Sweet biscuits are no substitute for traditional savoury drinks snacks: Woorden.org describes these as snacks served with drinks, consisting of fried foods. If you’d also like to offer something sweet with coffee or tea, compare the sugars per 100 g and check the sweeteners and allergens. A label such as ‘sugar-free’ doesn’t tell you everything about what’s inside.
You’re looking for a sweet biscuit and want to compare products on a like-for-like basis. Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using this basis when comparing labels too.
You’d like to offer something sweet alongside savoury snacks. Serve the biscuits separately as an extra, for example with coffee or tea, rather than as a substitute for the savoury snacks.
You want to know whether the ingredients and sweeteners are suitable for your guests before serving. The biscuits reviewed differ in this respect; a low sugar figure doesn’t answer that question.
First decide whether you’re putting together a savoury snack platter or planning a separate sweet occasion. Then compare the biscuits’ nutritional information and ingredients for that sweet occasion.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars listed | Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g and check the rest of the nutritional information too. | I want to choose a biscuit to have with coffee based on its stated sugar content, not just the front of the pack. For around 36% of consumers, the sugar figure is the most important factor. |
| Occasion and flavour | Decide whether the biscuit will be served separately with coffee or tea, then choose a suitable flavour and portion size. | If my guests are expecting savoury snacks, I want to offer a sweet biscuit only on a separate occasion. This is the top priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the latest ingredient and allergen information, and check for sweeteners such as maltitols. | When catering for guests with an allergy or a specific dietary requirement, I want to know what I’m serving in advance. For around 21% of consumers, these questions about ingredients are most important. |
| Pack size and ease of sharing | Check the net weight, number of biscuits and whether they’re individually wrapped. | If I’m putting out something sweet for several guests, I want to know how many biscuits I can hand out. Packaging and quantity are the deciding factors for around 14% of consumers. |
A biscuit doesn’t serve the same purpose as the savoury snacks that Woorden.org classifies as snacks served with drinks.
Keep the savoury platter separate from the sweet treat you serve with coffee or tea if you’d like to offer both.
A sugar claim doesn’t tell you what else the biscuit contains. For example, Albert Heijn lists 14 g of polyols and 465 kcal per 100 g for AH Digestive 0% suiker.
As well as checking ‘of which sugars’, read the rest of the nutritional information and the ingredients list for each product.
Albert Heijn lists wheat for AH Digestive 0% suiker. For Céréal Speculoos Stukjes Amandel, Jumbo lists almonds, barley, egg, milk, soya and wheat, among other ingredients.
Check the current packaging before serving and keep the ingredient information available for your guests.
AH Digestive 0% suiker is a specific digestive biscuit; its characteristics don’t apply to Albert Heijn’s entire biscuit range.
The Kokos and Speculoos Stukjes Amandel varieties reviewed offer different flavours and ingredient profiles.
The standard speculoos biscuit reviewed is a flavour reference, not the choice for anyone prioritising lower sugars.
The lower-sugar variety described by ALDI consists of individually wrapped koekhappers, not classic biscuits.
This oat biscuit could be a sweet extra alongside savoury snacks, but it isn’t a substitute for them. Check the sugar information on the current packaging before choosing it based on a sugar claim.
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For anyone who’d like to serve a sweet biscuit separately with coffee or tea. The ‘Sugar-Free’ claim in the title conflicts with the listed 11.7 g of sugars per 100 g, so check the current packaging. Also look for the listed sweetener maltitol and the allergen information, which includes wheat, soya, oats and egg.
No, not if you mean the usual savoury snacks served with drinks. Woorden.org describes these as snacks served with drinks, consisting of fried foods; it’s better to serve a sweet biscuit separately with coffee or tea.
Compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g on both packs. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing products per 100 g; then check the portion size and any other nutritional information relevant to your choice.
They can: Albert Heijn lists polyols for AH Digestive 0% suiker, while Jumbo lists maltitols for the Céréal varieties reviewed. Check the ingredients list for each biscuit; Albert Heijn also warns that excessive consumption of its digestive biscuit may have a laxative effect.
Not necessarily: the claim ALDI makes for Goud Gebakken Koekhappers is a relative comparison and doesn’t state the amount of sugars per 100 g. Check the nutritional information on the pack for that, and bear in mind that a koekhapper isn’t a classic biscuit.
Check the current allergen information for each variety before serving. Albert Heijn lists wheat for AH Digestive 0% suiker; for Céréal Speculoos Stukjes Amandel, Jumbo lists almonds, barley, egg, milk, soya and wheat, among other ingredients.
