Breakfast label-readers
You want a biscuit with your coffee, tea or yoghurt, and compare sugar, saturated fat and fibre per 100 g before choosing between a digestive and speculaas.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Fans of classic speculaas
You’re looking for a crisp, spiced biscuit for the weekend, and also want to know how many biscuits you’ll get in a pack. Nutritional values can vary between varieties.
Sharing a weekend treat
You’re considering filled speculaas with almond paste for a more indulgent breakfast or coffee break. The filling and allergens in your chosen variety deserve extra attention.
What should you consider when choosing?
First decide whether you want a digestive, a classic spiced biscuit or filled speculaas. Then compare the labels of the products you’re actually considering.
Digestive
A good choice if: you’re looking for a biscuit and want to compare the nutritional values of specific products.
Bear in mind: the name digestive doesn’t, in itself, tell you anything about the nutritional values or allergens of another variety.
Classic speculaas or speculoos
A good choice if: you’re mainly after a spiced, crisp biscuit for the weekend.
Bear in mind: baker’s speculaas and speculoos aren’t automatically the same product. Check the contents and ingredients of the pack you choose.
Filled speculaas
A good choice if: you’d prefer a biscuit with almond paste to share during a more leisurely weekend treat.
Bear in mind: the filling changes the ingredients and may introduce additional allergens.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar, saturated fat and fibre | Compare the same nutritional values per 100 g on the labels of the exact products. For AH Digestive, Albert Heijn lists 16 g of sugars, 1.8 g of saturated fat and 3.2 g of fibre per 100 g; for AH Bakkers speculaas, the figures are 33 g, 8.7 g and 1.5 g respectively. | When choosing between these biscuits, I want to know how their nutritional values compare on the same basis. Around 42% of consumers put this label comparison first. |
| Flavour, texture and packaging | Decide whether you want baker’s speculaas, speculoos or a filled variety. Check the pack weight and, where stated, the number of biscuits. | For a well-stocked biscuit tin, I’d rather have a spiced, crisp biscuit in a quantity that suits my weekend plans. Around 33% of consumers put this preference first. |
| Allergens and ingredients | Read the ingredients list, allergen information and any warnings on the current packaging. Assess filled varieties separately. | When ingredients determine my choice, I want to know exactly what’s in this variety before buying it. This is the first consideration for around 25% of consumers. |
Common mistakes when choosing biscuits
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Assuming the name digestive is a nutritional claim
AH Digestive has different nutritional values from AH Bakkers speculaas, but this comparison applies only to these two products.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g for the varieties you’re considering, including sugars, saturated fat, fibre and salt.
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Confusing vegan or lactose-free with gluten-free
The AH Digestive described is labelled vegan and lactose-free, but contains wheat. So this kind of label doesn’t answer every question about allergens.
Check the ingredients, allergens and warnings on the packaging of the exact product.
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Treating filled speculaas as ordinary speculaas
Butter speculaas filled with almond paste has different ingredients from unfilled baker’s speculaas. For the filled variety described, Jumbo lists milk, egg, wheat, almond and soya, among other ingredients.
Check the filling and allergen information for the variety you choose rather than relying on the name speculaas alone.
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Assuming a product page confirms availability
A biscuit described on a product page won’t necessarily be available through every sales channel. For example, Lidl says the baker’s speculaas described is sold in store.
Before doing your weekend shop, check current availability at the store where you plan to buy it.
Brands and supermarket own-label options
Lotus Biscoff
Speculoos for anyone looking for a spiced biscuit with a caramelised flavour.
- Lotus Bakeries describes Biscoff as crisp and caramelised; this is the brand’s description of its flavour.
- Check the packaging of your chosen variety for nutritional values and allergen information.
Albert Heijn (AH huismerk)
AH Digestive and AH Bakkers speculaas give you two specific labels to compare.
- Albert Heijn lists the sugars, saturated fat and fibre values per 100 g for both products.
- The differences between these two products don’t automatically apply to other digestives or speculaas varieties.
Jumbo
A useful point of comparison for classic baker’s speculaas and filled butter speculaas.
- For the Echte Bakkers Speculaas described, Jumbo lists a 450 g pack and wheat as an allergen.
- This baker’s speculaas may contain nuts. For filled varieties, check the ingredients, allergens and current availability separately.
Biscotto (ALDI)
Baker’s speculaas as a supermarket own-label option if you’re looking for a larger pack.
- ALDI describes Biscotto Bakkersspeculaas as a 600 g pack containing 48 biscuits.
- Check the packaging if nutritional values or allergens are important to your choice.
Lidl
An in-store option for baker’s speculaas in a 600 g pack.
- Lidl describes its baker’s speculaas as crisp speculaas biscuits.
- Check the current packaging in store for ingredients, nutritional values and allergens.
Digestives and speculoos at Joybuy
These two biscuits show the choice between a digestive and a spiced speculoos variety. Compare their labels separately if nutritional values or ingredients are important to your decision.
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McVities Digestive Original, 400 g
A digestive to compare with speculaas if you’d prefer this type of biscuit for your weekend breakfast.
400 g pack. When checking the ingredients, bear in mind that it contains wheat and cereals containing gluten; it may also contain milk. If you have an allergy, read the current packaging.
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Lotus Biscoff Speculoos Cookie, 250 g
A speculoos biscuit for anyone looking for something spiced with their weekend breakfast, rather than a digestive or filled speculaas.
250 g pack. This variety contains wheat and soya; if you have an allergy, check the current packaging.
Frequently asked questions
Is a digestive always a better choice than speculaas?
No. The name digestive doesn’t tell you anything general about all brands and varieties. Per 100 g, Albert Heijn lists 16 g of sugars, 1.8 g of saturated fat and 3.2 g of fibre for AH Digestive, compared with 33 g, 8.7 g and 1.5 g for AH Bakkers speculaas. Compare the labels of the exact biscuits you’re considering.
Does vegan or lactose-free also mean gluten-free?
No. The AH Digestive described is labelled vegan and lactose-free, but contains wheat and may contain barley, oats and rye. For any dietary or allergen requirements, read the information on the current packaging of the exact product.
Where can I find allergen information for packaged biscuits?
Check the ingredients list and allergen information on the current packaging. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists 14 allergens that must be declared on the label; also check for any warnings relevant to your choice.
How should I store an opened pack of speculaas or digestives?
Follow the storage advice on the packaging you buy. The AH product pages described recommend storing the biscuits in a cool, dark and dry place, and keeping them in a sealed tin once opened. For the classic baker’s speculaas described, Jumbo advises resealing the packaging after opening.