If you want a lower-sugar biscuit with your afternoon snack, first compare the total sugars per 100 g, then check whether the portion size, ingredients and other nutritional values suit your needs. ‘No added sugars’ and ‘less sugar’ don’t tell you how much sugar a biscuit contains on their own. If a product contains sweeteners, it’s also important to check the ingredients and any warnings on the packaging.
You’re looking for a biscuit to have with a cup of tea or coffee, and comparing the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. A product name containing ‘zero’ or a claim about less sugar isn’t enough to help you choose.
You like to take your afternoon snack with you or decide in advance how much you’ll eat. An individually wrapped biscuit bar or a clearly stated number of biscuits can be practical, while still allowing you to compare nutritional values.
As well as sugars, you check energy, fat, fibre, ingredients and allergens. This helps you avoid letting one eye-catching figure make the decision for you.
Use the values per 100 g to compare similar products. Then think about how much you actually want to have as an afternoon snack. According to the Voedingscentrum, manufacturers decide for themselves how large a stated portion is.
| What to look for | What to check before buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Total sugars | For similar biscuits, compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. Under EU Regulation 1924/2006, the ‘low sugar’ claim for solid foods can only be used when they contain no more than 5 g of sugars per 100 g. | If I want a biscuit with my tea or coffee, I want to know how much sugar it actually contains, regardless of what the front of the pack says. For around 36% of these shoppers, the total sugar value would be their first consideration. |
| Portion size and convenience | Check the weight per biscuit, the number of biscuits and the energy per portion. Individual wrapping can help you decide on a portion in advance. | When I’m out and about, I want to take my afternoon snack with me without having to decide on the spot how much to take from a larger pack. A set portion would be the top priority for around 29% of these shoppers. |
| Other nutritional information | As well as sugars, compare energy, fat, fibre and salt per 100 g; read the ingredients and allergen information. | When choosing a low-sugar biscuit, I also want to see what other nutrients and ingredients it contains. For around 21% of these shoppers, comparing the full label would be the main consideration. |
| Flavour and product type | Find out what a ‘less sugar’ claim is comparing the product with, and check the total sugars. Also consider whether you want a biscuit, a spiced cake bar or an ontbijtkoek (Dutch spiced breakfast cake). | I’m looking for something that fits the kind of biscuit I usually enjoy; a soft ontbijtkoek bar isn’t automatically a substitute for a crunchy biscuit. A familiar flavour or product type would matter most to around 14% of these shoppers. |
A product can still contain sugars even if none have been added. For example, Albert Heijn lists 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g for Verkade San Francisco zero.
If you want to compare the total amount, check the ‘of which sugars’ line in the nutrition table.
A relative reduction describes the difference compared with another product, not the final amount of sugars. ALDI describes one Goud Gebakken Koekhappers variant as containing 30% less sugar.
Check both the product used as the basis for the claim and the number of grams of sugars per 100 g on the packaging.
Product information from Albert Heijn and Céréal, among others, warns that excessive consumption of some biscuits and biscuit bars may have a laxative effect.
Read the ingredients and warnings before choosing, especially if you’re planning to eat several products containing polyols in one day.
A low sugar value doesn’t tell you how much energy or fat a biscuit contains. For Céréal Choco Delight Puur, Jumbo lists 0.5 g of sugars, 427 kcal and 20 g of fat per 100 g.
Compare similar biscuits per 100 g using the nutritional values that matter to you, then check the portion size per biscuit.
The differences below apply to the products mentioned, not to a brand’s or shop’s entire range. Also bear in mind the product type: a spiced cake bar or ontbijtkoek is not a biscuit.
Albert Heijn lists both a digestive biscuit and an individually wrapped spiced cake bar with a sugar-related claim.
Jumbo provides nutritional values for Céréal Choco Delight Puur, so you can compare sugars with energy and fat.
The speculoos and chocolate biscuits mentioned are options if you’re mainly comparing total sugars and are happy to have sweeteners.
Lotus Mini Zero Ontbijtkoek is an alternative if you want to stick with the brand but would prefer ontbijtkoek to a Biscoff biscuit.
ALDI lists a Goud Gebakken Koekhappers variant with 30% less sugar for anyone looking for individually wrapped biscuits.
No. The product may still contain sugars: Albert Heijn lists both a no-added-sugars claim and 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g for Verkade San Francisco zero. To find the total amount, check the ‘of which sugars’ line in the nutrition table.
Under EU Regulation 1924/2006, the ‘low sugar’ nutrition claim can be used for solid foods if the product contains no more than 5 g of sugars per 100 g. ‘Less sugar’ is a relative claim, so also check the biscuit’s total sugar value.
For the biscuits mentioned that contain certain sweeteners, the product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. So read the ingredients and the warning for the specific product, especially if you’re considering having more than one snack containing polyols.
No. A lower sugar value is just one part of the comparison. The Voedingscentrum advises you not to rely only on the front of the pack; check the ingredients and other nutritional information per 100 g too.
Check the allergen information on the packaging of the variant you’ve chosen just before you buy it. Don’t rely on a general label such as ‘zero’: the Céréal Speculoos stukjes amandel mentioned, for example, contains wheat, almonds, eggs, milk and soya.
