If the traditional aniseed flavour is what you’re after, a small piece of taai-taai makes a good accompaniment to afternoon coffee. If you’re mainly comparing fibre, consider a wholemeal digestive. Don’t choose on the word ‘digestive’ alone: compare the label per 100 g and take sugars, salt and portion size into account. If someone has difficulty chewing or swallowing, neither option is automatically suitable without individual advice on food texture.
You fancy a biscuit with your coffee, but also keep an eye on fibre, sugars and salt per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights fibre and drinking enough as important considerations for people over 70. A product’s name won’t tell you how much fibre a biscuit contains.
For you, the choice is mainly about the familiar aniseed flavour of taai-taai and a small treat with your afternoon coffee. The nutritional information can help you weigh up the portion size and sugar content.
Before choosing a biscuit, you need to know what food texture has been recommended for the person concerned. Amsterdam UMC advises that food for people with chewing or swallowing difficulties should be matched to their individual recommendations. An ordinary biscuit or taai-taai won’t automatically be suitable.
First decide whether flavour, nutritional information or suitability for eating is the main factor for this person. Then compare taai-taai and digestives per 100 g, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre when comparing labels. You can assess a portion separately afterwards.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre | Compare fibre, sugars and salt per 100 g. According to Albert Heijn’s product information, AH Wholemeal Digestive with wheat flour contains 6 g of fibre per 100 g, while AH Taai taai contains 2.5 g. | If fibre is my main consideration, I also want to weigh up the other nutritional values rather than go by the word ‘digestive’. This fibre choice is the priority for around 40% of consumers. |
| Traditional treat | Check the portion size and sugars per 100 g. Albert Heijn lists a 14 g portion of AH Taai taai and 39 g of sugars per 100 g. | I choose taai-taai mainly for its aniseed flavour with coffee, and want to know what a small piece amounts to. Around 30% of consumers prioritise this traditional treat. |
| Ingredients and label | Read the current ingredients list, allergens and any warnings; compare sugars and salt per 100 g. | If I need to avoid an ingredient or limit sugars, the label should guide my choice. Checking the label is the main concern for around 20% of consumers. |
| Chewing and swallowing | If you have difficulty chewing or swallowing, ask what individual advice applies to food texture before choosing ordinary taai-taai or biscuits. | If I have difficulty chewing or swallowing, I first want to know whether the biscuit’s texture fits the individual advice. This is the most important consideration for around 10% of consumers. |
A product’s name doesn’t tell you how much fibre, sugars or salt a biscuit contains, nor does it make the biscuit a treatment for digestive problems.
Compare the label per 100 g, and don’t choose a biscuit as a replacement for regular meals and fibre-rich staple foods.
Albert Heijn’s product information lists 14 g of polyols per 100 g for AH Digestive 0% sugar, with a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Read the ingredients and warning on the packaging, and consider the portion size before choosing this option.
The taai-taai and digestive varieties mentioned have different ingredients and allergens. An online listing you looked at previously may not match the packaging you buy.
Check the current ingredients list and allergen information every time you buy, especially if someone needs to avoid an ingredient.
A chewy biscuit isn’t automatically easier to eat than a crisp one. Amsterdam UMC explains that food texture for people with chewing or swallowing difficulties should match their individual advice.
Ask what food texture has been recommended, then make sure any choice of taai-taai or biscuit is in line with it.
The AH varieties considered include taai-taai, a wholemeal digestive and a digestive with no added sugar. Compare them as individual products, not as if they shared the same nutritional profile.
Bolletje Taai Taai is a traditional taai-taai variety for anyone looking for this particular type of biscuit.
McVitie's Digestives Original is a classic digestive variety; the figures below apply specifically to Original.
Verkade Verk digestive puur is a digestive with dark chocolate for anyone considering a chocolate biscuit with their coffee.
These products are digestive biscuits for anyone choosing a plain or chocolate-coated variety to have with afternoon coffee. Taai-taai is a different option if the traditional aniseed flavour is what you’re after. If someone has difficulty chewing or swallowing, first check the food texture against their individual advice.
No image available
A digestive with milk chocolate for anyone who fancies a chocolate biscuit with their coffee. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g on the packaging and check the allergens. If someone has difficulty chewing or swallowing, individual advice on food texture is what matters.
No image available
A digestive with dark chocolate for anyone looking for that flavour to enjoy with coffee. Check the nutritional information and allergens on the current packaging; if someone has difficulty chewing or swallowing, don’t rely on the product name alone.
No image available
A chocolate-free digestive for anyone looking for a plain biscuit to enjoy with coffee. Albert Heijn’s product information lists 3.7 g of fibre and 1.3 g of salt per 100 g for Digestives Original. Check the current label on this pack too, and follow individual advice if someone has difficulty chewing or swallowing.
You can’t tell from the name ‘digestive’. If fibre is a factor in your choice, compare the amount per 100 g: according to Albert Heijn, AH Wholemeal Digestive with wheat flour contains 6 g, while AH Taai taai contains 2.5 g. These product values don’t mean that a biscuit will solve a digestive problem.
Compare sugars per 100 g. For a variety with no added sugar, also read the ingredients and any warnings. Albert Heijn lists 39 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Taai taai. AH Digestive 0% sugar lists 0 g of added sugars, but contains 14 g of polyols per 100 g and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
The choice needs to match the individual advice on food texture; neither type of biscuit is automatically suitable. Amsterdam UMC explains that food and drink should be adjusted to the recommended texture for people with chewing or swallowing difficulties. Ask the healthcare professional involved whether a particular biscuit is suitable.
Read the allergen information on the current packaging before buying. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that allergens must be listed on labels. The taai-taai and digestive varieties mentioned differ in the information they give about wheat and milk, among other things. Don’t assume one variety has the same ingredients as another.
