People who count carbohydrates
You want to know how many carbohydrates you’ll get from the amount you eat. Diabetes.nl explains that carbohydrates raise blood glucose, so both the figure per 100 g and your portion size are relevant.
Who might find these considerations relevant?
People looking to cut down on sugar
You’re looking for a sweet snack with less sugar, but don’t want to confuse a comparative claim with ‘sugar-free’ or a low carbohydrate content.
People who check for sweeteners
You’re considering a product containing polyols, such as maltitol or sorbitol, and want to take the ingredients and your own tolerance into account. Diabetes.nl says that sweeteners whose names end in ‘-ol’ can cause diarrhoea.
What should you look for when choosing?
Compare biscuits with biscuits, and keep ontbijtkoek (Dutch spiced breakfast cake) or mini cakes in a separate product category. Use the nutritional values per 100 g to make comparisons, and the amount you actually eat to assess your snack.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrates per eating occasion | Check the carbohydrates per 100 g and work out how much they amount to in the portion you eat. | If I want to fit a biscuit into an eating occasion, I want to know how many carbohydrates are in the amount I’ve chosen. This would be the main question when buying for around 36% of consumers. |
| Sugar content | Read the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g and check what ‘less sugar’ is being compared with. | I’m mainly looking for less sugar than in a similar standard snack, without mistaking the claim on the front for a nutritional value. Around 29% of consumers would want to find this out first. |
| Sweeteners and tolerance | Check the ingredients for polyols, such as maltitol and sorbitol. | When choosing a sugar-free product, I want to know which sweeteners it contains and whether I tolerate them well. This would be the main consideration for around 21% of consumers. |
| Portion and product type | Check the weight of each piece and whether the nutritional values are given per piece or only per 100 g. | When I’m out and about, I want to be able to decide in advance how much of a biscuit, bar or mini cake I’ll eat. Around 14% of consumers would focus mainly on portion size. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘less sugar’ means low in carbohydrates
Diabetes.nl points out that carbohydrates raise blood glucose. A product containing less sugar doesn’t tell you how many carbohydrates are in the amount you eat.
First compare the carbohydrates per 100 g, then work out the amount in your portion. Check the sugar content separately too.
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Reading ‘no added sugars’ as ‘sugar-free’
According to Diabetes.nl, a product with no added sugars can still contain sugars from its ingredients.
Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure in the nutritional information and read the ingredients list, even if there’s a sugar claim on the front.
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Overlooking sweeteners in sugar-free products
A sugar-free product may contain polyols. Diabetes.nl says that sweeteners whose names end in ‘-ol’ can cause diarrhoea.
Read the ingredients and, where the information is available, check the amount of polyols before choosing your portion.
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Relying on an old label
Albert Heijn warns that ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change.
Check the packaging again when you buy a product, especially if you’re keeping an eye on carbohydrates or allergens.
Brands to use as a guide
Céréal
Mini Cakes Chocolate Pieces are soft cakes made with sweeteners, not crunchy biscuits.
- Jumbo’s product information lists 0 g sugars and 33 g polyols per 100 g for these mini cakes.
- The ingredients and how well you tolerate polyols still matter; the sugar figure alone doesn’t tell you the whole nutritional story.
Jumbo
Jumbo Ontbijtkoek Minder Suiker is a Dutch spiced breakfast cake bar, not a traditional biscuit.
- Jumbo says it contains 30% less sugar than its plain ontbijtkoek bar.
- The same product information lists 22,7 g sugars and 52,2 g carbohydrates per 100 g. So the sugar comparison doesn’t tell you how many carbohydrates are in your portion.
ALDI
ALDI lists Gesneden ontbijtkoek zero among its snacks.
- The listed pack contains 485 g of sliced ontbijtkoek.
- To understand what ‘zero’ means, check the current ingredients and nutritional information on the packaging.
Lotus Biscoff
Lotus Biscoff Original Speculoos is a standard speculoos biscuit for comparison, not a biscuit marketed as lower in sugar.
- Lotus Bakeries Nederland lists 72,6 g carbohydrates and 38,1 g sugars per 100 g, so you can compare these speculoos biscuits with other biscuits.
- A smaller portion doesn’t change the nutritional values per 100 g. Work out what’s in the amount you eat.
Biscuits and biscuit-style snacks on Joybuy
This selection includes an oat biscuit, cookie bars and a ontbijtkoek-style snack. When comparing them, consider the product type and check sugar claims and nutritional values on the current packaging.
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Panpan Sugar-Free Oat Biscuits 216 g
A biscuit for anyone looking for a biscuit-style snack and wanting to compare sugar and carbohydrates.
The ‘Sugar-Free’ label conflicts with the listed sugar value. Check the current packaging before relying on this claim, and look at the ingredients and nutritional values for the amount you eat.
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g'woon Cookie Bars Less Sugar, 6 pieces
Cookie bars for anyone who wants to take an individually wrapped piece along as a snack.
‘Less Sugar’ is a comparative claim, so check what it’s being compared with. Also check the weight of each bar on the packaging so you can work out the nutritional values for your snack.
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Snelle Jelle Breakfast Cake Less Sugar-Free 250 g
An ontbijtkoek-style snack for anyone who’d rather have a bar than a crunchy biscuit.
The sugar claims and the basis for the listed nutritional values aren’t clear. Before working out what’s in the amount you eat, check which values on the packaging are per 100 g and which are per bar.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘less sugar’ mean low in carbohydrates?
No. Jumbo lists 22,7 g sugars and 52,2 g carbohydrates per 100 g for its Ontbijtkoek Minder Suiker. So compare both values and work out how many carbohydrates are in the amount you eat.
Can a product with no added sugars still contain sugar?
It can. According to Diabetes.nl, sugars from ingredients may still be present when no sugars have been added. The ‘of which sugars’ line shows how much sugar the product contains according to its nutritional information.
What should I look for in biscuits containing maltitol?
As well as the sugar value, check the carbohydrates, ingredients and any listed amount of polyols. Diabetes.nl says that sweeteners whose names end in ‘-ol’ can cause diarrhoea, so how well you tolerate them is a separate consideration.
Should I check allergens if I’m mainly watching my sugar intake?
Yes, if allergens are relevant to you. A sugar claim tells you nothing about the allergens in a biscuit or biscuit-style snack. Check the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging.