If sugar-free is a strict requirement for your Easter lunch, don’t choose ordinary Dutch chewy spiced biscuits without checking the nutrition information. Jumbo lists 38.8 g of sugars per 100 g for its packaged biscuits, PLUS lists 38.594 g for its mini biscuits, and Albert Heijn lists 29 g for the gluten-free Consenza version. The Diabetes Fund defines sugar-free as no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. Baking your own gives you control over the ingredients, but a recipe title doesn’t prove that the finished biscuits meet that limit.
You want to choose Dutch chewy spiced biscuits for your Easter lunch that meet the sugar-free limit. According to the Diabetes Fund, that means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g; a ‘no added sugars’ label alone isn’t enough.
You want to choose your own ingredients and portions, while keeping an eye on carbohydrates as well as sugars. A recipe’s name won’t tell you the nutritional value of the biscuits you bake.
Perhaps you’re looking for gluten-free biscuits for a guest and want to assess the sugar content separately. Albert Heijn’s gluten-free Consenza biscuits list 29 g of sugars per 100 g.
First decide whether sugar-free is an absolute requirement. Then compare the nutrition information per 100 g, any other dietary requirements and how much preparation you want to do for your Easter lunch.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly sugar-free | Compare the claim with the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. The Diabetes Fund defines sugar-free as no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. | If I only want to serve sugar-free biscuits, the sugar content must demonstrably meet that requirement. This would be the first consideration for around 33% of consumers. |
| Carbohydrates and portion size | Check the carbohydrates and sugars per 100 g, and decide on the portion size. | Anyone keeping an eye on carbohydrates will want to know what’s in the amount being served, not just whether it contains sugars. This would be the main consideration for around 25% of consumers. |
| Baking your own | Check the recipe ingredients and assess the nutritional value of the finished biscuits if sugar-free is a strict requirement. | If I want to choose the ingredients myself for lunch, I’ll weigh up that freedom against the preparation time. Making them from scratch would be the main consideration for around 25% of consumers. |
| Combining with a gluten-free diet | Check the gluten-free label and allergen information; assess the sugars separately. | If a guest eats gluten-free, I’ll first look for a suitable product without assuming that this also meets their sugar requirements. This combination would be the first concern for around 17% of consumers. |
A product with no added sugars may still contain sugars. The Diabetes Fund defines sugar-free as no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g.
If you have a strict requirement, always check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g.
Jumbo lists 38.8 g of sugars per 100 g for its packaged biscuits; PLUS’s mini biscuits list 38.594 g per 100 g. These products aren’t suitable if you need a strictly sugar-free option.
For any other product, check the current nutrition information again, even if the packaging looks like a familiar version.
Albert Heijn’s gluten-free Consenza biscuits list 29 g of sugars per 100 g. So the gluten-free label doesn’t answer the question about sugar content.
Check the allergen information and sugar content separately for your guests.
PLUS lists its biscuits as part of its St Nicholas range. That doesn’t tell you whether the version you want will be available around Easter.
Check current in-store or delivery availability before planning your lunch around a specific product.
These product ranges show why the label and nutrition information matter more than the brand name alone.
Jumbo lists a 500 g pack of De Originele Taai Taai.
PLUS lists 500 g packs of mini biscuits and 250 g packs of biscuits in its St Nicholas range.
Albert Heijn describes 125 g packs of Consenza biscuit figures as gluten-free and organic.
According to the Diabetes Fund, sugar-free means no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. For a strict choice, check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g on the packaging.
No. A product with no added sugars may still contain sugars. So check the stated amount of sugars per 100 g rather than relying on the wording on the front of the pack.
As well as the ‘of which sugars’ figure, compare the amount of carbohydrates per 100 g and consider the portion you want to serve. A sugar-free label alone won’t tell you how many carbohydrates a biscuit contains.
No. Albert Heijn lists 29 g of sugars per 100 g for its gluten-free Consenza biscuits. If you’re catering for a guest, check the full allergen information too: a gluten-free label doesn’t cover every other dietary requirement.
