If avoiding sugar is your priority, don’t choose NoboSprits Original: Verkade lists 24.2 g of sugars per 100 g. A speculoos-flavoured biscuit could be an alternative, but it isn’t a Sprits. If you’re eating shortly before exercise, also consider the portion size and what you personally find easy to tolerate.
You want the sugar content to meet the ‘sugar-free’ definition, not simply to have no sugars added. According to Verkade, NoboSprits Original contains 24.2 g of sugars per 100 g, so it doesn’t meet that requirement.
You’re looking for a small snack that you find easy to tolerate. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends eating a regular meal around two to three hours before exercise. If you eat just beforehand, portion size and your own tolerance also matter.
You’re mainly looking for the familiar Sprits, but you also want to keep an eye on the sugar content. A speculoos-flavoured biscuit or a cereal bar is a different type of product, even if it could be an alternative snack.
First decide whether you’re mainly looking for a traditional Sprits or a sugar-free snack. Then consider when you’ll eat it and the portion size: a sugar claim doesn’t tell you how easy a product will be to tolerate just before exercise.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Most relevant to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar content and claim | Read the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre sets a maximum of 0.5 g per 100 g for the ‘sugar-free’ claim; ‘no added sugars’ means something different. | If I want to choose something strictly sugar-free, the nutrition table matters more than a name that includes ‘zero’. Around 30% of consumers put this requirement first. |
| Portion size and timing | Check the portion size and ingredients, including any polyols. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends eating a regular meal around two to three hours before exercise. | When I eat shortly before a workout, I’m mainly looking for a small portion that I can tolerate well. This is the most important factor for around 50% of consumers. |
| Sprits or another snack | Check the product type and ingredients: a speculoos biscuit and a cereal bar aren’t Sprits. | I’m looking for the familiar Sprits and want to know what change in product type I’d accept in an alternative. Around 20% of consumers put this preference first. |
These claims don’t mean the same thing. PLUS lists 1.7 g of sugars per 100 g for Verkade San Francisco 0% sugar.
If you need a strictly sugar-free product, always compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g with the limit the Netherlands Nutrition Centre sets for ‘sugar-free’.
A Céréal biscuit with a speculoos flavour and almond pieces isn’t NoboSprits Original. Its ingredients and sweeteners also need to be considered in their own right.
Decide which matters more to you: the product type (Sprits) or a sugar-free label. Then check the ingredients of the biscuit you’ve chosen.
Portion size and personal tolerance both matter. Albert Heijn warns that Hero B'tween Zero may have a laxative effect if consumed in excess.
Try a new snack on a regular training day first, and keep the portion small if you eat it shortly before exercise.
Worth considering if you’re specifically looking for Sprits or want to compare a sugar claim with the stated sugar content.
Worth considering if you’re thinking about a speculoos-flavoured biscuit instead of a Sprits.
Worth considering if you’d rather take an individually wrapped cereal bar with you than a biscuit.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre sets a maximum of 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g for the ‘sugar-free’ claim. ‘No added sugars’ is a different claim: the product may still contain sugars. So be sure to check the nutrition table too.
No. Verkade lists 24.2 g of sugars per 100 g for NoboSprits Original, which is above the limit of 0.5 g per 100 g that the Netherlands Nutrition Centre sets for ‘sugar-free’.
A small portion could be an option if you find it easy to tolerate. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends eating a regular meal around two to three hours before exercise and advises against large portions just beforehand. If the biscuits contain polyols, also check the warnings on the packaging.
No. A sugar claim tells you about the sugar content, but not whether the portion size, timing and other ingredients are right for your workout. Consider each of these separately.
