Organising a short coffee or tea break
If you want to serve something sweet without toppings or cutlery, a digestive is a good fit for a biscuit break. Jumbo and Albert Heijn describe the digestives reviewed as biscuits.
Who should choose which option?
Organising a lunch-style work meeting
If you want colleagues to be able to add their own toppings and have time to prepare them, crackers are a more suitable choice. Bolletje positions its Ontbijtcrackers Meerzaden, reviewed here, as suitable for breakfast or lunch.
Organising for colleagues with allergies
If anyone attending needs to avoid certain ingredients, check the current label before choosing. Even with a product labelled gluten-free, check for other listed allergens and warnings.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether your meeting calls for a sweet biscuit break or a break with crackers and toppings. Then compare the packaging, nutritional information and allergens of the options that fit the occasion.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this relevant to? |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to serve | Check the portion size and how to store the pack once opened. | For a short break, I want to serve something with coffee without needing toppings. Around 29% of consumers prioritise ease of serving. |
| Toppings or fibre | Decide whether you want to offer toppings; compare the fibre per 100 g and the ingredients within your chosen product type. | If the meeting is around lunchtime, I want to be able to add toppings to a cracker or compare the fibre within my chosen product type. Around 29% of consumers consider this first. |
| Allergens | Ask which ingredients need to be avoided and read the current label for each option. | If colleagues need to avoid allergens, I want to know which individual product is suitable for them. Around 21% of consumers prioritise this check. |
| A sweet digestive | Check that you’re choosing a biscuit, and compare the ingredients and nutritional information of the options if you wish. | If I’m looking for a familiar biscuit to serve with tea, I specifically want a digestive, not a cracker for toppings. This is the main consideration for around 21% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Treating a digestive like a cracker for toppings
Jumbo describes the digestives reviewed as biscuits for a biscuit break; Bolletje positions its breakfast cracker as suitable for breakfast or lunch. They therefore serve different purposes on the table.
Decide in advance whether you’re organising a sweet break or a lunch-style occasion. If both would work, you could serve something from each product category.
For an option with toppings, you’ll also need to provide toppings and possibly napkins or plates.
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Assuming gluten-free means free from all allergens
The Schär Digestive Landtaler described by Jumbo is gluten-free, but contains soya and may contain lupin and egg. So a gluten-free label doesn’t answer every question about allergens.
Check all relevant ingredients and warnings on the current label, and keep any separately chosen option apart when serving.
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Choosing based on the word ‘wholegrain’ alone
Ingredients and stated fibre content can vary even within the same product category. Jumbo lists 5.8 g of fibre per 100 g for its Digestive Volkoren reviewed here, compared with 3.1 g per 100 g for its Krokante Digestive reviewed here.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and read the ingredients list. Also decide separately whether you want to serve a biscuit or a cracker with toppings.
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Assuming online product information is the final word
Ingredients and allergen information can change. This is especially important if you’re choosing for someone with a specific dietary requirement or selecting a particular product variant.
Check availability when you buy, and read the label on the packaging before serving.
Brands to consider
Jumbo
Jumbo describes both a classic Krokante Digestive and a Digestive Volkoren, each in a 400 g pack.
- For these two options, Jumbo provides information on ingredients, allergens, nutritional values and storage advice; for the classic option, it also lists around 27 portions per pack.
- Both options reviewed contain wheat and gluten. Always check the packaging of the option you choose for other dietary requirements.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn offers a range of cracker products as well as digestives, including McVitie’s Digestives Original.
- The cracker range shown includes wholegrain crackers and options with seeds.
- Check the current range and packaging before relying on a particular option or ingredients list.
Bolletje
Bolletje positions the Ontbijtcrackers Meerzaden reviewed here as suitable for breakfast or lunch, offering an alternative to a sweet digestive at a lunch-style meeting.
- For this option, Bolletje lists, among other ingredients, 49% wholemeal wheat flour and a selection of seeds.
- The cracker reviewed contains cereals with gluten and sesame, among other ingredients; check the label if anyone has allergen requirements.
Sondey (Lidl)
Sondey is a Lidl biscuit and snack brand. Lidl also offers Digestives naturel in a 400 g pack as an in-store product.
- The Digestives naturel shown offer a classic biscuit option for anyone shopping at a Lidl store.
- Read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack before choosing this product for anyone with dietary requirements.
Biscotto (ALDI)
ALDI describes Biscotto Digestive Biscuits as crisp wheat biscuits, with around 27 biscuits in a 400 g pack.
- The stated number of biscuits can help you plan a simple biscuit break, without setting a fixed portion per person.
- Check the full ingredients, allergen and nutritional information on the current packaging.
Products for different occasions
This selection of Joybuy products includes a classic digestive for a sweet break and several crackers for anyone who would prefer something savoury or suitable for toppings. First choose the occasion, then check the packaging against the group’s needs.
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McVities Digestive Original 400 g
A digestive for a sweet biscuit break with coffee or tea, with no toppings needed. The pack contains 400 g; check the label for allergens and storage advice after opening.
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Bolletje Sesame Bagel Crackers 225 g
A cracker option for serving alongside sweet biscuits when you want to offer something savoury too. The pack contains 225 g; if you want to offer toppings, you’ll need to arrange these separately and check the relevant allergens.
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Pacific Soda Cracker Seaweed Flavour 100 g, 4 packs
A seaweed-flavoured cracker for a savoury break when you haven’t planned to serve toppings. The product name lists 100 g across four packs; check the portions and allergens on the label before sharing.
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Wasa High-Fiber Crackers 300 g
A cracker option to consider if the meeting feels more like a lunch break. The pack contains 300 g; compare the nutritional information per 100 g and check the label for allergens before choosing for the group.
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Wasa Sourdough Rye Crackers 235 g
A rye cracker to consider for a break when you want to offer toppings. The pack contains 235 g; choose toppings to suit the occasion and check the ingredients and allergens on the label.
Frequently asked questions
Are digestives the same as crackers?
No. For a work meeting, they serve different purposes: Jumbo describes the digestives reviewed as biscuits to have with coffee or tea, while Bolletje positions its Ontbijtcrackers reviewed here as suitable for breakfast or lunch. So choose based on whether you want a sweet biscuit break or a break where you can serve crackers.
Which allergens should I check if colleagues will be eating too?
Check the ingredients and allergen warnings on the current label for every product you choose. The options reviewed differ: the Jumbo digestives contain wheat and gluten, Bolletje Ontbijtcrackers Meerzaden contain sesame, among other ingredients, and the gluten-free Schär biscuit described by Jumbo contains soya and may contain lupin and egg.
Can I assume that a digestive will aid digestion?
No. The name ‘digestive’ isn’t a reason to expect this effect. For McVitie’s To Go Digestive Original, Jumbo states that the ingredients do not contain substances that aid digestion. Choose a biscuit based on the product information and the occasion.
How should I store digestives after opening?
Follow the storage advice on the packaging of the option you buy. Jumbo advises sealing its Krokante Digestive well after opening and storing it in a dark place.