Choose speculaas with dark chocolate after exercise if you’re mainly after a small treat and will also be eating a proper meal. If you’re looking for a snack with a clearly stated protein content, compare speculaas-flavoured bars by protein per serving and check the allergens. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a regular main meal after exercise provides, among other things, carbohydrates and protein.
If you want to take a speculaas-flavoured bar with you after strength training, check the nutritional information per serving. Albert Heijn lists 29 g of protein per 100 g for Trek High Protein Lotus Biscoff; each bar weighs 55 g.
If spiced biscuits and chocolate flavour are what you’re after, speculaas with dark chocolate is a different choice from a speculaas-flavoured protein bar. Before buying, check the cocoa percentage if that matters to you, and see whether the product is available. Albert Heijn listed its Speculaas Met Pure Chocolade as no longer in its range.
If you’re having breakfast, lunch or dinner after exercise, speculaas can simply be a treat on the side. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends a regular main meal after exercise to provide, among other things, carbohydrates and protein.
First decide whether you’re mainly looking for protein in a snack to take with you, fancy speculaas with dark chocolate, or are about to eat a meal. Then compare the serving size and nutritional information of products that suit your choice.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Protein in a snack to take with you | Check the protein content per serving and the allergens on the packaging. | If I’m on the go after strength training and want a compact snack with protein, what one bar actually contains matters to me. This is the top priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Dark chocolate flavour | Check the type of chocolate, any stated cocoa percentage and current availability. | I’m mainly looking for spiced speculaas with dark chocolate. If I want a high cocoa content, I want to be able to check that on the packaging. This flavour preference matters most to around 30% of consumers. |
| A treat alongside a meal | Check the serving size and compare the nutritional information for similar biscuits. | When I’m having a regular meal after exercise, I choose speculaas mainly for the taste and pay attention to how much I eat. This treat is the main reason for choosing it for around 20% of consumers. |
A reference to dark chocolate doesn’t tell you how much cocoa the chocolate contains. For example, Aerts Speculaas lists 40% chocolate as an ingredient; that isn’t the same as 40% cocoa.
If the cocoa percentage is crucial to your choice, look for it on the packaging or product page.
A biscuit with dark chocolate won’t automatically replace the meal you want to eat after exercise. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends a regular main meal to provide, among other things, carbohydrates and protein.
Choose speculaas as a treat if you’ve already got your meal sorted. If you’re specifically looking for protein in a snack, compare the protein content per serving.
A bar may weigh less than 100 g. The Trek High Protein Lotus Biscoff bar listed by Albert Heijn weighs 55 g and contains 29 g of protein per 100 g: that works out at around 16 g per bar.
Use the serving size on the label when comparing two snacks.
Albert Heijn lists both its own speculaas with dark chocolate and separate protein bars in its range.
Trek makes a High Protein Lotus Biscoff bar with speculoos spread and a chocolate-flavoured coating.
Lotus Biscoff is relevant here as the flavour of the Trek bar in question and as a separate speculoos product.
Aerts Speculaas describes its product as a traditional speculaas biscuit with dark chocolate.
Hellema includes baker’s speculaas in its biscuit range.
Yes, if you’re mainly after a treat, but don’t consider the biscuit a meal replacement. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends a regular main meal after exercise as a source of, among other things, carbohydrates and protein.
First, compare what you’re looking for: the taste of a biscuit or a snack with a stated protein content. Then check the serving size, nutritional information, ingredients and allergens for each product. Only compare Nutri-Scores between similar products, and don’t use the score to judge your post-exercise meal.
No. The term ‘dark chocolate’ alone doesn’t indicate a particular cocoa percentage. Aerts Speculaas lists 40% chocolate as an ingredient, not 40% cocoa. Check the cocoa percentage separately if that’s what you want to base your choice on.
According to the product information at Albert Heijn, this bar contains soya, wheat and cereals containing gluten, and may contain peanuts, nuts, milk and sesame. When you buy it, check the packaging of the specific bar you choose.
On the product page consulted, Albert Heijn showed this variety as no longer in its range. Check its current product status before assuming you can buy this particular speculaas; a similarly named biscuit may have different ingredients.
