Fans of a filled treat
Want to put biscuits out for a film night? Your preference for a soft almond paste filling or a crumbly biscuit is the main thing to consider when choosing.
Who might find this choice relevant?
Label checkers
Want to take sugars, saturated fat, fibre and portion sizes into account? The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing nutritional values per 100 g. Also consider how much you’ll actually serve.
People checking allergens
If you need to avoid wheat or gluten, milk, egg, soya or almonds, the allergen information on the exact pack you choose is what matters. This can vary between types of biscuit and individual varieties.
What should you look for when choosing?
Start by considering the difference between a filled kano biscuit and a crumbly digestive. Then compare the varieties within the type of biscuit you want to serve.
Kano biscuits with almond paste
Choose these if: you want to serve a soft, filled butter biscuit for your film night.
Bear in mind: Albert Heijn and Jumbo’s product information lists sugars and saturated fat, which you can take into account when comparing the specific varieties.
Digestives
Choose these if: you’d prefer to serve a crumbly wheat biscuit, either plain or covered in chocolate.
Bear in mind: nutritional values and allergens vary between varieties. A digestive isn’t automatically suitable if you need to avoid gluten.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Filling and texture | Choose between a kano biscuit with almond paste and a crumbly digestive. For kano biscuits, check the stated proportion of filling. | If I’m sharing biscuits during a film, I’m mainly looking for a soft biscuit with a filling. That treat is the priority for around 44% of consumers choosing between these types of biscuit. |
| Nutritional values and portion size | Compare sugars, saturated fat and fibre per 100 g, then consider how much you’ll serve. | When putting together a plate, I want to know what the difference per 100 g means for my portion. Around 33% of these consumers prioritise comparing nutritional values. |
| Allergens and ingredients | Check the ingredients and allergens on the exact pack, including any mentions of wheat, milk, egg, soya and nuts. | If not everyone at the table can eat the same ingredients, I need to be able to check the variety I’ve chosen in advance. Suitability is the priority for around 23% of these consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Treating kano biscuits and digestives as the same type of biscuit
The kano biscuits described by Albert Heijn and Jumbo are butter biscuits filled with almond paste. The digestives examined are wheat biscuits, so their filling and texture aren’t interchangeable features.
First decide which type of biscuit you want to serve, then compare the packs and labels within that category.
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Judging a product by just one detail on the label
A fibre claim, a vegan variety or the use of butter doesn’t tell you everything about a biscuit’s nutritional values and ingredients. For example, PLUS lists wheat as an ingredient in its vegan Digestive biscuit.
Check the nutritional information per 100 g, along with the ingredients and allergen information for the variety you want to buy.
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Assuming the allergens are the same as in a similar biscuit
The kano biscuits and digestives examined have different ingredients and allergens. Even within the same type of biscuit, you can’t assume the information for one variety applies to another.
Before serving, check the packaging of the exact product you’ve bought, including any warnings about possible traces.
Brands to consider
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn lists AH Roomboter kano's in a 270 g pack.
- According to the product information, this variety contains 41% almond paste filling and 1% almond.
- The packaging lists wheat, milk, egg, soya and almond among the relevant allergens. Check the current label.
Jumbo
Jumbo lists both its own-brand kano biscuits and McVitie's Digestives, which are two different types of biscuit.
- According to Jumbo, its own-brand kano biscuits contain 38% almond paste filling; the product information gives a portion size of 55 g.
- Don’t compare the nutritional values for that portion directly with values per 100 g for a digestive.
PLUS
PLUS describes both butter kano biscuits and its own-brand Digestive biscuit.
- PLUS product information lists 39% almond paste filling for its kano biscuits and describes its Digestive biscuit as vegan.
- According to PLUS, its vegan Digestive biscuit contains wheat and gluten. Check the label if this affects your choice.
McVitie's
In the product information examined, McVitie's Digestives are represented by Original and a milk chocolate variety.
- The 400 g Original pack lists 16% wholemeal wheat flour; the milk chocolate variety has a chocolate coating.
- According to the product information, the milk chocolate variety contains 28,5 g of sugars and 12,4 g of saturated fat per 100 g. Use the values for the exact variety when comparing.
Verkade
Verkade makes various biscuits and has published information about Digestive Cream.
- The range may be worth considering if you’re looking at other biscuits as well as plain digestives.
- Digestive Cream isn’t the same type of product as a kano biscuit with almond paste filling. Check the product name and ingredients before choosing an alternative.
Sondey
Lidl describes Sondey Kano's as butter biscuits with almond paste filling, in a 325 g pack.
- The product description makes clear that this is a filled kano biscuit, not a digestive.
- Lidl states that this product is only available in store. Check the information for the shop where you do your shopping.
Digestives on Joybuy
These two products are on the digestive side of the choice for a film night: one biscuit with milk chocolate and one plain variety. Choose a kano biscuit separately if you’re looking for a filled butter biscuit.
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McVitie's Digestives Milk Chocolate, 266 g
For a film night when you want to serve a digestive with milk chocolate. The pack contains 266 g. For this variety, Joybuy’s product information lists 28,5 g of sugars and 12,4 g of saturated fat per 100 g. Check the current packaging for allergens, including milk, soya and wheat.
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McVities Digestive Original, 400 g
For anyone who’d rather serve a plain digestive. The pack contains 400 g. According to the product information for Original, this wheat biscuit is made with 16% wholemeal wheat flour and contains 3,7 g of fibre and 10,1 g of saturated fat per 100 g. Check the current packaging for allergens, including wheat.
Frequently asked questions
Are kano biscuits and digestives the same type of biscuit?
No. The kano biscuits described by Albert Heijn and Jumbo are butter biscuits filled with almond paste, while the digestives examined are wheat biscuits. So for your film night, start by choosing based on the filling and texture you prefer.
Which of the biscuits mentioned contains the least saturated fat per 100 g?
Of the specific varieties mentioned, PLUS lists 1,8 g of saturated fat per 100 g for its Digestive biscuit. For comparison, Albert Heijn and Jumbo each list 8,8 g for their kano biscuits, while the product information gives 10,1 g for McVitie's Original and 12,4 g for McVitie's Milk Chocolate per 100 g. This one nutritional value doesn’t give you the full picture of a product.
Can I serve these biscuits if someone needs to avoid certain allergens?
Check the allergen information on the exact pack you’ve bought. The kano biscuits described list different combinations of wheat, milk, egg, soya and almond or other nuts. The digestives examined contain wheat, and some varieties also list milk or soya.
How should I store kano biscuits and digestives after buying them?
Follow the storage advice on the packaging for the variety you’ve chosen. Albert Heijn recommends keeping its butter kano biscuits in a sealed tin after opening. For McVitie's Digestives Original, the advice is to store them in a dry, preferably cool place.