Families packing lunches for several school days
You’ll want to know how many lunch portions you can get from a pack and whether you’ll use it all. A larger, unsliced loaf does mean taking the time to cut the slices yourself.
Who is this relevant to?
Parents who want to grab a portion quickly
If you need to fill a lunchbox without any cutting, pre-sliced portions or individually wrapped bars are worth considering. Check how many portions are in the pack.
Families who need to check labels carefully
Ingredients, sugar content and allergens can all affect your choice. The standard varieties described by Albert Heijn and PLUS list rye and cereals containing gluten, so read the label on the exact product and check the school’s rules.
What should you look for?
First work out how many portions you need and how much preparation you can manage at home. Then compare the pack format and the label.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Usable pack size | Check the net weight and consider how many slices you’ll cut from the loaf and actually pack. | If breakfast cake is going into lunchboxes for several school days, I want to use the pack without having portions left over. Around 46% of consumers put usable pack size first. |
| Portion format | Check whether the cake is unsliced, pre-sliced or individually wrapped, and how many portions the pack contains. | On a busy morning, I want to pack a portion without having to cut it first. This convenience matters most to around 27% of consumers. |
| Label and school rules | Read the ingredients, allergen statement and nutritional information for the exact variety. Check the school’s rules too. | If an allergen or the ingredients determine what can go in the lunchbox, I don’t want to rely on the front of the pack. Around 27% of consumers put checking the label first. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming Zero means gluten-free
The Zero breakfast cake described by PLUS contains rye flour and lists cereals containing gluten. A claim about sugar says nothing about the allergens in the product.
For the specific variety, read the nutritional information, ingredients and allergen statement.
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Checking the school’s rules only after packing
A product that works for one lunchbox may not meet the rules at another school or suit every child’s needs.
Check the school’s rules before buying, then compare them with the label on the exact breakfast cake.
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Choosing a large pack without planning how you’ll use it
An unsliced loaf needs preparing, and the number of usable slices depends on how thick you cut them and how many you pack.
Plan how many portions you need and follow the storage instructions on the pack once it’s opened.
Brands to consider
Jumbo
Jumbo offers own-brand breakfast cake in a range of formats, including unsliced and pre-sliced.
- The different pack formats let you weigh up cutting it at home against packing it straight away.
- Check the ingredients and storage instructions for each variety; the pack format doesn’t tell you anything about these.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn offers pre-sliced own-brand breakfast cake and lists other breakfast cake varieties in the category too.
- The pre-sliced own-brand variety can be packed without cutting it at home.
- The plain variety described by Albert Heijn lists rye and cereals containing gluten. Don’t confuse other products in the category with this own-brand variety.
PLUS
PLUS offers individually wrapped plain bars and a pre-sliced Zero variety.
- These formats give you a choice between individual portions and slices from a pack.
- The bars and Zero variety described by PLUS list rye and cereals containing gluten. Don’t judge the Zero claim without checking the full label.
Peijnenburg
Peijnenburg features in the range of breakfast cake formats shown by Jumbo.
- There are varieties you can compare by pack format and ingredients.
- Ingredients may vary between varieties, so check the pack you’re actually choosing.
Breakfast cake on Joybuy
This variety is worth considering if you want to pack a portion for a school lunch without slicing it at home. Before packing, check the ingredients, nutritional information and school rules.
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Snelle Jelle Breakfast Cake Less Sugar-Free 250 g
An option if you want to pack a single portion of breakfast cake. The pack contains 250 g; check the label for the sugar content per 100 g and whether it lists rye and cereals containing gluten. The variety name doesn’t mean the cake contains no sugar.
Frequently asked questions
Can regular breakfast cake go in a gluten-free lunchbox?
Don’t assume it can: the plain breakfast cake described by Albert Heijn and the plain bars and Zero variety described by PLUS list rye and cereals containing gluten. Albert Heijn also lists a separate product labelled gluten-free. Check the current label for the exact variety every time.
Does Zero mean breakfast cake contains no sugar or gluten?
No. The Zero variety described by PLUS lists 4,9 g of sugar per 100 g and contains rye flour and cereals containing gluten. Read the nutritional information and allergen statement rather than relying on the variety name alone.
How should I store breakfast cake for a school lunch?
Follow the storage instructions on the pack for the variety you’ve chosen. Albert Heijn says to store its pre-sliced breakfast cake somewhere cool, dark and dry; PLUS says to store its breakfast cake bars somewhere cool, dry and dark. Also check the use-by or best-before date on the pack.