Choose a generously filled or spiced breakfast cake if flavour is your priority with afternoon coffee. If fibre, sugars or easy serving matter more, compare the nutritional information and size of the specific variety. A premium label says nothing about nutritional value; allergies or swallowing difficulties call for extra care when choosing.
A generously filled breakfast cake or a variety with ginger, raisins or pearl sugar can make a special coffee break feel like a treat. As well as the flavour, take a look at the ingredients and nutritional information.
When choosing a snack, you can consider wholegrain ingredients, fibre, sugars and the size of a slice. The right choice also depends on what else someone eats and on any individual dietary needs.
Sliced cake or individually wrapped portions can make it easier to serve. Check the current allergen information before serving; if someone has swallowing difficulties, don’t rely on the size or softness of the cake alone.
Decide what matters most for this coffee break: flavour, nutritional information, ease of serving or an individual dietary restriction. Then check the packaging of the specific variety you’re planning to buy.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre, sugars and sweeteners | Compare fibre and sugars per 100 g and per portion; also check which sweeteners have been used. | If fibre and sugars matter more to me than an unusual flavour, I want to know how much one slice contributes to my choice. Around 33% of consumers would consider this their main reason for buying. |
| Ease of serving | Check whether the cake is sliced or individually wrapped, and how large each portion is. | When I’m making coffee for several people, I want to be able to serve the cake easily. For around 27% of consumers, this would be the main reason for choosing a variety. |
| Flavour with coffee | Check the flavour and filling of the variety you’ve chosen; also take a look at the ingredients. | For a planned coffee break, I’m mainly looking for a flavour that feels like a treat. This would be the top priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Individual dietary restrictions | Read the allergens and warnings on the current packaging. If you have swallowing difficulties, seek individual advice. | If I need to take allergies, tolerability or swallowing difficulties into account, being able to eat the food safely comes before flavour. Around 20% of consumers would put this consideration first. |
A premium name doesn’t tell you how much sugar, fibre or salt the cake contains. For example, PLUS lists 37.7 g of added sugars per 100 g for its Korenlanders Bakkers plain breakfast cake; that figure doesn’t automatically apply to other varieties.
Choose a special flavour if you want to serve one, but check the nutritional information for the exact product separately.
A product with no added sugars may still contain sugars and sweeteners. The Peijnenburg wholegrain variety reviewed contains xylitol and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
As well as checking the claim, read the ingredients, sugar content and any warnings on the label.
Ingredients vary from product to product. The varieties reviewed list rye or wheat containing gluten; one specific PLUS variety also states that it may contain nuts.
When checking allergens, always use the current packaging for the variety you’re serving.
The size of a piece of breakfast cake doesn’t tell you whether it’s safe for someone who has difficulty swallowing.
If you have swallowing difficulties, contact your GP, as Thuisarts advises, and follow individual advice about suitable foods.
Peijnenburg offers, among other products, a sliced wholegrain breakfast cake with no added sugars.
Albert Heijn provides product information for various Peijnenburg breakfast cakes, including wholegrain varieties.
Lidl lists a 485 g zero breakfast cake as a shop product.
ALDI lists KOEK&BAKKER varieties with a generous filling, as well as sliced zero and wholegrain varieties.
PLUS lists plain, wholegrain, zero and flavoured breakfast cakes.
This breakfast cake suits anyone looking for a spiced flavour with their afternoon coffee and an easy way to serve portions. For dietary choices, check the current packaging.
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An option if you want to serve individually portioned spiced breakfast cake with coffee.
Check the packaging for nutritional information per 100 g and per portion. ‘Less added sugar’ doesn’t mean sugar-free; also look out for rye, gluten and the allergen information. If you have swallowing difficulties, don’t assume it’s suitable without individual advice.
No. ‘Premium’ or ‘generously filled’ mainly describes the presentation or flavour, not the nutritional value. Compare the fibre, sugars, salt, ingredients and portion size of the specific variety with what matters to the person eating it.
Don’t assume that a soft or sliced piece is suitable for someone with swallowing difficulties. Thuisarts advises contacting your GP if you have difficulty swallowing; choosing suitable food requires an individual assessment.
According to Voedingscentrum, store breakfast cake in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed container. Also follow the instructions on the packaging and check the cake before serving it again.
No, don’t assume it has a fixed iodine content based on the product name. Voedingscentrum explains that using iodised baker’s salt in bread isn’t compulsory; check the specific packaging for information about the breakfast cake you’ve chosen.
