For pupils who mainly want the taste of speculaas
A small treat alongside lunch matters more here than a bar with a specific nutritional profile. Bags containing a pre-portioned serving of biscuits are easy to take with you.
Which snack is right for you?
For pupils who grab something to take without any preparation
What matters is whether the packaging can go straight into a bag or lunchbox, and how many portions it contains. A multipack needs to be portioned differently.
For pupils who compare nutritional values
If you’re choosing a snack to meet a particular nutritional goal, look at the actual portion and nutritional information, not just the product name or a claim on the front of the pack.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you want to take biscuits or a bar. Then check the portion packaging, nutritional information and any ingredients that matter to the pupil.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is it important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and type of snack | Check whether you’re choosing biscuits, a filled snack or a bar with speculaas spices. | If I mainly want something with a familiar speculaas flavour alongside my lunch, it doesn’t have to be a bar. For around 36% of consumers, that flavour comes first. |
| Taking it with you and portion sizes | Check how many portions the pack contains and how much you’ll take for one lunch. | A snack needs to go straight into my school bag without any preparation. Around 29% of consumers are expected to put this convenience first. |
| Portion size and nutritional values | Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion, including protein, fibre, sugars and saturated fat. | If I choose a bar for its nutritional values, I want to know what’s in the portion I’m taking with me. For around 28% of consumers, this is the main consideration. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients list and check for any statements about the possible presence of allergens. | If I have an allergy, I need to be able to check whether the product is suitable before choosing it for its flavour. For around 7% of consumers, this check matters most. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming biscuits and bars are the same portion size
According to Albert Heijn, the Lotus Biscoff Snack Pack contains eight bags, each with two biscuits. The Holie's Crunchy bar pack examined contains two 20 g bars. So a bag of biscuits and a bar aren’t automatically comparable portions to take with you.
Check the number of pieces and the weight per portion before deciding what to put in the lunchbox.
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Relying on a nutritional claim alone
A focus on protein or fibre doesn’t tell you how much sugar, saturated fat or salt a portion contains.
Read the full nutritional information and compare both per 100 g and per portion. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends looking beyond claims on the front of the pack when choosing food to meet a nutritional goal.
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Guessing which allergens are present from the flavour name
The products examined list ingredients including cereals containing gluten, soya and almonds. Other allergens may be covered by a warning about their possible presence.
Check the current packaging every time you buy; don’t rely solely on the name or on a label you’ve read before.
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Mistaking a multipack for a single portion to take with you
The filled speculaas described by ALDI is sold as two 250 g packs, not as an individual bar for one lunch.
Choose this kind of pack only if you can take a suitable portion with you and store the rest.
Portioning it yourself may mean you need a separate storage container.
Brands compared
These examples show different types of snack. The features mentioned apply to the products described, not necessarily to every product from each brand.
Lotus Biscoff
The Speculoos Snack Pack is a biscuit option for anyone looking for the classic Biscoff flavour in a portioned pack to take with them.
- Albert Heijn describes a pack containing eight bags of two biscuits.
- It’s still a small biscuit treat, not a replacement for a full school lunch. If you have allergies, check the current ingredients list.
TREK
The Protein oat bars biscoff examined are oat bars with Biscoff flavour, not classic speculaas biscuits.
- Albert Heijn lists 20 g of protein per 100 g for this variety.
- Compare the other nutritional values and the portion size too. The product information lists soya, oats and wheat, as well as warnings about the possible presence of other allergens.
Holie's
The Crunchy bar examined combines almonds with speculaas spices and comes in a pack of two bars.
- Albert Heijn lists two 20 g bars in this pack.
- This almond bar isn’t suitable for anyone who needs to avoid almonds. Check the other allergen information on the packaging too.
Bars for a school bag
These Joybuy products are almond bars with speculaas in the product name. They’re an option if you’re considering a bar as a lunch snack, but they aren’t classic bags of speculaas biscuits. Pay particular attention to the different pack sizes.
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Holie's Chewy Bar Almond Speculaas, 3 x 35 g
An option to consider if you’re looking for an almond and speculaas bar to take with you. The pack is labelled 3 x 35 g; check whether the bars are individually wrapped and, if you have allergies, read the current ingredients list.
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Holie's Chewy Bar Almond Speculaas, 11 pack x 3 bars
An option if you’re considering the same type of almond and speculaas bar in a larger pack. The product name states 11 pack x 3 bars; check the weight per bar, whether they’re individually wrapped and the allergen information before choosing a portion for school.
Frequently asked questions
Can a speculaas bar replace a school lunch?
No. Treat a speculaas snack as an addition, not as the whole lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends choosing school meals mainly from foods included in the Wheel of Five.
Should I compare nutritional values per bar or per 100 g?
Use both: per 100 g to compare products on the same basis, and per portion to see what you’ll actually be taking with you. Check the weight of the bar or bag too; the snack packs described differ in shape and contents.
Is a protein or fibre claim enough to help me choose?
No. Read the rest of the nutritional information too, and check the size of the portion you’ll take with you. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends not relying solely on a claim on the front of the pack.
How do I check allergens in a snack for school?
Read the current ingredients list and check the packaging for any warnings about the possible presence of allergens. Biscuits and bars with speculaas flavour can contain different ingredients, so the flavour name alone isn’t a reliable way to check.