If you want to open just one portion
You want to grab one bar during a fakeaway night and leave the rest in their wrappers. Peijnenburg and Albert Heijn describe individually wrapped bars sold in multipacks.
Who benefits from an individually wrapped bar?
If you want to compare nutritional information
You’re keeping an eye on sugars and fibre and want to know what’s in one bar. Check the nutritional information for your chosen variant per 100 g and per portion; ‘no added sugars’ and ‘less sugar’ don’t mean the same thing.
If you want a flavour to suit your evening
Choose between plain and flavoured options such as pearl sugar or chocolate, without having to cut into a large breakfast cake. As well as flavour, check the weight and ingredients of the exact variant.
What should you look for when choosing?
Start by thinking about how much breakfast cake you want to eat in one sitting. Then compare the nutritional information and pack contents of the options that suit you.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| A clearly defined portion | Check whether each bar has its own wrapper and how many grams each bar weighs. | If I only want to open one bar, an individual wrapper helps me keep the rest sealed. Around 36% of consumers prioritise having a clearly defined portion. |
| Sugars and fibre | Check the sugar and fibre values per 100 g and per portion on the label of the exact variant. | A claim on the front doesn’t tell me how much sugar is in my bar. For around 29% of consumers, comparing nutritional information is their main concern. |
| Flavour | Choose between plain and flavoured options, and check the ingredients of that variant too. | For my fakeaway night, I mainly want a bar with a flavour I enjoy. This is the top priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Pack size and availability | Check how many bars are in the pack and whether it’s available from your chosen retailer. | I want to know how many bars will be left after my snack and whether I can get the pack where I shop. Around 14% of consumers prioritise this practical consideration. |
Common mistakes
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Reading ‘no added sugars’ as ‘sugar-free’
The first claim doesn’t mean the bar contains no sugars at all. ‘Less sugar’ is a different claim too, based on a comparison.
Check the packaging for the exact variant to see how much sugar it contains per 100 g and per bar, and compare the portion weights.
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Confusing an individual wrapper with a single-bar pack
A bar can be individually wrapped but sold in a pack with several bars. For example, Peijnenburg describes multipacks of five with individually wrapped bars.
Check both whether the bars are individually wrapped and how many bars are in the pack, along with its total weight.
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Guessing allergens from the flavour name
The word ‘plain’ doesn’t tell you which grains or other potential allergens the bar contains. The PLUS plain variant described, for example, lists rye.
Check the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact variant you’re buying.
Brands to consider
Peijnenburg
Peijnenburg offers individually wrapped plain bars as well as flavoured options.
- According to Peijnenburg, the plain 5-pack contains five 32.5 g bars; the plain 5-pack with no added sugars contains five 27 g bars.
- An individual wrapper doesn’t mean a 5-pack is sold as a single bar. If the sugar claim affects your choice, compare the nutritional information per portion.
Snelle Jelle
The Kruidkoek Less Sugar option described here is worth considering if you’re looking for a larger, individually wrapped bar.
- Albert Heijn lists five individually wrapped 50 g bars for this variant.
- This bar contains rye and gluten-containing cereals. Check the current packaging for other listed allergens and possible traces too.
PLUS
PLUS plain breakfast cake bars offer a supermarket own-brand option in a 6-pack.
- PLUS lists the plain variant as a 330 g pack containing six bars.
- The variant described contains rye. Check the current allergen statement, including for cereals, milk and nuts that may be present.
Breakfast cake bars for a single snack at Joybuy
This selection is a pack of Snelle Jelle bars with individual wrappers. It’s especially relevant if you want to open one bar during a fakeaway night and a 50 g portion suits you.
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Snelle Jelle Breakfast Cake, Less Sugar-Free variant, 250 g
For anyone who wants to open one spiced bar: the pack contains five individually wrapped 50 g bars. The ‘Sugar-Free’ wording in the product name doesn’t match the product description, which lists sugars. So check the packaging for the sugar content per 100 g and per bar, and read the current allergen information.
Frequently asked questions
Can you buy an individually wrapped breakfast cake bar separately?
Not necessarily: ‘individually wrapped’ describes the wrapper around each bar, not how it’s sold. Peijnenburg, for example, lists multipacks of individually wrapped bars; check the pack contents before you buy.
Does ‘no added sugars’ mean a bar is sugar-free?
No, that claim doesn’t automatically mean the product contains no sugars. Check the sugars per 100 g and per bar on the packaging for the exact variant, and don’t confuse the claim with ‘less sugar’ either.
Which allergens should I check in a breakfast cake bar?
Check the ingredients and allergen statement for the variant you’ve chosen. Rye is listed for the PLUS plain bars described, and other cereals, milk and nuts may also be relevant; don’t rely on the product name alone.
How should I store any bars left over after fakeaway night?
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging of your bars. For the plain variant described, PLUS recommends storing it in a cool, dry, dark place; leave each bar in its wrapper until you’re ready to eat it.
Does every breakfast cake bar in the Netherlands contain iodine from baker’s salt?
No, don’t assume that without checking the product information. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says iodine compounds may be present in bakery products through baker’s salt; that doesn’t tell you whether it has been used in your breakfast cake bar. If you have a question about a specific bar, check the label or contact the manufacturer.