Choose chocolate sprinkles with fewer sugars per 100 g if you want to use them as a small topping. ‘Less sugar’ doesn’t mean sugar-free, and it doesn’t tell you everything about the snack as a whole. Compare similar sprinkles per 100 g and check the ingredients and allergens too, especially for varieties with sweeteners. For snacks, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends options such as fruit and wholemeal bread for children aged 4 to 12.
You don’t want to cut out chocolate sprinkles altogether, but you’re looking for a variety with fewer sugars listed. Look beyond the claim on the front of the pack and compare the nutritional information per 100 g.
You want to make room for chocolate sprinkles on bread or as a topping during the school holidays, without sweet toppings becoming the basis of every snack.
You keep an eye out for milk, soya, wheat or sweeteners. Ingredients and allergens can vary between chocolate sprinkle varieties, so always check the current packaging before you choose.
First decide whether the chocolate sprinkles will be a small addition to the snack. Then compare similar varieties using their nutritional information per 100 g, and check any ingredients that matter to your household.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars listed | Compare sugars and energy per 100 g in similar chocolate sprinkles. Check which ingredients have been used. | If I want to keep using chocolate sprinkles, I want to see which variety lists fewer sugars without treating that as a judgement on the snack as a whole. This sugar comparison comes first for around 36% of consumers. |
| What makes up the snack | Check whether the chocolate sprinkles are a topping and what forms the basis of the snack. | During the school holidays, I want to vary snack times rather than always making sweet toppings the starting point. This is the top priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current information on allergens, sweeteners, polyols and any warnings. | If a variety lists fewer sugars, I still want to know whether its ingredients suit our household. For around 21% of consumers, checking the ingredients comes before the sugar content. |
| Availability | Check whether your chosen variety is currently available and look at the pack size. | When I want to buy a particular type of chocolate sprinkles, I want to know whether I can get that exact variety. Availability matters most to around 14% of consumers. |
A claim compares a product with a reference variety; it doesn’t mean the chocolate sprinkles are sugar-free. According to Albert Heijn and Jumbo, the varieties from Venz and Jumbo described as having less sugar list between 42.6 and 48 g of sugars per 100 g.
Compare the nutritional information for similar varieties side by side, looking at both sugars and energy per 100 g.
Jumbo lists 14.5 g of sugars and 44 g of polyols per 100 g for Céréal Milk Chocolate Sprinkles. The variety contains maltitol; the product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
If a variety contains sweeteners, check the allergens, polyols and warnings on the packaging too.
A small topping is different from the basis of a snack. For children aged 4 to 12, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends snacks such as fruit, vegetables, unsalted nuts and wholemeal bread.
First decide what you want to offer as a snack, then decide whether a little chocolate sprinkle would work with it.
The Albert Heijn and Jumbo pages we reviewed said that some varieties with less sugar were no longer part of their online ranges. This doesn’t tell you whether the same products are available in a physical shop.
Check current availability and read the packaging again before relying on nutritional information you saw earlier.
These brands offer useful points of comparison between chocolate sprinkle varieties. The figures given apply to the specific products, not the brand as a whole.
Albert Heijn describes the milk and dark varieties reviewed as having 30% less sugar than the standard Venz varieties used as the reference.
Jumbo describes its Milk Chocolate Sprinkles with Less Sugar as containing at least 30% less sugar than Jumbo Milk Chocolate Sprinkles.
Céréal Milk Chocolate Sprinkles is a variety containing sugar and sweetener, for anyone mainly looking to compare the amount of sugars listed.
The Dark Chocolate Sprinkles described are a standard chocolate sprinkle variety to compare with products that claim to have reduced sugar.
ALDI Netherlands describes Kiekeboe Dark Chocolate Sprinkles as a 600 g pack of dark chocolate sprinkles made with Rainforest Alliance cocoa.
No. Albert Heijn lists 46 g of sugars per 100 g for Venz Dark Chocolate Sprinkles carrying this claim; Jumbo lists 42.6 g per 100 g for its milk variety with at least 30% less sugar. So check the nutritional information and see which standard variety the claim is comparing it with.
No, a lower sugar figure isn’t the only thing to consider. Jumbo lists 14.5 g of sugars and 44 g of polyols per 100 g for Céréal Milk Chocolate Sprinkles; the variety contains maltitol and carries a warning about excessive consumption. Check the ingredients, allergens and warnings on the current packaging.
If you like, use chocolate sprinkles as a small topping rather than making them the basis of the snack. For children aged 4 to 12, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends snacks such as fruit and wholemeal bread, and advises having no more than four eating or drinking occasions between meals.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging for the variety you’ve chosen. The Jumbo variety described says to store in a cool, dry, dark place; the Venz variety described says to store in a dry, cool place. Seal the pack tightly after opening and check the best-before date.
