Weekly shopper stocking up
Wants to buy one pack of biscuits to enjoy on several occasions. Albert Heijn, Jumbo, PLUS and ALDI each list a 400 g pack of digestives; compare the pack size if you’re also considering spritz biscuits.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Spritz biscuit fan with a coffee
Is mainly looking for the crisp, crumbly texture of spritz biscuits to enjoy with coffee or tea, or when entertaining. Verkade and Albert Heijn describe the spritz biscuits included in this comparison as butter biscuits; also consider which pack size suits how you’ll use them.
Label checker
Wants to compare nutritional values or needs to take ingredients and allergens into account. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing nutritional values per 100 g; check the product label for allergen information.
What should you look for when choosing?
Decide whether pack size, nutritional information, the distinctive flavour of spritz biscuits or ingredient suitability matters most to you. Then compare the relevant products using their latest packaging.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Pack size for the week | Check the pack weight and think about how often you’ll want to eat the biscuits. | If several people are sharing the same pack, I want to make sure there’s enough to go round without having to open another pack in between. For around 38% of consumers, this is their top priority. |
| Nutritional information | Compare fibre, sugars, saturates and salt per 100 g. | I want to compare spritz and digestive biscuits without relying on the product name. Around 31% of consumers give this comparison their highest priority. |
| Spritz flavour and texture | Consider whether you’re looking for plain, butter or chocolate biscuits. | For coffee or when entertaining, I specifically want a crisp, crumbly biscuit, so flavour matters more to me than pack size. Around 23% of consumers put this preference first. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients, allergen information and any ‘gluten-free’ claim on the latest packaging. | If certain ingredients aren’t suitable for me, I need to know which product I can choose before thinking about flavour. For around 8% of consumers, this check is the most important condition when buying. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming the name ‘digestive’ tells you about its nutritional value
The name doesn’t tell you how much fibre, sugar or saturated fat a biscuit contains. Albert Heijn lists 6 g of fibre per 100 g for AH Digestive wholemeal; for the pack of McVitie's Digestives Original included in this comparison, Jumbo lists 3.7 g of fibre and 10.1 g of saturated fat per 100 g.
Compare similar biscuits per 100 g, focusing on the nutritional values that matter for your choice.
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Mistaking regular digestives for a gluten-free variety
The regular spritz and digestive biscuits included in this comparison contain wheat or gluten. Jumbo also lists milk, oats and soya in its separate gluten-free digestive with milk chocolate.
Look for an explicit ‘gluten-free’ claim if you need one, then read the full allergen information for the product you choose.
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Treating a chocolate variety as the same as a plain one
A chocolate coating changes the ingredients and nutritional profile. Verkade lists 15% milk chocolate and 29.3 g of sugars per 100 g for Nobo Sprits Melk; PLUS lists 26.9 g of sugars and 12.9 g of saturated fat per 100 g for Digestive Puur Fairtrade.
Compare the chocolate variety with the plain one you’re actually considering, including the nutritional information and allergens.
Brands compared
Verkade
Worth considering if you’re choosing Nobo Sprits plain or a milk chocolate variety.
- Albert Heijn lists 15 g of saturated fat per 100 g for Nobo Sprits plain, with wheat and milk as allergens.
- Verkade lists 15% milk chocolate and 29.3 g of sugars per 100 g for Nobo Sprits Melk; make sure you use the figures for the right variety.
Albert Heijn
The product information reviewed includes both a wholemeal digestive and butter spritz biscuits.
- AH Digestive wholemeal comes in a 400 g pack, with 6 g of fibre and 1.6 g of saturated fat per 100 g; Albert Heijn describes it as vegan and lactose-free.
- According to Albert Heijn, AH Spritsen contain 29% butter, so they aren’t a suitable alternative to those digestives if you want to avoid milk.
Jumbo
Offers a regular wholemeal digestive as well as a separate digestive labelled gluten-free.
- Jumbo Digestive Volkoren comes in a 400 g pack, with 5.8 g of fibre and 1.6 g of saturated fat per 100 g.
- The regular wholemeal digestive contains wheat and gluten. According to Jumbo, Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten Digestives Melkchocolade contains milk, oats and soya.
Sondey (Lidl)
Lidl describes Sondey as a brand offering a range of biscuits; the plain Digestives shown are a separate product option.
- Lidl lists plain Digestives in a 400 g pack.
- To compare ingredients, nutritional values and allergens, check the label on the pack you choose.
Biscotto (ALDI)
ALDI lists both regular digestives and spritz biscuits under its Biscotto brand.
- ALDI describes Biscotto Digestive Biscuits as a 400 g pack containing approximately 27 biscuits.
- Check in store which spritz variety is available; a spritz pack shown previously was part of a limited-time promotion.
PLUS
Worth considering for a standard own-brand digestive or a separate dark chocolate variety.
- PLUS Digestive biscuit comes in a 400 g pack; PLUS lists 3.3 g of fibre and 1.8 g of saturated fat per 100 g and describes the product as vegan.
- PLUS lists 26.9 g of sugars and 12.9 g of saturated fat per 100 g for Digestive Puur Fairtrade. Compare the two varieties separately.
Digestives at Joybuy
This is a regular digestive in a 400 g pack, ideal if you want to add biscuits to your weekly shop. Compare it separately with a wholemeal digestive or spritz biscuits if those are the qualities that matter to you.
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McVities Digestive Original 400 g
A 400 g pack of digestives for your weekly shop. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and check the ingredients and allergens on the latest packaging.
Frequently asked questions
Do digestives always contain more fibre than spritz biscuits?
No, you can’t tell from the product name. According to Albert Heijn, the AH Digestive wholemeal included in this comparison contains 6 g of fibre per 100 g, while Verkade Nobo Sprits plain is listed at 1.1 g per 100 g. Compare the figures for the specific packs you’re thinking of buying.
Can I choose regular spritz or digestive biscuits if I want to eat gluten-free?
Don’t choose based on the type of biscuit: the regular spritz and digestive biscuits included in this comparison contain wheat or gluten. Look for a product explicitly labelled gluten-free, then check the other ingredients and allergens on the latest packaging.
How should I store an opened pack of spritz or digestive biscuits?
Seal the pack tightly after opening and store the biscuits in a dry place. Product information from Verkade, Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS advises storing them in a dry place and sealing the pack tightly after opening.
Why should I check the label again when buying a familiar product?
The information on the pack you buy is the one that applies to its ingredients, allergens and nutritional values. Always check the label again, especially when choosing a different flavour or variety, even if you know the brand.