Commuter looking for a soft cake
If you want one soft cake with your coffee, check the serving size. Product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo shows that individual egg cakes can vary considerably in weight.
Who might find this choice useful?
Shopper who wants to factor in fibre
If you’re looking for a crunchy biscuit and comparing a regular digestive with a wholemeal one, check the fibre alongside the sugars, fat and salt on the label.
Shopper with an allergy or dietary requirement
If you need to avoid certain ingredients, check the specific product you’ve chosen. Egg, milk, soya and wheat are present in different ways across the products reviewed; what’s more, a label such as ‘lactose-free’ says nothing about whether the product contains wheat.
What should you look for in a snack with coffee on the go?
First decide whether you’d prefer a soft egg cake or a crunchy digestive, and how much you’ll have with your coffee. Then compare the nutritional information on the same basis, and check the label of the specific product if you have dietary requirements.
| What to consider | What to check before you buy | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Texture and serving size | Check the weight of each cake and the nutritional information per serving. Albert Heijn lists one egg cake as 30 g and one regular digestive as 15 g. | I want one soft cake with my coffee rather than having to decide how many small biscuits to have. Around 27% of consumers would put texture and serving size first. |
| Fibre and nutritional value | Compare fibre per 100 g, and check the sugars, fat and salt per serving too. The Albert Heijn wholemeal digestive reviewed contains 6 g of fibre per 100 g; the AH Egg Cakes reviewed contain 1,4 g. | If I’m considering a wholemeal biscuit, I don’t want to rely on just one label; I want to weigh up the whole nutrition label. Around 33% of consumers would make this their main priority. |
| Allergens and dietary information | Read the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any warnings on the packaging of the specific product you’ve chosen. | I need to know whether a cake contains ingredients I avoid before taste or texture comes into it. Around 20% of consumers would put this check first. |
| Packaging and storage | Check the pack size, number of servings and storage advice once opened, especially if you don’t eat biscuits every day. | I want a pack that suits how often I have coffee on the go, so the contents aren’t left open for longer than necessary. Around 20% of consumers would consider this first. |
Common mistakes
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Judging the whole product by its wholemeal claim
The Albert Heijn wholemeal digestive reviewed contains more fibre than the AH Egg Cakes reviewed, but also more fat and salt per 100 g. The egg cakes, in turn, contain more sugars per 100 g. So one figure won’t tell you how the products compare across the board.
Follow the Voedingscentrum’s advice to look beyond the front of the pack: compare the ingredients and nutritional information on the same basis, and for the amount you intend to eat.
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Comparing one cake with one biscuit without checking the weight
According to Albert Heijn, one AH egg cake weighs 30 g per serving and one regular AH Digestive weighs 15 g. So ‘one cake’ isn’t the same amount; other egg cakes may also be larger.
Decide whether you want one egg cake, one digestive or several biscuits with your coffee. Then check both the values per serving and those per 100 g.
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Assuming dietary information for one variety applies to all cakes
Albert Heijn labels the digestives reviewed as vegan and lactose-free, but they contain wheat. The egg cakes reviewed have different ingredients and allergens. So a product type or brand name is no substitute for checking the label.
Every time you buy, check the ingredients list, highlighted allergens and relevant warnings on the packaging you’ve chosen.
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Forgetting how to store the biscuits once opened
Storage instructions can help you decide whether a pack suits how often you have a biscuit with your coffee. For the AH digestives reviewed, Albert Heijn advises storing them in a sealed tin once opened.
Choose a pack size that suits how much you use, and follow the storage advice on the current label.
Brands worth comparing
These brands offer product varieties that make it easier to compare egg cakes and biscuits, both within and between categories. The features of one variety don’t necessarily apply to the entire range.
Albert Heijn
The own-label range includes regular egg cakes, standard digestives and wholemeal digestives that you can compare side by side.
- The product pages reviewed list serving sizes, ingredients, allergens and nutritional information.
- Albert Heijn notes that product information can change, so check the packaging when you buy.
Jumbo
The egg cake range lets you compare a regular variety with a wholemeal one.
- According to Jumbo, the wholemeal egg cake reviewed contains 3,9 g of fibre per 100 g, compared with 1,9 g in the regular egg cake reviewed.
- Both varieties reviewed list egg, wheat, milk and soya; the ‘wholemeal’ label doesn’t remove those considerations.
McVitie's
A brand to consider if you’re specifically looking for a traditional digestive biscuit.
- The Digestives Original reviewed lists 16% wholemeal wheat flour and 3,7 g of fibre per 100 g.
- The same variety also lists fat and salt, so compare the full label rather than looking at fibre alone.
Bolletje
Brosse Eierkoek is a different type of egg cake from the classic soft cake or a digestive.
- Bolletje describes its crumbly texture as the result of whisked egg.
- The varieties reviewed contain ingredients including egg, wheat, milk and soya. Check the ingredients of the product you choose.
Verkade
San Francisco Volkoren is a biscuit to enjoy with coffee or tea, but it isn’t an egg cake or a digestive.
- Verkade lists 6,4 g of fibre per 100 g for this variety.
- The ingredients include wheat, sesame and honey, among others; check the label if you need to avoid them.
A digestive biscuit to enjoy with coffee on the go
This product choice is suited to anyone looking for a crunchy digestive to have with coffee on the go, and specifically considering McVitie's Original. Compare the pack and label with your usual serving size and ingredient requirements.
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McVities Digestive Original, 400 g
An option if you’d like a digestive with your coffee instead of a soft egg cake.
Joybuy’s product information lists 3,7 g of fibre per 100 g. Check the ingredients and allergens on the pack; information for this Original variety lists wheat and possible traces of milk.
Frequently asked questions
Does choosing a wholemeal digestive make the decision easier?
Not if you want to compare more than just fibre. According to Albert Heijn, the AH Digestive wholemeal reviewed contains 6 g of fibre per 100 g, compared with 1,4 g in AH Egg Cakes, but it also contains more fat and salt per 100 g. Check the sugars and the amount you’ll eat too.
How do I compare an egg cake with a smaller biscuit?
Start with the weight of the serving you actually want to eat. Albert Heijn lists one AH egg cake as 30 g and one AH Digestive as 15 g; then compare the nutritional information per 100 g to assess both products on the same weight basis.
Can I rely on the type of cake when I have an allergy?
No, check the packaging of the product you’ve chosen. The Albert Heijn and Jumbo egg cakes reviewed list ingredients including egg, milk, soya and wheat; the AH digestives reviewed contain wheat. Also read warnings about possible traces of other ingredients if they’re relevant to you.
Are AH digestives vegan and lactose-free?
Albert Heijn labels both the regular and wholemeal AH Digestive varieties reviewed as vegan and lactose-free. However, both contain wheat. Check the labels and ingredients again on the packaging of the variety you buy.
How should I store digestives once opened?
Follow the storage advice on the packaging. For the digestives reviewed, Albert Heijn advises storing them in a sealed tin once opened; bear in mind how often you eat them when choosing a pack size.