Choose De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes if you’re mainly looking for an anise-flavoured topping to have with bread, rusks or yoghurt. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list 79 g of sugars per 100 g. If you’re mainly watching your sugar intake on the train and want something you can eat on its own, compare packaged snacks per 100 g and check the ingredients of the variant you choose. A muesli bar isn’t automatically a lower-sugar option.
You’re looking for something to have on the go, where the amount of sugar matters more than the product name or a small serving size on the label. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing the nutritional values of similar products per 100 g.
You don’t want to bring bread, yoghurt or cutlery. A bar or another snack that you can eat on its own suits this situation; just check that the pack you choose is convenient for a single journey.
You choose Gestampte Muisjes for its flavour and to have with bread, rusks or yoghurt. In this case, reducing your sugar intake isn’t your main reason for taking it with you.
First decide whether sugar, being able to eat on the go or the anise flavour matters most to you. Then compare the nutritional information for the exact products and variants you’re considering.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who does this matter to? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Compare similar products per 100 g and read the ingredients list. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list 79 g of sugars per 100 g for De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes. | If I’m mainly watching my sugar intake, I want to be able to compare products on the same basis. For around 50% of consumers, less sugar is the top priority. |
| Easy to eat on the train | Check whether you can eat the snack without anything else and whether you can easily take a portion with you. | Without bread or cutlery, I want something I can eat on the go without carrying loose sprinkles. For around 30% of consumers, convenience comes first. |
| Anise flavour as a topping | Take Gestampte Muisjes with bread, rusks or yoghurt; check the ingredients if you need to avoid wheat. | If I’m already taking rusks, the anise flavour could be what makes the choice for me. For around 20% of consumers, that flavour is the main reason. |
The name doesn’t tell you how much sugar it contains. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list 79 g of sugars per 100 g for De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes; the ingredients list includes sugar and glucose syrup, among other ingredients.
If reducing your sugar intake is your main priority, use the nutritional table per 100 g to compare products.
Jumbo lists 4.7 g of sugars for a 6 g serving of Gestampte Muisjes. This serving value doesn’t show the composition of 100 g of the product.
Compare similar products per 100 g, and also think about how much you’ll actually take with you.
Flavours and variants can differ. A claim on one muesli bar doesn’t tell you what’s in another variant.
Read the nutritional table and ingredients, and check any sugar-related claims on the pack of the variant you choose.
Gestampte Muisjes are eaten with bread, rusks or yoghurt. On the train, loose sprinkles therefore take more preparation than a snack you can eat as it is.
Take a suitable base and a well-sealed portion with you, or choose a snack you can eat on its own. Dispose of packaging and leftovers in a bin, as required by NS house rules.
Gestampte Muisjes for use as an anise-flavoured topping on bread, rusks or yoghurt.
Muesli bars are a different product category for anyone who’d rather take a bar than loose anise-flavoured topping.
You could consider these muesli bars and sachima as snacks you can eat on their own if you don’t want to take loose bread toppings with you. Before choosing, compare the nutritional information for the exact variant. For the sachima, also check what the stated sugar reduction refers to and how much you plan to take with you.
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A muesli bar for anyone who doesn’t want to take something else to eat it with on the train. Check the pack for sugars per 100 g and information about ingredients, polyols and allergens.
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This pack of six muesli bars is an option if you want to take a bar with you for each train journey. Check whether the bars are individually wrapped, and read the pack for sugars per 100 g, ingredients and allergens.
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If you want to take sachima as a snack, decide how much you need from the 526 g pack. The ‘30% Less Sugar’ claim isn’t a basis for comparison on its own: check the pack to see what the variant is being compared with, and read the nutritional information and allergen details.
Not if you’re judging by the product name alone: Albert Heijn and Jumbo list 79 g of sugars per 100 g and 4.7 g per stated 6 g serving. Before choosing a lower-sugar option, compare the nutritional value per 100 g with that of a relevant alternative.
Check the current pack of De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes for wheat: Albert Heijn lists wheat starch in the ingredients. Repeat this check for every other snack you’re considering; you can’t assume a muesli bar has the same ingredients as Gestampte Muisjes.
Choose something you can carry neatly, and clear away any leftovers and packaging. NS house rules ask passengers to put their rubbish in a bin; with Gestampte Muisjes, taking a sealed portion with bread, rusks or yoghurt helps prevent loose sprinkles.
First compare the sugars per 100 g in the nutritional information, then read the ingredients of both products. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing products per 100 g, as looking only at values per serving can give a misleading impression when serving sizes differ.
