If you want to serve biscuits with less sugar on Sinterklaas Eve, compare the sugar content per 100 g of similar products rather than choosing based only on a claim on the front of the pack. A sugar-free speculoos option could be right if you want to keep that spiced flavour, but check the energy, polyols, warnings and allergens too. According to Albert Heijn product information, classic Lotus Biscoff contains 38 g of sugars per 100 g, so it isn’t the best choice if you’re mainly looking for a low sugar content.
You want to put biscuits on the table and choose mainly by the stated sugar content. To compare them, look at similar biscuits per 100 g, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends, rather than comparing portions of different sizes.
You’re looking for a spiced biscuit for Sinterklaas Eve, but don’t want to use the sugar content of classic speculoos as your benchmark. If you choose an alternative, check its polyols, energy and allergens too.
As well as the sugar content, you want to know which sweeteners and allergens the biscuits contain. Check the ingredients list and any warnings on each pack, especially if your guests need to avoid certain ingredients.
Decide what matters most for the biscuits you’ll serve on Sinterklaas Eve: the lowest stated sugar content, a speculoos flavour, ingredients suitable for your guests or an easy-to-manage serving size. Then compare the products that meet your top priority.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Stated sugar content | For similar biscuits, compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g and read the ingredients list. | If I mainly want to serve less sugar, I give the stated sugar content more weight than the name on the front of the pack. For around 36% of consumers, a low sugar content comes first. |
| Speculoos flavour | Check whether it’s a speculoos option, then compare its sugars, energy and polyols per 100 g. | For Sinterklaas Eve, I want to serve a spiced biscuit without losing sight of my sugar goal. This flavour is the top priority for roughly 29% of consumers. |
| Sweeteners and allergens | Check the ingredients, allergens and any warning about excessive consumption. | If guests need to avoid certain ingredients, I need to know what’s in each biscuit before serving it. Suitable ingredients matter most to around 21% of consumers. |
| Serving habits | Check how many biscuits are in the pack and decide how many to put on the table. | When there are several treats on the table, I want to be able to choose how many biscuits to put out at a time. This serving choice comes first for around 14% of consumers. |
A claim on the front of the pack doesn’t tell you how much energy or how many polyols a biscuit contains, and it doesn’t show you the allergens. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing similar products per 100 g.
Check the nutritional information per 100 g, then read the ingredients list for the biscuit you want to serve.
Albert Heijn product information lists 404 kcal per 100 g for Céréal Speculoos almond pieces with no added sugars and 465 kcal per 100 g for AH Digestive 0% sugar. So a low sugar content alone doesn’t tell you how much energy these biscuits provide.
If both figures matter to you, compare both ‘of which sugars’ and the energy per 100 g.
According to their product information, the biscuits mentioned that contain polyols carry a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. This is worth bearing in mind if several biscuits are eaten in one evening.
Read the warning on the pack and keep it available for your guests.
Albert Heijn product information lists almonds, milk, egg, soya, barley and wheat among the ingredients in Céréal Speculoos almond pieces with no added sugars. Lotus Biscoff Speculoos lists wheat and soya.
Check the current ingredients and allergen information for each option separately before serving it to your guests.
AH Digestive 0% sugar is a biscuit for anyone who chooses mainly by the stated sugar content.
Céréal offers sugar-free biscuits in a range of flavours, including a speculoos option with almond pieces.
Lotus Biscoff Speculoos is a go-to for serving the classic speculoos flavour on Sinterklaas Eve, rather than for anyone looking for the lowest sugar content.
For similar biscuits, compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using this basis for comparison. Also check energy, fibre, ingredients and allergens if they’re relevant to your choice.
No, you can’t tell from the sugar claim alone. According to Albert Heijn product information, AH Digestive 0% sugar contains 465 kcal per 100 g, while Céréal Speculoos almond pieces with no added sugars contains 404 kcal per 100 g. Compare the energy information on the packs you’re considering.
Check the ingredients and any warning about excessive consumption. According to their product information, the AH Digestive and Céréal options mentioned contain polyols and carry such a warning. Keep the pack with the biscuits in case your guests want to check the information.
No. If your guests need to avoid certain ingredients, check the current allergen information for each option. Albert Heijn product information lists almonds, milk and egg among the ingredients in the Céréal speculoos option mentioned, while Lotus Biscoff Speculoos lists wheat and soya.
