If you want to keep sugar as low as possible while watching the match, compare biscuits by their sugar content per 100 g. ‘Less sugar’ means a reduction compared with a reference product, not that the biscuit contains hardly any sugar. Then choose a type of biscuit and portion that suit your match-night gathering, and check the nutritional information, ingredients and allergens too: a zero-sugar biscuit can still contain fat and calories, and may use polyols.
You’re looking for a biscuit with as little sugar as possible per 100 g, and you don’t mind sweeteners or polyols. Compare the nutrition tables rather than relying on the sugar claim on the front of the pack. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing products per 100 g.
You want a familiar fruit biscuit or syrup waffle to share, but with less sugar than the standard version mentioned. Look at both the type of biscuit and how much sugar remains after the reduction.
You pay extra attention to ingredients, allergens, polyols or portion size when sharing snacks. A sugar claim won’t tell you whether a biscuit is suitable for someone with an allergy, so check the packaging of the product you choose.
First decide whether your priority is a low sugar content per 100 g, a biscuit with less sugar than its standard version, or avoiding added sugars. These claims answer different questions. Then choose based on the type of biscuit, portion size and ingredients.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars per 100 g | When comparing similar biscuits, check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g and read exactly what the sugar claim means. | If I want to limit sugar as much as possible, the final amount tells me more than a percentage reduction. Around 33% of consumers put a low sugar content first. |
| Type and flavour of biscuit | First choose between options such as a fruit biscuit, syrup waffle or speculoos; for ‘less sugar’ claims, check which reference product is named. | If I’m putting out a plate of familiar biscuits, I want to stick with that type even if it doesn’t have the lowest sugar content. Around 20% of consumers put this flavour preference first. |
| Portions to share | Check the number of biscuits, the weight per portion and whether they are individually wrapped. | If I’m sharing biscuits with other viewers, I want to decide in advance how many to put out. Portion control comes first for around 27% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information, and look out for warnings on the packaging if the product contains polyols. | If a guest needs to avoid an allergen or I want to keep an eye on polyols, I can’t rely on the word ‘zero’. For around 20% of consumers, checking the ingredients is the top priority. |
Albert Heijn lists 0.3 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Digestive 0% suiker, compared with 23 g per 100 g for its roomboterstroopwafels met minder suiker. This shows why the amount per 100 g tells you something different from the claim alone. Then compare this with the portion you actually plan to serve.
A reduction is measured against a reference product. According to Albert Heijn’s product information, both Sultana Fruitbiscuit aardbei met minder suiker and AH Roomboter minder suiker stroopwafels still contain 23 g of sugars per 100 g.
If your main aim is a low absolute sugar content, compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g.
A low sugar content alone tells you nothing about the rest of the nutritional information. Albert Heijn lists 465 kcal and 20 g of fat per 100 g for AH Digestive 0% suiker.
Alongside sugars, check the energy, fat and portion size on the label.
Sugar-conscious biscuits may contain polyols such as maltitol. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect in products containing more than 10% added polyols.
Check the ingredients and any warning on the packaging, especially if you’re planning to put out several types of biscuit.
A changed sugar content tells you nothing about whether a biscuit contains ingredients such as wheat, milk, soya or nuts; this varies from one biscuit to another.
If a guest has an allergy, ask them to check the current packaging for the specific product before you share the biscuits.
These examples show different types of biscuit and sugar claims. The features mentioned apply to the specific products, not to a brand’s entire range.
The own-brand products in the information provided include both a digestive biscuit with 0% sugar and roomboterstroopwafels with less sugar.
Chocolate chip cookie and Speculoos met amandelstukjes are examples for anyone mainly looking to compare the sugar content of biscuits.
San Francisco zero is a tea biscuit for anyone looking for a different type of biscuit from a chocolate chip cookie or syrup waffle.
Fruitbiscuit aardbei met minder suiker is an option if you specifically want to share fruit biscuits in individual portions.
Standard Biscoff Speculoos can serve as a flavour reference if you want to put speculoos on the table.
No, the claim compares a product with a reference product. To check how much sugar the biscuit contains, look at the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g, and check the energy separately in the nutrition table.
No, a product with no added sugars may still contain sugars. As an example outside the biscuit category, Albert Heijn’s product information lists 4.9 g of sugars per 100 g for Peijnenburg Ontbijtkoek naturel zonder toegevoegde suikers. So always compare biscuits using their own nutrition table.
This warning may be linked to added polyols. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, products containing more than 10% added polyols carry a warning about a possible laxative effect if consumed excessively. Check the ingredients and packaging of the specific biscuit.
First compare the nutrition information per 100 g, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Then check the weight of the portion you plan to put out for the match, so you’re not relying only on a portion size chosen by the manufacturer.
No, a sugar claim doesn’t tell you which allergens a biscuit contains. If you have an allergy, check the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact version you plan to share.
