When comparing breakfast cakes for weekday mornings, look at the sugars and fibre per slice, the ingredients and how the cake is packaged. A wholemeal option with no added sugars is different from a regular sliced cake or individually wrapped slices. For the first, check for sweeteners and warnings; for the other two, don’t let convenience take the place of checking the nutritional information.
If you want to grab a slice of breakfast cake quickly, the nutritional information per serving makes it easier to compare options. For a variety with no added sugars, check the ingredients too, including any sweeteners, as well as the allergen information.
If a familiar breakfast cake is important, you could consider regular wholemeal and plain varieties. Don’t rely on the brand name or the word ‘wholemeal’ alone: ingredients, sugars and fibre vary between varieties.
An individually wrapped portion can be handy for school, work or when you’re out and about. For example, Peijnenburg lists a plain pack containing ten individually wrapped slices of 28 g; also compare the nutritional information per slice.
First decide whether nutritional information, portability or taste is your main priority. Then compare the exact varieties on a like-for-like basis: per 100 g and per slice.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and fibre | Compare both values per 100 g and per slice; also check the ingredients of the exact variety. | If I eat breakfast cake often on weekdays, I want to know how much sugar and fibre are in my usual slice. For around 42% of consumers, this is the main consideration. |
| Convenient portions | Check whether the cake is sliced or individually wrapped, and how many grams each slice weighs. | On a busy morning, I want to be able to grab a slice and take it with me without having to cut it first. For around 33% of consumers, convenience is the main priority. |
| Taste | Check which grains and any sweeteners the variety contains; also read the warnings on the packaging. | If a fussy eater is having breakfast too, I look for a variety that suits their taste. Around 25% of consumers put this first. |
Wholemeal and sugar content are separate characteristics. Peijnenburg lists 11 g of sugars per 28 g slice for its regular sliced wholemeal breakfast cake, compared with 1.4 g for its wholemeal variety with no added sugars, in the same serving size.
Compare the sugars and fibre in the exact varieties, both per 100 g and per slice.
Peijnenburg Wholemeal with no added sugars contains xylitol. The product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Read the ingredients and warnings before choosing this variety, and keep products containing xylitol out of pets’ reach.
An individually wrapped slice saves you having to cut the cake, but that alone tells you nothing about its nutritional value. Peijnenburg lists 11 g of sugars and 0.9 g of fibre per slice for its individually wrapped plain slices.
Choose the packaging for convenience, then assess the contents separately using the nutritional information.
Rules allowing iodine to be added through baker’s salt under certain conditions don’t mean that every breakfast cake contains this salt.
Don’t assume a product contains iodine just because of its category; check the information on the specific pack if this matters to your choice.
Offers regular sliced wholemeal breakfast cake, a wholemeal variety with no added sugars, and individually wrapped plain slices.
Offers a 485 g pack of sliced wholemeal breakfast cake for serving from one pack.
ALDI lists a 485 g pack of pre-sliced wholemeal breakfast cake, as well as a separate variety called Zero.
Offers a 485 g pack of sliced wholemeal breakfast cake.
This curated selection brings together a variety with no added sugars, a regular sliced wholemeal variety and an additional Joybuy product. It groups options for weekday breakfasts; it isn’t an independent ranking or an assessment of overall product quality.
| Position | Product | Features | Why it’s included | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peijnenburg Wholemeal with no added sugars, sliced, 12 slices | Per 28 g slice: 1.4 g of sugars and 4.7 g of fibre. | An option to compare by sugars and fibre per slice. Peijnenburg lists xylitol; the product information at PLUS warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. | Peijnenburg / PLUS |
| 2 | AH Wholemeal Breakfast Cake, sliced, 485 g | According to Albert Heijn: 41% wholemeal rye flour, 5.7 g of fibre and 34 g of sugars per 100 g. | A sliced wholemeal variety for enjoying at home. Albert Heijn’s stated sugar value shows why it’s important to check the nutritional information for wholemeal products too. | Albert Heijn |
| 3 | g'woon Wholemeal Breakfast Cake, Sliced, 485 g | According to Joybuy: 5.9 g of fibre and 34 g of sugars per 100 g. | An additional sliced wholemeal variety to compare on the same per-100 g basis. Check the serving size on the packaging before comparing values per slice. | Joybuy |
This sliced wholemeal breakfast cake is a handy option if you want to grab a slice quickly at home on a weekday morning. Compare the nutritional information if sugars or fibre are your main priority.
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A sliced option for anyone who wants to grab a piece of breakfast cake at home without having to cut it.
Joybuy lists 5.9 g of fibre and 34 g of sugars per 100 g. Check the current packaging for the weight of each slice if you want to compare per serving.
Check the allergen information on the packaging: the ingredients list rye, but the available allergen information appears to contradict this.
No. Check the wholemeal claim and sugar value separately. Albert Heijn lists 34 g of sugars per 100 g for its wholemeal breakfast cake, so compare the nutritional information for each variety on the same basis.
As well as the sugar value, read the ingredients and warnings. Peijnenburg Wholemeal with no added sugars contains xylitol, and the product information warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Also check the allergens on the exact packaging.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack you’ve bought. Albert Heijn recommends keeping its wholemeal variety in a cool, dark, dry place; Peijnenburg recommends a dry, dark place for its product, and suggests that you can also use a sealed container or tin.
Because ingredients vary between varieties and product information can change. In particular, check the serving size, sugars, fibre, ingredients and allergens on the pack you’re actually buying.
