Cinema-goer looking to cut down on sugar
You’re looking for a speculaas biscuit to enjoy during the film and want to check the sugar claim on the front against the nutritional information, ingredients and amount you plan to take with you.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Portion planner who prefers to avoid sweeteners
You want a small treat for one film, but would rather choose regular speculaas than biscuits containing polyols. In that case, deciding in advance how many biscuits to take matters more than choosing the product with the lowest sugar figure on the label.
Consumer who needs a gluten-free option
You need a product that is clearly labelled gluten-free, and also check the sugars and other allergens on the packaging separately.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide which requirement matters most for your cinema snack. Then compare the nutritional information per 100 g and for the amount of biscuits you plan to take with you.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g and for your planned portion; also check which sweeteners have been used. | If I specifically want less sugar, I choose based on the nutritional information rather than the front of the pack alone. This sugar content is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Portion and energy | Decide how many biscuits you’ll take and compare the energy in kcal per 100 g and per portion. | I don’t want to eat a whole pack without realising during a long film. A measured snack portion is the top priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Polyols and allergens | Read the ingredients, warnings and allergen information; if you’re choosing low-sugar biscuits, check for polyols too. | I want to know whether a biscuit’s sweeteners and ingredients suit my needs. This check matters most to around 21% of consumers. |
| Gluten-free | Check the gluten-free label and allergen information, then compare the sugars separately. | If I need to avoid gluten, finding suitable gluten-free speculaas comes before comparing sugar levels. This is the main requirement for around 14% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Looking only at the sugar figure
A low sugar figure doesn’t tell you how much energy a biscuit provides. Dieetwebshop’s product information lists 0 g of sugars and 475 kcal per 100 g for Céréal Speculoos with almond; Lowcarbcenter lists 0.3 g of sugars and 351 kcal per 100 g for Rabeko Zero Speculoos.
Compare sugars and energy on the same basis, both per 100 g and for the amount you plan to eat during the film.
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Overlooking the warning about polyols
Dieetwebshop and Lowcarbcenter’s product information warns that excessive consumption of Céréal Speculoos and Rabeko Zero Speculoos respectively may have a laxative effect.
Check the warning and ingredients on the current packaging. If you’d rather avoid polyols, you could also consider a pre-measured portion of regular speculaas.
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Assuming gluten-free means low in sugar
Jumbo lists 26.9 g of sugars per 100 g for Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas. Gluten-free and lower sugar are separate selection criteria.
First check that the product meets your gluten-free requirements, then compare the nutritional information.
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Treating the whole pack as one snack
Several biscuits contain more sugar in total than a single biscuit. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives an average of 4.7 g of sugar for a large 15 g biscuit and notes that values vary by brand.
Before the film, decide how many biscuits you plan to eat and check the nutritional information for that amount of your chosen product.
Relevant brands to consider
Céréal
Céréal Speculoos with almond is an option to compare if a low sugar figure is your priority.
- Dieetwebshop’s product information lists 0 g of sugars per 100 g.
- The same information lists 29 g of polyols and 475 kcal per 100 g, several allergens and a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Rabeko
Rabeko Zero Speculoos is another speculoos option that lets you compare sugars and polyols side by side.
- Lowcarbcenter lists 0.3 g of sugars per 100 g for Zero Speculoos.
- The same product information lists 30.9 g of polyols and 351 kcal per 100 g, wheat and egg, plus a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten
The 125 g speculaas in this range is worth considering if gluten-free is your main requirement when buying.
- Jumbo lists the Crossed Grain trademark for this product.
- Jumbo also lists 26.9 g of sugars per 100 g and egg as an allergen; check the packaging for any additional allergen information.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Biscoff is a regular speculoos option to consider as a portioned biscuit snack, not as an automatically low-sugar speculaas.
- Albert Heijn lists a Biscoff Speculoos snack pack, among other products.
- If you’re watching your sugar intake, check the nutritional information and portion weight on the pack you buy.
Related products on Joybuy
Related products will appear soon.
Frequently asked questions
Does low sugar also mean low in energy?
No, you need to compare these figures separately. Dieetwebshop’s product information lists 0 g of sugars and 475 kcal per 100 g for Céréal Speculoos with almond; Lowcarbcenter lists 0.3 g of sugars and 351 kcal per 100 g for Rabeko Zero Speculoos. Also consider how much energy the portion you plan to eat will add to your total.
What does the warning about a laxative effect mean?
Excessive consumption may have a laxative effect, according to Dieetwebshop’s product information for Céréal Speculoos and Lowcarbcenter’s information for Rabeko Zero Speculoos. Both products contain polyols; check the warning on the current packaging when deciding how much to take with you.
Is low-sugar speculaas also gluten-free?
Not necessarily: the Céréal and Rabeko biscuits mentioned contain wheat. Jumbo, by contrast, lists a gluten-free certification for Lekker Vrij van Gluten Speculaas, but also 26.9 g of sugars per 100 g. Check gluten-free status and sugar levels separately for the product you want to buy.