People exercising with little time before they leave
If you want a small bite, how soon your workout starts, the portion size and what you tolerate comfortably matter more than the look of a gift box.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Endurance athletes who plan their meals
For a longer bout of exercise, assess a snack alongside your earlier meals and drinks. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the role of carbohydrates in replenishing glycogen stores during endurance exercise.
Shoppers comparing labels
Plain, wholemeal and sweetened breakfast cake varieties can differ in their ingredients, fibre and sweeteners. If you have an allergy or other dietary restriction, check the packaging for the specific variety you’re considering.
What should you look for when choosing?
A meal before your workout
When: If you have time to eat without rushing, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends having a proper meal and about 500 ml of fluid around 2 to 3 hours before exercising.
Consider: A snack just before you leave won’t automatically replace that planned meal and drink.
A small portion of breakfast cake
When: If you want a small bite shortly before leaving, a clearly defined portion makes it easier to choose how much to eat. For example, Albert Heijn lists the Peijnenburg plain 8-pack as containing slices weighing 28 g each.
Consider: Ingredients, fibre and sweetener content vary between breakfast cake varieties.
A box of chocolates
When: Choose this mainly as a gift or for a treat, rather than as an easy-to-portion snack before you head out.
Consider: According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, chocolate is high in saturated fat. A box containing assorted chocolates and fillings also means checking the ingredients of each product.
If you’re considering breakfast cake or chocolate around a workout, first think about when you’ll be eating and what matters most to you.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Timing and stomach comfort | Compare portion size, fat and fibre; for sweetened varieties, check the polyols too. | If my workout is about to start, I want to choose a small bite that I tolerate well. Timing and stomach comfort come first for around 45% of these consumers. |
| Planning carbohydrates | Check the carbohydrate content per portion and take your earlier meal into account. | For a longer bout of exercise, I want to know how a snack fits into my eating plan. Planning carbohydrates is the main concern for around 33% of these consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the current label for allergens, sweeteners and nutritional information per portion. | If I have an allergy or a specific preference, I want to be able to assess the variety I’ve chosen, not just the product name. Checking the label comes first for around 22% of these consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘zero’ means it’ll be gentle on your stomach
Front-of-pack wording doesn’t tell you how much fibre or how many polyols a breakfast cake contains. The Peijnenburg and Jumbo varieties examined carry a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Read the ingredients and warnings on the packaging for the variety you’ve chosen, especially if you’re going to exercise soon afterwards.
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Assuming a box of chocolates is an obvious workout snack
A gift box isn’t a pre-portioned snack. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also describes chocolate as a product that is high in saturated fat.
Choose what to eat before your workout based on timing and portion size; think of chocolate separately as a gift or a treat.
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Taking a large breakfast cake without planning your portion
With an unsliced breakfast cake, you decide how much to cut off. Shortly before a workout, that can make it less obvious how much to have.
Decide in advance how small a portion you want, or compare it with a variety that comes in individual portions.
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Assuming all breakfast cake contains iodine
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the conditions under which iodine compounds may be present in bakery products through baker’s salt. This doesn’t mean every breakfast cake contains iodised baker’s salt.
If iodine content matters to your choice, check the specific packaging or ask the manufacturer.
Brands to consider
Peijnenburg
Peijnenburg offers plain, wholemeal and individually portioned varieties, among others. Check the specific packaging if you’re looking for a pre-set portion size.
- Albert Heijn lists the plain 8-pack as containing eight individually wrapped slices weighing 28 g each.
- The wholemeal variety examined carries a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Jumbo
Jumbo’s regular, zero and gluten-free breakfast cake varieties don’t necessarily have the same ingredients.
- The range of varieties gives you a reason to compare portion sizes and ingredients carefully.
- One sliced variety examined carries a Jumbo warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
PLUS Korenlanders
The 500 g plain baker’s breakfast cake is an unsliced option if you want to decide on your own portion sizes.
- PLUS lists 65,8 g of carbohydrates and 38,5 g of sugars per 100 g for this variety.
- As the cake is unsliced, you’ll need to decide how much to have each time you eat it. Check the packaging for allergens too.
KOEK&BAKKER
ALDI sells several breakfast cake varieties under this own brand, including a luxury variety and a sliced wholemeal one.
- ALDI lists the luxury variety’s pack weight as 450–465 g.
- Check the nutritional information and allergens on the packaging of the variety you choose.
Lidl ontbijtkoek
Lidl lists a 485 g zero breakfast cake for anyone looking to compare this type of variety.
- The stated pack weight makes it easier to compare with other sizes.
- Assess a zero variety by checking its ingredients, nutritional information and any warnings on the label.
Breakfast cake options on Joybuy
These breakfast cakes are options if you want to choose a small portion yourself before a workout. Check the label for each variety and consider how much time you have before exercising.
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Snelle Jelle Breakfast Cake Less Sugar-Free 250 g
An option if you want to grab a portion of breakfast cake while you’re out and about.
The pack contains 250 g. Before eating, check the weight and nutritional information per bar on the current label. If you have an allergy, also check the information for rye, gluten, nuts and milk.
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g'woon wholemeal breakfast cake, sliced, 485 g
A sliced option if you want to decide for yourself how much breakfast cake to have.
The pack contains 485 g. Check the weight per slice and the nutritional information per portion before choosing how much to have shortly before your workout. If rye is relevant to you, check the ingredients too.
Frequently asked questions
Can I eat breakfast cake just before exercising?
A small portion may suit you if you tolerate it well, but don’t automatically have a large amount just before you leave. Check the fibre content and any polyols in the specific breakfast cake, particularly if you’re sensitive to them.
Is chocolate from a gift box a good pre-workout snack?
A box of chocolates is a less obvious choice than a measured snack to have right before a workout. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, chocolate is high in saturated fat. It’s better to choose a box as a gift or a treat than as a replacement for a planned meal.
Does all breakfast cake in the Netherlands contain iodine?
No. The Dutch rules on baker’s salt don’t mean that all breakfast cake contains iodine. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains when iodine compounds may be used in bakery products through baker’s salt, not that they are present in every breakfast cake. Check the packaging or ask the manufacturer if this matters to your purchase.
What should I check for gluten, nuts or milk?
Read the allergen information on the packaging of the exact variety you’re buying. Albert Heijn lists rye and cereals containing gluten for the Peijnenburg plain 8-pack, and notes that it may also contain milk, hazelnuts and almonds. Information may differ for other breakfast cakes.