For a late-night snack, don’t choose based on the word ‘mini’ alone. A stated serving size or a clear number of biscuits is only useful if you decide in advance how many you’ll have. Then compare similar biscuits by flavour, nutritional value and ingredients; a small size doesn’t tell you anything about what’s in them.
You want a small snack and to know in advance how many biscuits or how many grams to put in a bowl. A serving size on the label or a clear number of biscuits can help you choose, but the word ‘mini’ alone can’t.
Perhaps you’re after chocolate or speculoos in a small biscuit. Start by comparing the type of biscuit, then check whether you can measure or count out a suitable portion.
You want to check the sugars, saturated fat or ingredients before buying, or you need to take allergens into account. Check the current packaging for the specific variety: a flavour or brand name is no substitute for this information.
First, decide how you want to define your late-night snack. Then compare the flavour, nutritional information and ingredients of the same type of biscuit.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Portion chosen in advance | Look for a serving size in grams or a clear number of biscuits. Decide how many you’ll have before opening the packet. | If I want a late-night snack, I want to decide in advance how many biscuits I’ll have. For around 36% of consumers, setting a portion limit would be the first thing to consider. |
| Flavour and texture | Check whether it’s a crunchy cookie, speculoos biscuit or filled biscuit, for example; then decide how you’ll portion it. | For a small snack, I’m mainly looking for the flavour and texture I fancy. This would be the top priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Nutritional value | Compare energy, sugars, saturated fat and salt per 100 g, as well as for the amount you plan to have. | I want to know the nutritional values for the amount I’ve chosen, rather than judge by its small size. For around 29% of consumers, this comparison would be the main consideration. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen information on the current pack, including any ‘may contain’ statements. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, I want to check the variety I’ve chosen before eating it. This would be the first buying priority for around 14% of consumers. |
The word describes the size, not the nutritional value. Albert Heijn lists 38 g of sugars and 14 g of saturated fat per 100 g for AH Cookie bites choc chip.
Choose your portion in advance and check the values per 100 g as well as those for your planned portion.
A name such as chocolate or speculoos doesn’t tell you which allergens a particular variety contains. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority points to the allergen information on the label of pre-packed foods.
Check the ingredients, listed allergens and any information about allergens that may be present on the current pack.
Nutri-Score is designed to compare similar products. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, an A or B doesn’t automatically mean a product is healthy.
Only compare scores between similar biscuits, and also check the ingredients, nutritional value and the amount you plan to have.
A brand worth looking at if you’re after small speculoos biscuits or sandwich varieties. Jumbo lists three Lotus mini options, including vanilla and chocolate varieties.
AH Cookie bites choc chip are small chocolate biscuits. Albert Heijn lists a serving size of 3.5 g.
Jumbo Double Chocolate Mini's come in a 125 g pack. Jumbo lists five 25 g servings per pack.
Lidl lists Sondey Mini star biscuits in milk chocolate and white chocolate varieties, with 6 × 6 biscuits per pack.
ALDI lists a range of small biscuits under Biscotto, including 150 g packs of Mini biscuits and Mini-biscuits in packs of 6 × 6.
This chocolate biscuit is an option if you want to choose your own amount for a late-night snack. Check the biscuit size if you’re specifically looking for mini biscuits.
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If you want to decide on an amount in advance for a late-night snack, check how many biscuits you want to have at a time.
The pack contains 150 g of milk chocolate biscuits. Check that the size suits your preference for mini biscuits.
No, their size won’t automatically limit how much you eat. A stated serving size or number of biscuits can help if you decide in advance how many grams or biscuits you’ll have; for example, Jumbo lists 25 g per serving for Double Chocolate Mini's.
Compare the same type of biscuit per 100 g, and also calculate the values for the amount you plan to have. Look at energy, sugars, saturated fat and salt rather than relying on the word ‘mini’ alone.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, an A or B doesn’t automatically mean a product is healthy. Use Nutri-Score to compare similar products, and check the nutritional information too.
Read the label on the pack you’ve chosen. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that mandatory allergen labelling covers fourteen allergens; also check any information about allergens that may be present.
Use the product page to help you make your choice, but check the current pack before eating the biscuit. Albert Heijn says that ingredients, nutritional values and allergy information can change when products are updated.
