Choose a classic spritz biscuit if you’re after a crisp, buttery biscuit to enjoy with your morning coffee; the classic examples mentioned contain wheat and milk. A plain or wholemeal digestive may be a better fit if you prefer a crunchy wheat biscuit or want to compare nutritional values. Check the label for each variety: digestives aren’t automatically gluten-free, and a chocolate variety may contain different allergens from the plain version.
You’re looking for a crisp biscuit with a buttery flavour to enjoy with your coffee. Check the ingredients if wheat or milk is a concern for you: both are found in the Albert Heijn and Verkade spritz biscuits.
You want a crunchy biscuit and are comparing fibre, sugars, saturated fat and salt per 100 g across plain and wholemeal varieties. This lets you compare what’s in them without relying on the name ‘digestive’.
Start by checking the allergens and claims on the packaging. A lactose-free digestive may still contain wheat; even a product labelled gluten-free needs to be checked for other allergens.
First, choose between a crisp spritz biscuit and a crunchy digestive. Then compare the exact varieties by their ingredients, nutritional information and how much of an opened pack you’re likely to use.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is it important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and texture | Choose between a buttery, crisp spritz biscuit and a crunchy digestive; also consider plain or chocolate. | If you have a particular type of biscuit in mind for your morning coffee, prioritise flavour and texture. Around 31% of consumers give this preference top priority. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients and ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements for each variety; if avoiding gluten, look for an explicit gluten-free claim. | If you need to avoid an ingredient, the label will determine which biscuits are suitable. For around 31% of consumers, this ingredient requirement is the deciding factor. |
| Nutritional values | Compare fibre, sugars, saturated fat and salt per 100 g, and check the stated serving size. | If you enjoy a biscuit with coffee regularly, you may want to know how the nutritional composition differs from one biscuit to another. Around 23% of consumers prioritise nutritional values. |
| Packaging and storage | Check the pack size and number of servings, and follow the storage instructions once opened. | If you only have a biscuit now and then, you’ll want a pack that suits the way you use it. Packaging and storage matter most to around 15% of consumers. |
The plain digestives from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and McVitie’s mentioned here contain wheat. So the name of the biscuit doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable if you avoid gluten.
Look for an explicit gluten-free claim, then check the other allergens on the current packaging too. For example, the Schär Digestive Landtaler, which is labelled gluten-free, contains soya and may contain lupin and egg.
A larger pack isn’t necessarily a better choice if you only have a biscuit with your coffee now and then. Once opened, it’s also important to consider how you’ll store the rest.
Consider the pack size, number of servings and storage advice together, and seal the pack properly after opening.
A coating changes the ingredients and may introduce extra allergens. For example, Jumbo lists soya in Lunetta Spritsen with cocoa and icing.
Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional values again for each variety; don’t assume they’re the same as those of a plain biscuit.
Nobo Sprits Original is an example for anyone looking for a classic spritz biscuit to enjoy with coffee.
The range includes examples of butter spritz biscuits, as well as plain and wholemeal digestives.
Plain and wholemeal digestives, alongside a spritz biscuit with cocoa and icing, show the range of biscuit types available under the same own brand.
Digestives Original is an example for anyone looking for a plain digestive biscuit.
Digestive Landtaler is a digestive variety labelled gluten-free.
This milk chocolate variety is a good choice if you’re looking for a chocolate spritz biscuit to enjoy with coffee, but not if you specifically want a plain spritz biscuit or a digestive.
Image unavailable
For anyone looking for a spritz biscuit with milk chocolate to enjoy with coffee. The pack contains 150 g. This variety contains wheat, milk and soya; if you have allergies, also check the current packaging for any mention of nuts and sesame.
No, the name alone doesn’t indicate the nutritional value. Compare the nutritional information for the exact varieties per 100 g and per serving. Albert Heijn lists 6 g of fibre per 100 g for AH Digestive wholemeal; Verkade lists 1,1 g of fibre per 100 g for Nobo Sprits Original.
Albert Heijn labels AH Digestive as lactose-free and vegan. AH Spritsen and Verkade Nobo Sprits Original contain milk. Check the claims again on the packaging of the variety you buy.
The classic spritz biscuits and plain digestives mentioned contain wheat. If you need to avoid gluten, check that the specific variety is explicitly labelled gluten-free, and read the other allergen statements too.
Follow the storage advice on the packaging and seal the pack properly after opening. This is especially useful with a larger pack if you plan to enjoy the biscuits over several coffee breaks.
Check the ingredients, highlighted allergens, pack size, best-before date, any storage instructions and the nutritional information. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority points out that allergens must be clearly listed on the label.
