Parents looking to avoid sugars
They’re looking for a cake-like snack for the school holidays and want to check the amount of sugars per serving, as well as polyols and allergens.
Who might find this choice useful?
Families who offer snacks often
They want to look beyond the sugar content when choosing something for their child. For children aged 4 to 12, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends options such as vegetables and fruit for snacks.
Fans of a familiar treat
They’re mainly looking for a treat they recognise. A sugar-free mini cake is a different type of product from a canoe cake, even if both might suit a special occasion.
What should you look for when choosing?
Before choosing a snack for the school holidays, decide whether your main priority is avoiding sugars, finding something to serve regularly or sticking with the canoe-cake shape.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is it important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars per serving | Compare ‘of which sugars’ per cake and per 100 g. Check the serving size and polyols too. | When choosing a cake-like snack, I want to know how much sugar one cake contains, even if it isn’t a canoe cake. Avoiding sugars is the main priority for around 36% of consumers making this choice. |
| Regular snack | Check the nutritional values per serving and consider a suitable option from the Wheel of Five. | For something my child eats regularly between meals, I don’t want to focus on the sugar information alone. Around 46% of consumers say their top priority is choosing everyday snacks. |
| Familiar treat | Compare the product type and flavour, and check the allergens for the exact variant. | If the familiar canoe cake is the treat I’m looking for, I want to know whether a mini cake is a suitable alternative. A familiar treat is the top priority for around 18% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Treating ‘no sugars’ as the whole story
That claim doesn’t tell you how much energy a serving contains or which ingredients have been used. For children’s snacks, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre also recommends options from the Wheel of Five.
Compare the full nutritional information per serving and decide whether you’re looking for a treat or a snack to serve regularly.
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Overlooking polyols
The Céréal chocolate mini cake listed by Jumbo contains 0 g of sugars and 9,2 g of polyols per 28 g cake. So the sugar information alone doesn’t give you the full picture of the carbohydrates.
Check the polyol content and ingredients list too if the sweeteners used are relevant to your choice.
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Mistaking a mini cake for a sugar-free canoe cake
Céréal’s chocolate- and lemon-flavoured mini cakes are small cakes, not versions of a canoe cake.
Choose a mini cake only if a different shape and flavour suit the occasion you have in mind.
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Relying only on old product information
Albert Heijn says that ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change. This is particularly important if someone needs to avoid an ingredient.
Check the packaging of the exact variant when you buy it, especially the allergen information.
Brands and retailers to explore
Céréal
Offers sugar-free mini cakes in chocolate and lemon flavours. They’re small cakes, not canoe cakes.
- For the chocolate variant, Jumbo lists 0 g of sugars per 28 g cake; Céréal lists 0 g of sugars per lemon cake.
- Check the ingredients, polyols and allergens for each variant. This information isn’t the same for both flavours.
Jumbo
Provides product information for Céréal Sugar-Free Mini Cakes with Chocolate Pieces 7 x 28 g.
- The nutritional values listed per cake make it easier to consider sugars, polyols and serving size together.
- Check the information on the packaging of the exact product when you buy it.
Albert Heijn
Has a category for biscuits with no added sugar, including Céréal sugar-free Speculoos biscuits with almond pieces.
- The category is a useful starting point for exploring other types of biscuits, but they aren’t canoe cakes or mini cakes.
- Albert Heijn points out that ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change.
Joybuy products
Related products will be available soon.
Frequently asked questions
Is a sugar-free mini cake automatically a suitable everyday snack for children?
No. ‘No sugars’ on its own doesn’t tell you enough about the nutritional value or whether a small cake is suitable as a snack. For children aged 4 to 12, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends vegetables and fruit as snacks, as well as wholemeal bread or a handful of unsalted nuts.
Does ‘no sugars’ also mean no sweeteners?
No. The Céréal mini cakes with chocolate pieces listed by Jumbo contain maltitols as a sweetener, while the nutritional information states 0 g of sugars per cake. Check both the ingredients list and the nutritional information.
Which allergens should I check in Céréal mini cakes?
The chocolate variant listed by Jumbo contains egg and wheat, and may also contain almonds, hazelnuts, other nuts and soya. According to Céréal, the lemon variant contains wheat and egg, and may also contain soya and nuts. If you have a food allergy, always check the latest packaging for the variant you’ve chosen.