When choosing breakfast cake for a night shift, look beyond the word ‘premium’ and consider the ingredients and how you’ll take it with you. Peijnenburg Wholemeal with no added sugars lists 100% wholemeal and 1.4 g of sugars per 28 g slice, but contains xylitol. The individually wrapped Peijnenburg Plain portions are convenient because there’s no need to slice them, but list 11 g of sugars per 28 g portion. So, compare the ingredients, fibre and portion size of the variety you’re thinking of buying too.
If breakfast cake is your snack during a shift, you’ll want to compare sugars and fibre per 100 g and per slice. Peijnenburg lists 4.7 g of fibre and 1.4 g of sugars per 28 g slice for its Wholemeal with no added sugars variety. These figures apply to this variety, not every breakfast cake from the brand.
If you don’t know when you’ll get a break, a portion that fits in your bag without needing to be sliced can be practical. According to the brand, Peijnenburg Plain 10-pack contains ten individually wrapped 28 g slices. The packaging alone tells you nothing about the nutritional value.
A larger pack may suit you if you want to prepare portions at home. If so, consider how much you take with you each time and compare the nutritional information for the product you’ve chosen. For its 485 g sliced wholemeal breakfast cake, PLUS lists 41% wholemeal rye flour and 34.1 g of sugars per 100 g, among other details.
Start with what matters during your shift: the ingredients, a pre-packed portion or a pack you can take slices from yourself. Always compare nutritional values on the same basis: a slice and 100 g are not interchangeable.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Especially useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | Compare sugars and fibre per 100 g and per portion; also read the ingredients and information about sweeteners. | If I eat breakfast cake during my shift, I want to know what’s in my usual slice rather than relying only on the front of the pack. For around 50% of consumers, these ingredients are the top priority. |
| Taking it with you and portioning | Check the weight per slice and whether the slices are individually wrapped. | If my break time is unpredictable, I want to be able to take a slice with me without having to cut it there and then. A pre-portioned option is the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Pack size | Check the pack weight, storage instructions and how many slices you want to set aside for each shift. | When I prepare breakfast cake for several shifts, I want to choose how much to take with me. Pack size is the biggest consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
These are not the same thing. For its 485 g sliced Wholemeal Breakfast Cake, PLUS lists both 41% wholemeal rye flour and 34.1 g of sugars per 100 g.
As well as the wholemeal percentage, check the nutritional information for sugars, fibre and salt. Compare products per 100 g, then work out the figures for the portion you eat.
Peijnenburg Wholemeal with no added sugars contains xylitol. Product information from Jumbo warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect and that the product poses a risk if eaten by animals.
Check the ingredients and warnings on the pack, and keep this variety out of reach of pets.
An individually wrapped slice is easy to take with you, but Peijnenburg lists 11 g of sugars per 28 g slice for its Plain 10-pack.
Choose the packaging for convenience, and compare nutritional values separately, preferably for equal-sized portions.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers are not required to use baker’s salt. So you can’t assume a product contains it just because of the type of product it is.
If iodine is relevant to your choice, check the specific product information or ask the manufacturer what salt it uses.
Compare specific varieties rather than treating a brand as a whole: pack sizes and nutritional values can vary within the same range.
The range includes both wholemeal breakfast cake with no added sugars and individually wrapped plain slices.
Jumbo Wholemeal Breakfast Cake Unsliced 550 g is a larger, unsliced option.
PLUS offers sliced wholemeal breakfast cake in a 485 g pack.
These products are worth considering if you want to take breakfast cake with you on a night shift: one bar option and one sliced cake in a larger pack. Before choosing, check the nutritional information on the packaging, especially if sugars or fibre are deciding factors for you.
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This is an option to consider if you want to take breakfast cake bars with you for a break. Check the weight per bar on the packaging, and compare sugars and fibre on a like-for-like basis: per 100 g and per portion.
If you have allergies, check the latest ingredients and allergen information. If iodine matters to your choice, check which salt is used too.
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The 485 g sliced pack may suit you if you want to prepare slices at home for a shift. Check the weight per slice and compare the nutritional values per 100 g and per portion before weighing up its ingredients against other breakfast cakes.
Don’t assume the slices are individually wrapped. Check the current packaging if the ingredients, allergens or salt used are important to your choice.
Nutri-Score helps you compare similar products within the same product category, but it doesn’t assess your overall diet. The Dutch government explains that the score is intended for comparing products within a group; also check the ingredients, nutritional information and the portion you actually eat.
Start with the nutritional values per 100 g, then look at the figures per slice. According to Peijnenburg, a 28 g slice of Wholemeal with no added sugars contains 1.4 g of sugars and 4.7 g of fibre. A 28 g slice of Plain from the 10-pack lists 11 g of sugars and 0.9 g of fibre. The equal portion size makes it easy to see the difference between these two varieties.
No, you can’t tell from the name breakfast cake. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers are not required to use baker’s salt. Check the information for the specific variety or ask the manufacturer if the salt used matters to your choice.
Read the warnings and keep the packaging out of reach of pets. Jumbo’s product information for Peijnenburg Wholemeal with no added sugars lists xylitol, warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect and states that xylitol is unsuitable for animals.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack you’ve chosen and check what they say about an opened pack. Peijnenburg recommends storing its Plain 10-pack in a dry, dark place; PLUS also says to store its sliced wholemeal variety in a dry, dark place. Check the use-by date before preparing your portions too.
