If sugar-free is a strict requirement for your Mother’s Day breakfast, don’t choose regular De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes: Albert Heijn and Jumbo list 79 g of sugars per 100 g, while the Netherlands Nutrition Centre defines ‘sugar-free’ as no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. Making your own sprinkles with erythritol and aniseed is one option, but whether you can call them sugar-free depends on the ingredients and the nutritional value of the finished product. Choose the regular version only if sugar-free isn’t a requirement.
If you want aniseed sprinkles for breakfast or baking that you can call sugar-free, the nutritional value of the finished product is what matters. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre defines sugar-free as no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g.
If you’re mainly after that familiar aniseed flavour on crispbread, bread or baked goods, you could consider regular crushed aniseed sprinkles. The De Ruijter version listed by Albert Heijn and Jumbo isn’t suitable if you need a sugar-free option.
If you also check for allergens or the sweetener used, read the packaging of every product you choose. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list wheat and cereals containing gluten in regular De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes.
When: You want ready-to-use aniseed sprinkles for Mother’s Day breakfast and don’t need them to be sugar-free.
The trade-off: According to Albert Heijn and Jumbo, De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes contain 79 g of sugars per 100 g; both retailers also list wheat and cereals containing gluten.
When: You want to make your own sprinkles using aniseed and a sugar substitute.
The trade-off: A recipe from Meukvrij met Monique uses erythritol and aniseed, but it doesn’t prove that your finished product meets the sugar-free limit.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free status | Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g for the finished product. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre sets the sugar-free limit at no more than 0.5 g per 100 g. | For my Mother’s Day breakfast, I only want to use sprinkles that are demonstrably sugar-free. Around 46% of consumers put that certainty first. |
| Tradition and convenience | Check whether the sprinkles are ready to use with your chosen dish and whether the regular sugar content is acceptable to you. | For brunch, I want to serve that familiar aniseed flavour on crispbread straight away, as long as sugar-free isn’t a requirement. Tradition and convenience matter most to around 36% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the allergen information and sweeteners used on the packaging; if the product contains polyols, check for any warnings too. | If I need to avoid wheat or gluten and am considering an alternative sweetened with a sugar substitute, I want to know exactly what’s in it. Around 18% of consumers put checking ingredients first. |
Those claims alone don’t mean the finished product meets the sugar-free limit. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre sets this at no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml.
Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure in the nutrition table for the product you want to use.
According to Albert Heijn and Jumbo, De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes contain 79 g of sugars per 100 g. Even a small portion doesn’t make the product sugar-free.
Choose this version only if sugar-free isn’t a requirement. If you want to make an alternative yourself, check the ingredients and the finished product before calling it sugar-free.
For the regular De Ruijter version, Albert Heijn and Jumbo list wheat and cereals containing gluten. A sugar substitute tells you nothing about the allergens in another ingredient.
Before buying, check the allergen information on the current packaging of every product you use.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, foods with more than 10% added polyols carry a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
If you’re choosing an alternative containing polyols, check the ingredients and any warnings on the packaging before serving it.
De Ruijter is the maker of the regular crushed aniseed sprinkles mentioned here. Albert Heijn and Jumbo are retailers whose product information can help you compare ingredients and nutritional values.
The brand behind the regular Gestampte Muisjes listed by Albert Heijn and Jumbo.
A retailer with product information about De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes, not a separate sugar-free version.
A retailer with product information about the same regular De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a sugar-free product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml. Check the nutrition table for the finished product: ‘light’ or ‘with sweetener’ doesn’t automatically mean sugar-free.
No. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list 79 g of sugars per 100 g for De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes; Jumbo also lists 4.7 g of sugars per 6 g serving.
You can make your own sprinkles with erythritol and aniseed, as described in a recipe from Meukvrij met Monique, but the recipe doesn’t prove that your finished product is sugar-free. Check the labels on the ingredients, and only call the result sugar-free if the sugar content of the finished product falls within the limit set by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
Read the ingredients and any warnings on the packaging. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, foods with more than 10% added polyols carry a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
The regular De Ruijter Gestampte Muisjes listed by Albert Heijn and Jumbo contain wheat and cereals containing gluten. Check the current allergen information on the packaging before buying.
