According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, speculaas isn’t an everyday snack for a toddler, but at most a small, occasional treat. For everyday snacks, it recommends options such as fruit, vegetables and wholemeal bread. If you’d like to choose a Fairtrade option for a treat, check the certification mark and claim on the packaging of the exact product. It doesn’t have to contain chocolate. Also consider the portion size, ingredients, allergens and whether the texture is suitable for your child’s age.
If you’re looking for something for an everyday snack, you could start with fruit, vegetables, wholemeal bread or a suitable wholegrain cracker. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre considers biscuits more of a small, occasional treat.
For an occasional biscuit treat, check the claim on the exact packet. See which ingredient the Fairtrade statement applies to; don’t assume that a chocolate variety is automatically Fairtrade.
Filled speculaas may contain allergens such as wheat, milk and soya, as is the case with the variety described by Albert Heijn. Check the label on the packet you’re giving your child, and consider the portion size and texture.
First decide whether you’re choosing something for an everyday snack or an occasional treat. For a treat, check the Fairtrade claim and product details of the speculaas you’ve chosen.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Especially relevant for |
|---|---|---|
| Whether it’s an everyday snack | Distinguish between an everyday snack and a small, occasional treat. For everyday snacks, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre mainly recommends foods from the Dutch Wheel of Five. | If I want to give my child a snack every day, I don’t automatically look for a biscuit. Around 42% of consumers prioritise suitability as an everyday snack. |
| Fairtrade claim | Check the FAIRTRADE mark and claim on the exact packet: which ingredient do they apply to? Fairtrade International allows mass balance for products including cocoa and sugar. | For an occasional biscuit treat, I want to be able to see what the Fairtrade claim applies to. For around 33% of consumers, being able to verify this status is the top priority. |
| Portion size, texture and allergens | Read the portion and nutritional information, as well as the allergens list on the packaging. Choose a texture that’s suitable for your child’s age, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. | If my child needs to avoid an ingredient, or I want to keep the portion small, I check the packet carefully. Portion size, texture or allergens are the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
A Fairtrade mark relates to the certified ingredients in question; it doesn’t change the role biscuits play in your child’s diet. For everyday snacks for toddlers, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre mainly recommends foods from the Dutch Wheel of Five.
First decide whether you’re looking for something for every day or want to give your child a small, occasional treat.
Speculaas doesn’t have to contain chocolate. A Fairtrade statement may apply to another ingredient, such as sugar.
Check the packaging to see which ingredient the claim applies to, rather than choosing a chocolate variety just because it contains chocolate.
The portion listed on a product page isn’t automatically the amount you’ll want to give as a small treat. For example, Albert Heijn lists a 40 g portion for its filled speculaas with almond paste.
Decide how much you actually want to offer and check the nutritional information for that amount.
A product’s ingredients may change. The filled speculaas described by Albert Heijn, for example, lists milk, wheat and soya among its allergens.
Before giving it to your child, check the label on the packet you have, especially if they need to avoid an ingredient.
Lotus Bakeries describes Biscoff as a crunchy biscuit for an everyday biscuit break.
The product information for AH Filled Speculaas with Almond Paste gives you details to help check portion size, nutritional value and allergens.
Jumbo’s product information for Traditional Speculaas shows which details you can compare for each variety.
No. For everyday snacks, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre mainly recommends foods from the Dutch Wheel of Five, such as fruit, vegetables and wholemeal bread. It’s best to save biscuits for a small, occasional treat.
No, chocolate isn’t an essential ingredient in speculaas. For the variety you choose, check the FAIRTRADE mark and read the packaging to see which ingredient the claim applies to.
No, not always. For cocoa and sugar, Fairtrade International also allows mass balance, where certified and non-certified ingredients can be mixed during production. Read the information alongside the certification mark to understand the claim on the product.
It depends on the variety. Albert Heijn lists milk, wheat and soya among the allergens in its filled speculaas, while Jumbo lists wheat and gluten for its Traditional Speculaas. So always check the ingredients and allergen information on the current packet.
