Lunch planners comparing sugar and fibre
You want to pack breakfast cake as a sweet extra, but first you check the sugar and fibre content and the size of each slice. The words on the front of the pack don’t tell you enough.
Who is this choice for?
Parents of picky eaters
You’re looking for a familiar breakfast cake that fits easily into a lunchbox. At the same time, you want to know which variety and portion will work alongside the rest of the lunch.
Supermarket shoppers comparing packs
You compare branded and supermarket own-label varieties by their contents, ingredients and nutritional information, and check which packs are available in store.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide what role breakfast cake will play in your lunch. Then compare the specific variety: wholemeal, no added sugars and standard breakfast cake each call for a different label check.
Wholemeal with no added sugars
A good choice if: sugar and fibre are your priorities; Peijnenburg lists 1.4 g of sugar and 4.7 g of fibre per 28 g slice for its variety of the same name.
Bear in mind: this Peijnenburg variety contains xylitol. The product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect and says xylitol is unsuitable for animals.
Standard wholemeal breakfast cake
A good choice if: you want to pack a familiar breakfast cake and deliberately choose a variety made with wholemeal rye.
Bear in mind: wholemeal doesn’t mean low in sugar. According to their product information, standard varieties from Peijnenburg, Albert Heijn and PLUS contain 34 to 39 g of sugar per 100 g.
Standard breakfast cake
A good choice if: you prefer the familiar variety and breakfast cake is only a small extra with lunch.
Bear in mind: the Dutch Nutrition Centre lists an average of 11.2 g of sugar and 1.1 g of fibre in a 30 g slice of standard breakfast cake. Check the values for the product you choose before buying.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar and fibre | Compare both values per 100 g and per slice; check the ingredients list for sweeteners too. | If I choose breakfast cake as a sweet extra with lunch, I mainly want to know how much sugar and fibre my portion contains. For around 42% of consumers, this balance is the most important factor. |
| Taste and convenience | Check whether the cake is pre-sliced and how many slices the pack contains. | For a picky eater, I’m looking for something familiar that can go into a lunchbox without much preparation. This is the main concern for around 33% of consumers. |
| Pack size and availability | Compare the pack size and number of portions; check which variety is available at the shop where you’re buying it. | I want a pack that suits the number of lunches I’m planning, without assuming the range will always be the same. Around 25% of consumers put this practical consideration first. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming wholemeal means low in sugar
According to their product information, the standard wholemeal varieties from Peijnenburg, Albert Heijn and PLUS contain 34 to 39 g of sugar per 100 g. The type of flour used doesn’t, by itself, tell you how much sugar a slice contains.
Compare the nutritional tables for the specific varieties side by side, both per 100 g and per slice.
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Ignoring the ingredients when a product says ‘no added sugars’
Peijnenburg Wholemeal with no added sugars contains xylitol. The product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect and says xylitol is unsuitable for animals.
Check which sweeteners have been used and follow the warnings on the pack. Keep products containing xylitol out of reach of pets.
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Treating breakfast cake as the whole lunch
The Dutch Nutrition Centre lists wholegrain products, including wholemeal bread, as a recommended choice in the Dutch Wheel of Five. The ingredients in breakfast cake vary between varieties; a slice on its own does not make a complete lunch.
Plan breakfast cake as an extra and put the rest of the lunch together separately, for example with wholemeal bread, a suitable filling and some fruit or vegetables.
Brands compared
For each brand, make sure you compare the specific variety mentioned: pack size and nutritional information can vary from product to product.
Peijnenburg
This brand offers a standard sliced wholemeal breakfast cake to compare with a sliced wholemeal variety that has no added sugars.
- For Volkoren Gesneden, Peijnenburg lists 37% wholemeal rye flour, 5.1 g of fibre and 39 g of sugar per 100 g. For Volkoren zonder toegevoegde suikers, it lists 40% wholemeal rye flour, 17 g of fibre and 4.9 g of sugar per 100 g.
