If you want to serve biscuits with as little sugar as possible alongside your coffee, compare similar biscuits by their ‘of which sugars’ value per 100 g, rather than relying on the claim on the front of the pack. For a shared coffee break, also check the ingredients, allergens and amount per biscuit. ‘No added sugars’ doesn’t mean there are no sugars, and some products containing polyols carry a warning about the effects of excessive consumption.
The amount of sugar listed is what matters most to them. The Voedingscentrum recommends comparing nutritional values per 100 g; then check how much sugar there is per biscuit and which ingredients have been used.
A digestive, speculoos biscuit or spiced cake bar might suit a coffee break, but these are different types of product. Compare a claim such as ‘less sugar’ within the right product type, and check the nutritional information on the pack.
If guests need to avoid certain ingredients or allergens, the exact product variant matters more than a general description such as ‘low sugar’. Also check whether the product contains sweeteners and how much you plan to serve.
First, compare the sugars per 100 g in similar types of biscuit. Then decide whether the ingredients and packaging are suitable for your guests and the way you plan to serve them.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar content | Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g for similar biscuits, then check the amount per biscuit. | If I want to keep sugar as low as possible with my coffee, I want to know what’s actually in each biscuit. This is the top priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen information for the exact variant, and look out for sweeteners, polyols and any warnings. | If guests need to avoid certain ingredients, I don’t want to rely on the sugar claim alone. This is the first priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Serving with coffee | Check the type of biscuit, the number of biscuits and whether they’re individually wrapped; adjust the amount to suit what you’re serving. | For a shared coffee table, I want to be able to hand out biscuits that suit my guests’ taste preferences. Around 20% of consumers prioritise ease of serving. |
According to the Voedingscentrum, a product with no added sugars may still contain sugars that occur naturally. So the claim doesn’t tell you how much sugar the biscuit contains in total.
Check ‘of which sugars’ in the nutrition table and read the ingredients list.
Serving sizes vary from one product to another. This means that comparing amounts per serving isn’t very useful when you’re looking at different biscuits side by side.
Following the Voedingscentrum’s advice, compare values per 100 g first, then consider how much you’ll actually serve.
Products with less sugar may contain sweeteners, polyols and allergens. Albert Heijn warns on some biscuits containing polyols that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Before choosing biscuits for guests, check the ingredients, allergens and warnings on the pack of the exact variant.
Lotus Bakeries Nederland lists 38,1 g of sugars per 100 g for the standard variant of Lotus Biscoff The Original Speculoos. A biscuit being a good match for coffee says nothing about its sugar content.
Choose the classic variant for its flavour, and compare a lower-sugar option separately if reducing sugar is your goal.
Albert Heijn offers products including AH Digestive 0% suiker and AH Kruidkoekreep zero. A digestive and a spiced cake bar are different types of product.
Céréal offers biscuit variants whose product pages list a low amount of sugars.
Verkade describes San Francisco Zero as a biscuit with no added sugars, suitable for a coffee break.
ALDI Nederland describes a Goud Gebakken variant of Koekhappers as having ‘30% less sugar’ and lists a pack of six individually wrapped cakes.
Lotus Bakeries Nederland presents The Original Speculoos as a biscuit to enjoy with coffee.
Jumbo provides product information for specific Céréal biscuits, including Choco Delight Puur.
This biscuit has a sugar-focused description in its name. Use that as a prompt to check the nutritional information, ingredients and flavour on the pack before serving it with coffee.
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An option to consider if you’re comparing biscuits for coffee by their sugar content. Check the ‘of which sugars’ value and ingredients, and make sure the flavour will suit your guests.
Pack size: 110 g. Check the number of biscuits on the pack before deciding how many to serve.
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, sugars may occur naturally. If the total amount matters to you, check the ‘of which sugars’ value in the nutrition table.
First compare similar types of biscuit by their nutritional values per 100 g. The Voedingscentrum recommends this as a basis for comparing labels; then consider how many biscuits you want to serve each guest.
Read the ingredients and any warnings on the pack of the exact variant. Albert Heijn warns that excessive consumption of some biscuits containing polyols may have a laxative effect, so bear this in mind when deciding how much to serve.
Yes. A sugar-related description doesn’t tell you which allergens a biscuit contains. Check the allergen information for the exact variant, especially if you’re choosing biscuits for guests with known dietary requirements.
