If you’re looking for a chocolate-chip snack with a stated sugar content of 0 g, Céréal Zonder Suikers Mini Cakes Stukjes Chocolade could be an option, but it’s a soft cake, not a biscuit. If you’re after a crisp biscuit with no added sugars, you could compare it with Verkade San Francisco Zero, which contains no chocolate. For a holiday snack, also check the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion, the polyols used and the allergens listed on the packaging.
For a treat during the school holidays, you might want to combine a chocolate flavour with an eye on sugar content and portion size. Check the product type: a mini cake with chocolate chips is quite different from a crisp chocolate biscuit.
A pre-portioned snack can be handy for a packed lunch or a day out. Compare the weight per piece and check the ingredients and allergens on the current packaging.
If certain ingredients need to be avoided, the sugar figure isn’t the only thing to consider. The cakes, biscuits and bars reviewed here vary in their polyols and ingredients such as wheat, milk, egg, soya and peanuts.
A good fit if: chocolate chips and an individually portioned snack matter more to you than having a biscuit. Jumbo lists 0 g sugars per 28 g cake for Céréal Zonder Suikers Mini Cakes Stukjes Chocolade.
The trade-off: it’s a soft cake containing polyols, not a crisp biscuit; check the allergens too.
A good fit if: having a biscuit is your priority. Verkade San Francisco Zero is a crisp biscuit; Albert Heijn lists 1.7 g sugars per 100 g.
The trade-off: this biscuit contains no chocolate and includes maltitols. Albert Heijn’s product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
A good fit if: you specifically want the combination of chocolate and a biscuit, and reducing sugar isn’t a deciding factor.
The trade-off: Albert Heijn lists 35 g sugars per 100 g for AH Gesuikerde Biscuits pure chocolade; Lotus Bakeries lists 39.6 g per 100 g for Lotus Biscoff met chocolade. These options are therefore not suited to a choice focused primarily on reducing sugar.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who does this matter to? |
|---|---|---|
| Comparing sugars | Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g and per stated portion; don’t look at a claim on the front of the pack without checking the nutritional information too. | When choosing a chocolate-style holiday snack, I want to compare the sugar content rather than rely on the word ‘zero’ alone. Around 50% of consumers give this sugar comparison top priority. |
| Portions for on the go | Check the number of pieces, the weight per piece and the nutritional information per portion. | For a day out, I want to be able to decide in advance how much to take with me. Around 30% of consumers prioritise a clearly defined portion to take on the go. |
| Sweeteners and allergens | Check the current ingredients and allergen information and, for products containing polyols, any warning about excessive consumption. | If my child needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know what’s in the snack before packing it for them. Around 20% of consumers prioritise checking sweeteners and allergens. |
According to the Voedingscentrum, products with no added sugars may still contain sugars that occur naturally. The claim also doesn’t tell you the full nutritional story.
Compare the ‘of which sugars’ line and the rest of the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion.
Albert Heijn lists 35 g sugars per 100 g for AH Gesuikerde Biscuits pure chocolade. Lotus Bakeries lists 39.6 g per 100 g for Lotus Biscoff met chocolade.
Compare the nutrition tables and decide whether the biscuit texture and chocolate flavour matter more to you than choosing a lower-sugar option.
Verkade San Francisco Zero and AH Digestive 0% suiker contain polyols. For both products, Albert Heijn warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Read the warning on the packaging and decide in advance how much to give your child.
Ingredients vary between products: the Céréal mini cakes contain egg and wheat, the B’tween bar contains milk and peanuts, and Verkade San Francisco Zero contains milk and soya.
Check the current packaging before giving the snack to your child. The Voedingscentrum advises against experimenting with eliminating foods yourself if you suspect your child has a food intolerance or allergy.
The Mini Cakes Stukjes Chocolade are an individually portioned chocolate snack, but they’re not biscuits.
San Francisco Zero is a crisp biscuit with no added sugars, not a chocolate biscuit.
Zero Melkchocolade is a portion-sized muesli bar for anyone looking for a bar rather than a biscuit.
AH Digestive 0% suiker is a biscuit without chocolate, so it’s a different choice from a chocolate biscuit.
Lotus Biscoff met chocolade is included here as a classic chocolate biscuit for comparison, not as a lower-sugar option.
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, it may still contain sugars that occur naturally. So check ‘of which sugars’ in the nutrition table, both per 100 g and per portion.
No. A lower sugar content alone doesn’t tell you whether a biscuit is a suitable everyday choice. For children aged 4 to 12, the Voedingscentrum recommends fruit and vegetables as snacks and advises having no more than four eating or drinking occasions between meals.
The warning is related to the use of polyols such as maltitol. Albert Heijn includes it for Verkade San Francisco Zero and AH Digestive 0% suiker in relation to excessive consumption. Check the ingredients and don’t decide on portion size based on the sugar claim alone.
Don’t experiment with eliminating foods yourself; the Voedingscentrum recommends contacting your GP or child health clinic. Check the current allergen information on the packaging every time you buy the product.
