of consumers, this check is their first requirement when buying. |
The product name doesn’t tell you how much fibre a biscuit provides per serving. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends getting fibre from a variety of foods.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and the serving you actually eat, rather than using the product name as a guide.
McVitie's Netherlands lists 16.5 g of sugars per 100 g for Digestive Original and 29.5 g per 100 g for Digestive Milk. That difference applies to these two varieties, not automatically to other brands.
For each variety, check the nutritional information as well as the ingredients and allergen lists.
Albert Heijn warns that ingredients, nutritional information and allergy details can change. This is especially important if you need to avoid an ingredient.
Check the packaging you’re actually buying, even if you’ve bought the same biscuit before.
These brands and own-label ranges offer different biscuits to compare. The features mentioned apply to the specific varieties, not the entire range.
Classic Digestive Original, alongside milk and dark chocolate varieties.
Speculoos for those looking for a caramelised flavour rather than a classic digestive.
An own-label range that includes Digestive, wholemeal Digestive made with wheat flour, and a variety named Digestive 0% Sugar.
Own-label options include plain and wholemeal digestives, plus a separate milk chocolate variety specifically labelled gluten-free.
An own-label option for those looking for a plain digestive.
An own-label range with plain digestives and a dark chocolate variety.
These Joybuy products suit three Sunday breakfast choices: a plain digestive, a chocolate digestive or Lotus Biscoff as a speculoos alternative. Check the packaging if nutritional values or allergens are important to your choice.
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For anyone who fancies a digestive with dark chocolate alongside coffee or tea. The pack contains 266 g. If you need to avoid wheat, milk or soya, check the current ingredients and allergen information.
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For anyone who prefers caramelised speculoos to a classic digestive. The product listing for this 250 g pack gives 1.3 g of fibre and 38.1 g of sugars per 100 g, and names wheat and soya. If you have an allergy, check the current packaging.
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For anyone looking for a plain digestive without a chocolate coating. This pack contains 400 g. To compare fibre and sugars, check the information on the current label. If you have an allergy, also check for wheat and possible traces of milk.
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For anyone who wants to serve a digestive with milk chocolate. This pack contains 266 g. To compare sugars, check the current nutritional information. If you have an allergy, read the information for milk, soya and wheat.
No. Don’t assume the name says anything about its effect on your digestion. Check the ingredients and fibre per serving; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends getting fibre from a variety of foods.
Compare the nutritional information on a like-for-like basis, such as per 100 g, then consider the serving you eat. McVitie's Netherlands lists 16.5 g of sugars and 3.6 g of fibre per 100 g for Digestive Original, compared with 29.5 g of sugars and 3.0 g of fibre for Digestive Milk. These figures apply to these two varieties from the manufacturer; check the current label on the pack you’re buying.
Don’t assume that a regular digestive is gluten-free. According to the manufacturer, McVitie's Digestive Original contains wheat. If necessary, look for a variety explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the allergen information on the current packaging.
Check the ingredients that are relevant to you, including cereals containing gluten, milk and soya. The allergens present vary by variety; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens must be clearly listed on the labels of prepacked foods.
Keep the pack in a dry place and seal it well, and follow any instructions on the packaging. The Joybuy product description for McVitie's Digestive Original also recommends storing it somewhere cool if possible.
