Choose individual packets if you want pre-portioned biscuits to take to a training session or pack in a lunchbox. A larger pack is a better choice if you want to portion the biscuits yourself at home to share or take with you later. Speculaas provides carbohydrates, but it isn’t a substitute for a food and drink plan for a long training session. Be sure to check the ingredients and allergens on the pack you buy, too.
For a training session, a day at work or a lunchbox, you’ll want to be able to pack a small amount without taking a large pack with you. Individually wrapped packets make this easier. For a long effort, though, the rest of your food and drink plan still matters.
You keep speculaas at home to share, then prepare a portion for each training session or lunchbox. If you choose a large pack, make sure you reseal it properly after opening.
A product name or a gluten-free label doesn’t tell you whether other allergens are present. So check the ingredients and allergen information on the pack every time you buy.
First decide whether you want biscuits that are ready to take with you or would rather portion them yourself at home. Then check the nutritional information for the amount you’ll eat, along with any ingredients that matter to you.
| What to consider | Check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portable portions | The number of individual packets and biscuits per packet; Lotus Biscoff XL 2P x 10 contains 10 packets, each with 2 biscuits. | If I want to pack a small portion before setting off, I don’t want to keep taking biscuits from an open pack. For around 33% of consumers, convenient portioning comes first. |
| Sharing and keeping a supply at home | The pack size, the number of stated portions and how to reseal the pack after opening. | At home, I want to be able to share biscuits and set some aside for a later run or lunchbox. For around 25% of consumers, this is the main reason for choosing a larger pack. |
| Nutrition for running | Carbohydrates in the amount you’ll actually eat; also check sugars and fat per 100 g or per portion. | For a long training session, I want to know how a portion fits into my food and drink plan and whether it suits me before a run. Around 25% of consumers put this consideration first. |
| Allergens | The ingredients, clearly listed allergens and any warnings on the pack you buy. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, a suitable label matters more than the packaging format. For around 17% of consumers, this is the deciding factor when buying. |
Biscuits can provide carbohydrates, but they won’t help you manage how much you drink or what else you eat during a long effort. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre discusses carbohydrate intake during prolonged endurance exercise as part of a broader plan.
Think of speculaas as a possible snack within that plan, and try your chosen portion during a regular training session—not for the first time on race day.
A 600 g pack may contain plenty of biscuits without wrapping them individually. If you want regular portions to take with you, you’ll need to portion them yourself.
Check how the biscuits are packed and, if needed, prepare portions at home in resealable containers or bags.
Gluten-free doesn’t mean a speculaas product is free from other allergens. Albert Heijn lists egg, soya, lupin and almond, among other allergens, in its individual gluten-free filled speculaas biscuit.
Check the ingredients, allergens and any warnings on the pack of the specific product you’re buying.
Worth considering if you want to compare a regular pack with the XL version containing individual packets.
A supermarket own-label range with baker’s speculaas for keeping at home and a separate gluten-free filled variety.
Offers both the Lotus Biscoff version with individual packets and its own baker’s speculaas for keeping at home.
An option to consider if you want to share a larger pack or portion the biscuits yourself.
A supermarket to consider for baker’s speculaas if you can check the product packaging.
These packs are suitable if you want speculaas to share at home or portion yourself. If you’re specifically looking for individual packets to take with you, check how the biscuits are packed.
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A 600 g pack for anyone who wants to portion the biscuits at home for several snack or lunchbox occasions.
Check how many biscuits are in the pack and whether they’re individually wrapped if you want to prepare regular portions to take with you. Read the nutritional information and allergen details on the pack.
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A 450 g pack for anyone who wants to share speculaas at home and, if they wish, prepare portions to take with them.
Check the number of biscuits and how they’re packed before relying on having regular portions to take with you. Read the nutritional information and allergen details on the pack.
Speculaas can be part of what you eat around a training session, but on its own it isn’t a plan for food and drink during prolonged exercise. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre notes that carbohydrate intake can be relevant during longer endurance exercise. Check the nutritional information per portion and try the amount during a training session.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends having a regular meal around two to three hours before exercise. If you want to eat speculaas closer to setting off, don’t try an unfamiliar amount for the first time just before an important run, and bear in mind what feels comfortable for you.
Check the ingredients and allergens on the pack of the specific variety. Lotus Biscoff XL and AH Baker’s Speculaas have different ingredients. Even a filled speculaas biscuit labelled gluten-free by Albert Heijn lists other allergens, including egg, soya, lupin and almond.
Reseal the speculaas properly after opening and follow the storage advice on the pack. Albert Heijn recommends keeping its baker’s speculaas in a sealed tin; Jumbo advises storing its variety in a cool, dry place.
