Choose spritz biscuits if you’re looking to serve a classic, crumbly treat; choose a plain or wholemeal digestive if a wheat biscuit and its nutritional information are a better fit for what your guests are looking for. If you’re putting out a sharing plate, always check the allergens and any dietary requirements on the packaging: the name ‘digestive’ doesn’t tell you anything about these on its own.
You want to put out a plate that guests can help themselves to easily. Ask about dietary requirements in advance, and keep the packaging to hand so you can check the ingredients, wheat and milk content, and any warnings about the possible presence of allergens.
When comparing biscuits, you may want to look at factors such as wholemeal flour, fibre, saturated fat and sugars. Check the values per 100 g as well as the amount you’ll actually serve, rather than relying on the product name.
You’re mainly looking for a familiar, crumbly biscuit to enjoy during the game. Spritz biscuits could fit the bill, even if a checked wholemeal digestive comes out differently on specific nutritional values.
A good fit when: the group is expecting a classic, crumbly treat.
Bear in mind: Verkade NoboSprits Original contains wheat and milk ingredients; compare the nutritional values of these spritz biscuits with those of the digestive you’re considering.
A good fit when: you’re looking for a wheat biscuit and want to choose between plain and wholemeal varieties based on their ingredients and nutritional information.
Bear in mind: a standard digestive isn’t automatically gluten-free or vegan. A separate variety labelled gluten-free may still contain other allergens.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens and dietary requirements | Read the ingredients, allergens and warnings on the current packaging; if you need a gluten-free option, look for an explicit label. | If not all my guests can eat the same biscuits, I want to know which variety is suitable for each person and serve them separately if necessary. Around 31% of consumers give this check top priority. |
| Nutritional values | Compare fibre and saturated fat per 100 g; also check sugars and portion size. | I want to choose a biscuit based on its nutritional information, not just because it says ‘wholemeal’. For around 31% of consumers, this comparison comes first. |
| Classic biscuit flavour | Choose the type of biscuit you want and consider how many you’ll put out at a time. | For a treat, I value a familiar, crumbly spritz biscuit more than the differences in fibre content. This flavour preference comes first for around 23% of consumers. |
| Pack size | Check the pack weight and, if stated, the number of biscuits. | With several players, I want to be able to work out in advance whether I have enough biscuits for the plate. For around 15% of consumers, quantity is the first thing they consider. |
The varieties checked differ: McVitie's Digestives Original contains wheat and may contain milk; PLUS Digestive is labelled vegan but contains wheat. The gluten-free Schär variety contains milk and soya.
Ask what your guests need, and check the ingredients and allergens on the exact pack you’re serving. If necessary, keep a separate option apart from the sharing plate.
AH Digestive wholemeal lists 6 g of fibre per 100 g, but also 20 g of sugars and 1,15 g of salt per 100 g. One value doesn’t tell you everything about a biscuit’s nutritional information.
Compare the varieties per 100 g on the values that matter to you, then consider how many biscuits you want to serve.
If the game goes on for a while, it’s harder to keep an opened pack sealed. Albert Heijn recommends storing its Digestive in a sealed tin after opening.
Put out a smaller plate first, seal the rest of the pack and top up the plate as you go.
A relevant option for the classic spritz route, with NoboSprits Original.
Has own-brand digestives, including a wholemeal variety.
A relevant option if you’re considering a standard digestive.
ALDI own brand, with a 400 g pack of digestive biscuits.
Has an own-brand digestive; the separate Schär Digestive chocolate is a different product option.
This product suits anyone looking for a standard digestive to share during a board game night. If guests have dietary requirements, check the current packaging before putting biscuits for everyone on one plate.
Image unavailable
A standard digestive for anyone looking to put biscuits out during game night. The pack contains 400 g; check the ingredients and allergens if your guests have dietary requirements.
It depends on the two varieties you’re comparing. Albert Heijn lists 6 g of fibre and 1,6 g of saturated fat per 100 g for AH Digestive wholemeal; Verkade lists 1,1 g of fibre and 14,8 g of saturated fat per 100 g for NoboSprits Original. The AH variety also contains 20 g of sugars per 100 g, so check the full nutritional information.
Don’t assume so without checking the current packaging. The standard varieties mentioned here contain wheat or warn of the possible presence of other cereals containing gluten. Schär Digestive chocolate is labelled gluten-free, but contains milk and soya.
Read the ingredients and clearly marked allergens on the packaging of the biscuits you’re serving. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority describes the mandatory labelling of allergens; ask guests about their specific needs and keep the packaging available when you put out the plate.
Don’t open all the packs at once, and keep opened biscuits in a sealed container. Albert Heijn recommends storing its Digestive in a sealed tin after opening; you can top up the plate as you go.
