Small households planning a soup meal
If you’re making pea soup for one or two people and want to work out whether half a loaf is right for the number of times you’ll eat it, or would rather freeze bread in portions.
Who is this choice relevant to?
People looking for bread to have with their soup
If you want something bread-based to go with pea soup and want to distinguish it from rusks with chocolate sprinkles.
Shoppers comparing labels
If you want to check the nutritional information, whether baker’s salt is used, and allergen details for bread, rusks or chocolate sprinkles.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you want bread with your soup or rusks with chocolate sprinkles for a separate sweet snack. Then choose an amount that suits how much you’ll use, and read the labels on the products you choose.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Especially relevant if |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity and storage | Compare the amount of bread with the meals you have planned. Check whether you can freeze any leftover slices in portions straight away. | I only eat a few slices with my soup, so I don’t want to waste bread. That’s why the right amount may be the first thing to consider for around 29% of consumers. |
| Its role in the meal | Decide whether you want bread with your savoury soup or rusks with chocolate sprinkles for a separate sweet snack. | I want something to have with my pea soup, not to choose a sweet snack without realising it. Whether a product suits the meal may be the main consideration for around 36% of consumers. |
| Nutritional information | For your chosen bread, compare fibre and salt per 100 g. For chocolate sprinkles, check the sugar per 100 g and the portion size. | When weighing up bread and sweet toppings, I want to know which nutritional values apply to my portion. This comparison may be the main consideration for around 21% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check whether the bread label lists baker’s salt or iodised salt, and read the current allergen information for each product. | If an ingredient or allergen is important to me, I can’t rely on the product type or brand alone. Checking the label may be the first priority for around 14% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Thinking rusks with chocolate sprinkles are the same as bread with soup
Chocolate sprinkles are a sweet topping for bread. So rusks with chocolate sprinkles don’t automatically serve the same purpose as bread alongside a savoury bowl of pea soup.
Before you buy, decide whether you want something to have with your soup or rusks with chocolate sprinkles for a separate sweet snack.
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Assuming half a loaf will always prevent waste
You can still have half a loaf left over. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it if you won’t use it in time.
Choose an amount that suits your meals. Only buy a whole loaf to freeze if you have room for it and will use the portions.
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Choosing chocolate sprinkles as an obvious accompaniment to soup
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists 9,1 g of sugars in a 15 g portion of dark chocolate sprinkles. This figure applies to that portion, not to every type of chocolate sprinkles.
For a sweet snack, check the nutritional information and decide how much topping you want to use.
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Assuming a bread type or brand tells you whether it contains iodine or allergens
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread does not have to be made with baker’s salt. Ingredients and allergens can also vary from one product to another.
Check the bread label to see whether baker’s salt or iodised salt has been used, and check the current allergen information for each product you choose.
Brands and shops to explore
De Ruijter
Worth exploring if you’re looking for chocolate sprinkles for a separate sweet snack.
- One product example is De Ruijter Dark Chocolate Sprinkles in a 390 g pack.
- Check the ingredients and allergens for the variant you choose; information about one product doesn’t apply to all De Ruijter chocolate sprinkles.
Venz
Worth considering if you’re thinking of a sweet topping with chocolate and vanilla flakes.
- One 200 g product combines milk chocolate flakes, vanilla flakes and shapes.
- The allergens listed for this example include milk, soya and wheat. Check the label for the specific variant.
Albert Heijn
A place to look at half a wholemeal loaf and different types of rusks separately.
- Albert Heijn lists Onze trots Vloerbrood volkoren half as weighing 400 g; the product information states that it contains 8 g of fibre per 100 g and uses iodised salt.
- This information applies to this loaf and not automatically to other breads or rusks.
Jumbo
A place to compare pack sizes of chocolate sprinkles for a sweet snack.
- The range listed includes own-brand chocolate sprinkles in 200 g, 380 g and 600 g packs.
- Choose an amount that suits how much you’ll use; the range may change.
Chocolate sprinkles for a separate sweet snack
These Joybuy products are chocolate sprinkle options for anyone planning a separate sweet topping snack alongside their pea soup meal. Choose bread to have with the soup separately; when comparing chocolate sprinkles, focus on the variety and pack size that suit how much you want to use.
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De Ruijter Flake Feast 200 g
For a separate sweet snack; the pack contains 200 g. If you’re having it on rusks, check the current ingredients and allergen information.
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De Ruijter Intense dark chocolate sprinkles 200 g
If you’re looking for dark chocolate sprinkles for a separate sweet snack, this pack contains 200 g. Compare the nutritional information and allergens with those of the other varieties.
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Venz chocolate and vanilla-flavoured sprinkles 400 g
For a sweet snack if you’re looking for chocolate- and vanilla-flavoured sprinkles. The pack contains 400 g, so consider how much you’re likely to use.
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g'woon dark chocolate sprinkles 400 g
If you want to buy dark chocolate sprinkles for a separate sweet snack, this pack contains 400 g. Compare the quantity with how much you expect to use.
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Venz milk chocolate sprinkles 380 g
For a separate sweet snack with milk chocolate sprinkles. The pack contains 380 g; check that the amount suits how much you’ll use, and read the current allergen information.
Frequently asked questions
Are rusks with chocolate sprinkles the same kind of choice as bread with pea soup?
No. Rusks with chocolate sprinkles are a sweet snack and don’t automatically serve the same purpose as bread alongside savoury soup. Choose based on what you want to eat with your meal.
How can I avoid wasting bread if I only eat a few slices?
Choose half a loaf if you’ll use it, or freeze a whole loaf in portions as soon as you get it home. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread keeps for 2 to 4 days in a kitchen cupboard and 1 to 3 months in the freezer; it may become drier if frozen for longer.
Does all Dutch bread contain iodised baker’s salt?
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt is not compulsory. Check the label on the bread you choose, or ask the baker whether baker’s salt or iodised salt has been used.
Where can I check for allergens in bread, rusks and chocolate sprinkles?
Read the allergen information for each individual product, as ingredients can vary between varieties. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, 14 allergens must be declared on the label, so use the current product information to guide your choice.