- The variety with no added sugars contains xylitol. Check the warnings on the pack, especially if pets could get to the cake.
Albert Heijn
Sliced AH Ontbijtkoek volkoren is a supermarket own-label variety whose ingredients and nutritional information can be compared separately.
- Albert Heijn lists 41% wholemeal rye flour, 5.7 g of fibre, 34 g of sugar and 0.53 g of salt per 100 g for this variety.
- Check the current label when you buy it, as product information can change.
Jumbo
Jumbo has a 280 g wholemeal breakfast cake listed, so you can compare this pack size with other varieties.
- For this variety, Jumbo lists 35.9% wholemeal rye flour, 8.2 g of fibre, 35.5 g of sugar and 0.62 g of salt per 100 g.
- The product information lists rye, wheat and gluten. Check the pack if allergens are important to you.
PLUS
PLUS offers a 485 g sliced wholemeal breakfast cake that you can compare with other varieties by checking the pack and label.
- For this variety, PLUS lists 41% wholemeal rye flour, 5.7 g of fibre and 34.1 g of sugar per 100 g. The product page shows Nutri-Score D.
- Don’t use the Nutri-Score as a judgement of the whole lunch, and check the current nutritional information on the pack.
Koek & Bakker
The sliced wholemeal breakfast cake from Koek & Bakker listed by ALDI comes in a 485 g pack.
- The product listing confirms that it is pre-sliced and comes in a 485 g pack.
- Check the pack label before comparing this variety with another for sugar, fibre or allergens.
Breakfast cake on Joybuy
These two breakfast cakes are suited to having as a sweet extra with lunch: a Snelle Jelle variety to take with you and a sliced wholemeal variety from g'woon. Check their labels before drawing conclusions about the sugar or fibre content per slice.
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Snelle Jelle Less Sugar-Free breakfast cake, 250 g
An option if you want to take breakfast cake as a sweet extra. The variety name doesn’t mean the cake contains no sugar: check the ingredients on the current pack and see whether the nutritional values are given per 100 g or per bar. If you have an allergy, also check the information about rye, gluten and possible traces of nuts or milk.
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g'woon sliced wholemeal breakfast cake, 485 g
A sliced wholemeal variety if you want to add breakfast cake to lunch by the slice. The product information for this g'woon variety lists 43% wholemeal rye flour. Check the current pack for the sugar and fibre content per 100 g and per slice. Wholemeal on its own doesn’t mean low in sugar.
Frequently asked questions
Can breakfast cake replace wholemeal bread at lunch?
Don’t treat breakfast cake as a direct replacement for a lunch with wholemeal bread. The Dutch Nutrition Centre lists wholegrain products as a recommended choice in the Dutch Wheel of Five, and gives average values of 11.2 g of sugar and 1.1 g of fibre for a 30 g slice of standard breakfast cake. If you pack breakfast cake, decide separately what else to include in your lunch.
Is breakfast cake with no added sugars also sugar-free?
No. Peijnenburg Volkoren zonder toegevoegde suikers lists 1.4 g of sugar per 28 g slice. This variety also contains xylitol; the product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect and says xylitol is unsuitable for animals. So check both the nutritional information and the ingredients list.
What should I check if rye, wheat or gluten matters to me?
Check the allergen information for the specific breakfast cake before choosing it. The wholemeal varieties reviewed list rye, and some also mention wheat or other gluten-containing cereals. Don’t assume another brand or variety has the same ingredients.
Does Dutch breakfast cake always contain iodine from baker’s salt?
Don’t assume that every breakfast cake contains baker’s salt. Check the ingredients for the specific variety if baker’s salt is important to your choice.
How should I store sliced breakfast cake?
Follow the storage instructions and date on the pack of your breakfast cake. For its sliced variety, Peijnenburg recommends storing the cake in a sealed container or tin to keep it moist.