If you’re looking for a regular option for school holiday lunches, choose crispbread that is clearly labelled ‘wholegrain’ and pair it with a suitable topping. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists wholegrain crispbread as a suitable choice for school. An AH or Jumbo digestive is a biscuit for a treat, not an equivalent wholegrain lunch staple. Always check the ingredients and allergen information for the particular variety you choose.
You want crispbread that’s easy to take with you or top at home, and you want to be able to tell whether the variety you’ve chosen is genuinely wholegrain. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists wholegrain crispbread as an option for school lunches.
Crispbread and digestive biscuits are both crunchy, but they don’t have the same place in a lunch. You want to know when to choose a base for toppings and when to have a biscuit.
Check the grains, milk and potential traces of allergens in the variety you choose. If iodised salt matters to you, check the packaging rather than assuming anything based on the type of product.
Choose this when: you want a crunchy base for toppings that is clearly labelled ‘wholegrain’. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists wholegrain crispbread as suitable for school.
Bear in mind: ‘Wholegrain’ doesn’t mean a product is suitable for someone with an allergy. Check the ingredients and allergen information for the specific variety.
Choose this when: you specifically want a biscuit for a treat, rather than a lunch staple.
Bear in mind: AH Digestive and Jumbo Krokante Digestive Biscuit are biscuits; their names don’t make them wholegrain crispbread.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Wholegrain lunch staple | Look for the word ‘wholegrain’ and read the ingredients list; don’t judge by the colour of the cracker alone. | If I regularly use crispbread as a lunch staple, I want to know whether it’s genuinely wholegrain. For around 36% of consumers, a wholegrain staple is the top priority. |
| Texture and use | Consider the thickness and size, and how you plan to top or pack the cracker. | A thin cracker needs to be easy for my child to eat, including when lunch is packed to take away. For around 29% of consumers, practicality matters most. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the information for the variety you’ve chosen, including rye, wheat, milk and potential traces. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, the specific pack needs to meet my requirements. For around 21% of consumers, checking this is their main concern. |
| A biscuit as a treat | For a digestive, compare the nutritional information per 100 g and consider how many you’ll actually serve. | Sometimes I specifically want a familiar biscuit, but I don’t want to mistake it for my usual lunch staple. For around 14% of consumers, a biscuit treat is the top priority. |
The name doesn’t make a biscuit a lunch staple. According to Albert Heijn’s product information, AH Digestive contains 21 g of fat and 16 g of sugars per 100 g; Jumbo lists 20,5 g of fat and 19,2 g of sugars per 100 g for Krokante Digestive Biscuit.
Choose a digestive when you want a biscuit. For a regular lunch staple, look for crispbread clearly labelled wholegrain and add suitable toppings.
Colour and terms such as ‘high in fibre’ don’t tell you whether the flour used is wholemeal. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also distinguishes between wholegrain and non-wholegrain crackers.
Look for the word ‘wholegrain’ on the packaging and check the ingredients list.
Ingredients can vary between products. Wasa Wholegrain contains rye and gluten, while Wasa lists milk ingredients for its Lightweight variety.
Read the ingredients, allergen information and any ‘may contain’ warning on the pack you’re actually choosing.
Not all crispbread is made with iodised baker’s salt. The Dutch bakery industry says its use is not compulsory.
If the presence of iodised salt matters to your choice, check the ingredients on the specific pack.
These brands give you options to consider when choosing between crispbread and biscuits. The details below apply to the products mentioned, not every product from each brand.
Albert Heijn lists several Wasa products, including Wasa Volkoren, Vezelrijk, Lichtgewicht and Dun rogge volkoren.
Albert Heijn lists its own-brand crispbread varieties as well as a separate product called AH Digestive.
Jumbo describes Krokante Digestive Biscuit as a biscuit.
Ryvita Original Crackerbread is another type of crackerbread you can compare with crispbread.
These crispbread varieties are worth considering as a base for toppings in a school holiday lunch. Check whether the wholegrain labelling, ingredients and allergen information on each pack suit your needs.
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A rye cracker to consider as a base for lunch toppings. If wholegrain labelling and allergens matter to your choice, check the pack.
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Worth considering if the cracker’s texture is important for lunch. Check the ingredients and allergens on the label, especially if you need to avoid milk.
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The wholegrain labelling in the product name makes this variety relevant if you’re looking for a lunch staple. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and read the allergen details on the pack.
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A cracker labelled wholegrain to compare with other lunch options. Read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you choose before taking it along for a child.
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A crispbread variety to consider as a base for toppings. If using only wholemeal flour or avoiding certain allergens is a priority, read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack carefully.
No. Check that the variety you choose is clearly labelled wholegrain. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists wholegrain crispbread as suitable for school and distinguishes it from regular crispbread in its school lunch guidance. Add suitable toppings, vegetables or fruit to your lunch as you like.
A digestive can be a biscuit, but it isn’t an equivalent replacement for wholegrain crispbread as a regular lunch staple. Albert Heijn and Jumbo describe the digestives mentioned here as biscuits. Compare their nutritional information per 100 g if you’re weighing them up against a particular crispbread.
No. Don’t assume this based on the type or origin of the product. If iodised salt matters to your choice, check the ingredients list on the pack you’ve chosen.
Pack moist toppings separately and, if possible, add them to the crispbread just before eating. Also follow the storage instructions on the pack; Wasa Volkoren, for example, should be stored in a cool, dry place away from light.
