If you want taaitaai that’s strictly sugar-free for Easter, check the sugar content per 100 g: according to the Voedingscentrum, ‘sugar-free’ means no more than 0.5 g. The regular products from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS are well above that. Baking it yourself gives you control over the ingredients, but a recipe with no added sugars won’t automatically make sugar-free taaitaai.
For you, ‘less sugar’ isn’t the same as ‘sugar-free’. According to the Voedingscentrum, a product labelled ‘sugar-free’ must contain no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. So check the nutritional information for the finished product, even if the recipe is described as having ‘no added sugars’.
You’re looking for ready-to-eat taaitaai for a special occasion and don’t need it to be sugar-free. The regular products mentioned from Albert Heijn, Jumbo, PLUS and Bolletje contain 36 to 39 g of sugars per 100 g. Bear that in mind before choosing convenience.
Start by checking the ingredients and allergen information on the specific pack. A gluten-free option may still contain other allergens: Albert Heijn, for example, lists milk and lupin in Maître Mathis Taai taai glutenvrij, as well as 41 g of sugars per 100 g.
First, decide whether being sugar-free or meeting an allergen requirement is essential. If not, you can weigh the convenience of regular taaitaai against baking it yourself.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Truly sugar-free | Check the sugar content per 100 g in the nutrition table. According to the Voedingscentrum, ‘sugar-free’ means no more than 0.5 g per 100 g; ‘no added sugars’ is a different claim. | If I need a strictly sugar-free option, I want to be able to check the sugar content rather than rely on the front of the pack. For around 46% of consumers, being sugar-free is the top priority. |
| Convenience and familiar taaitaai | For a ready-to-eat option, check the ingredients and sugar content per 100 g. Weigh the convenience of serving it straight away against the time it takes to bake your own. | I want to be able to serve taaitaai straight away for a special occasion, and it doesn’t have to be sugar-free. Around 36% of consumers prioritise this convenience and familiar taste. |
| Gluten and other allergens | Check the current ingredients list and allergen information, including any warnings about traces. Assess the sugar content separately from any gluten-free claim. | If I need to avoid gluten or another allergen, I first check whether the specific taaitaai is suitable for me. These requirements are the top priority for around 18% of consumers. |
These claims answer different questions. A recipe or pack labelled ‘no added sugars’ doesn’t automatically tell you how much sugar the finished taaitaai contains per 100 g.
For a packaged product, check the nutrition table. If you’re baking it yourself, assess the ingredients and the nutritional information for the finished recipe before calling it sugar-free.
Albert Heijn lists 39 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Taai taai, Jumbo lists 38.6 g for Sint Taai Taai Figuurtjes, and PLUS lists around 38.6 g for its taaitaai. These products aren’t suitable if you need a strictly sugar-free option.
Choose regular taaitaai only if being sugar-free isn’t essential for you. Otherwise, compare the sugar content per 100 g of a specific alternative.
According to Albert Heijn, Maître Mathis’s gluten-free taaitaai contains milk and lupin, as well as 41 g of sugars per 100 g. So a gluten-free claim doesn’t answer your other dietary questions.
Check the allergen information and nutritional details for each product instead of relying on a single claim.
Taaitaai is also part of the Sinterklaas range. Albert Heijn marks the Maître Mathis option mentioned above as discontinued, and Jumbo says De Originele Taai Taai is no longer in its online range.
Check the current product status and local availability just before you shop, even if you’ve seen the product page before.
Albert Heijn provides product information for regular AH Taai taai and a gluten-free option from Maître Mathis.
Jumbo lists its own-brand taaitaai and provides product information for taaitaai from other brands.
Bolletje Taai Taai Poppetjes is a regular taaitaai option with product information listed by Jumbo.
Maître Mathis makes a gluten-free taaitaai option, described on Albert Heijn’s product page.
According to the Voedingscentrum, ‘sugar-free’ means a product contains no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. So, for a specific taaitaai product, check the sugar content per 100 g in the nutrition table.
No. ‘No added sugars’ and ‘sugar-free’ are different claims. The first concerns what has been added during preparation; for a product to be sugar-free, the final sugar content per 100 g is what counts.
The regular products mentioned from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS don’t: their product information lists around 38.6 to 39 g of sugars per 100 g. Always check the nutrition table for any other product you’re considering.
Not necessarily. Albert Heijn lists 41 g of sugars per 100 g for Maître Mathis Taai taai glutenvrij, and also names milk and lupin as allergens. Check both separately on the product you’re considering.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack of taaitaai you’ve bought. For AH Taai taai, Albert Heijn recommends storing it in a sealed tin once opened. Check the current packaging before applying that advice to another option.
