Parents looking for a chocolate flavour
Want to choose chocolate breakfast cake for an occasional tea-time treat. They check what’s actually in it on the packaging, rather than trying to judge the cocoa content by its colour.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Parents comparing nutritional information
Want to compare the sugar, fibre, sweeteners and portion sizes of different varieties. A wholemeal variety and one containing sweeteners call for different label checks.
Parents and carers packing breakfast cake
Before sending it to school or childcare, they check both the label and the setting’s food and allergen policies. Standard varieties may contain rye, wheat or other gluten-containing cereals.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether the breakfast cake will be shared or packed to take away. Then check the nutritional information, and finally make sure the chocolate flavour is what you’re looking for.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who does this matter to? |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens and local policies | Read the allergen information on the packaging you’ve chosen and check the school or childcare setting’s policy. | If I’m sending in or sharing breakfast cake, I want to know whether it’s suitable for the children present and the setting. This would be the first consideration for around 42% of consumers. |
| Sugars, fibre and portion size | Compare the nutritional values per 100 g and per portion; also check the ingredients and any sweeteners. | If it’s going to be a regular snack, I want to take the ingredients into account, not just the word ‘wholemeal’. This nutritional consideration would come first for around 33% of consumers. |
| Chocolate flavour | Check the ingredients for chocolate and look for any cocoa claim on the current packaging. | For an occasional tea-time treat, I’m mainly looking for a chocolate flavour, but a dark colour doesn’t tell me enough. This flavour would be the main reason for choosing it for around 25% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘dark’ means ‘high in cocoa’
A chocolate flavour or dark appearance doesn’t tell you how much cocoa a breakfast cake contains. The ‘dark chocolate and nuts’ flavour listed by Lidl doesn’t, by itself, indicate a cocoa percentage either.
If cocoa content matters to you, check the ingredients and look for any cocoa claim on the packaging.
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Assuming wholemeal means low in sugar
Jumbo lists 35.5 g of sugars per 100 g for its Wholemeal Breakfast Cake. So the word ‘wholemeal’ doesn’t tell you how much sugar a particular variety contains.
Check sugars and fibre per 100 g, and see how much a slice weighs before comparing varieties.
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Confusing ‘no added sugars’ with allergen-free
The Peijnenburg wholemeal variety described contains rye and gluten-containing cereals. The product information also lists xylitol and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Check the allergens, sweeteners and portion size on the exact packaging you plan to use.
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Assuming every breakfast cake contains baker’s salt
Baker’s salt is iodised salt, but according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use it.
If the type of salt used matters to your choice, check the ingredients or ask the baker.
Brands to consider
Peijnenburg
Peijnenburg offers several varieties of breakfast cake; the sliced wholemeal variety described here isn’t chocolate-flavoured.
- Albert Heijn lists this variety as containing 40% wholemeal rye flour, 17 g of fibre and 4.9 g of sugars per 100 g.
- The variety contains rye and gluten-containing cereals. Also check the xylitol information and warning on the packaging.
Albert Heijn
The own-brand range includes sliced breakfast cake and AH Zero Sliced Breakfast Cake.
- The product information for the Zero variety gives you a separate label to check when comparing sugars, fibre and ingredients.
- The Zero variety contains rye and gluten-containing cereals. The previously mentioned AH Organic Chocolate Breakfast Cake was listed as discontinued on the product page consulted.
Jumbo
Jumbo lists a standard 280 g Wholemeal Breakfast Cake.
- The product information lists 8.2 g of fibre and 35.5 g of sugars per 100 g, so you can take both values into account for this variety.
- This breakfast cake contains rye, wheat and gluten, and isn’t described as a chocolate variety.
Lidl
Lidl has listed a luxury breakfast cake with a dark chocolate and nuts flavour as an in-store product.
- This flavour gives you a clear option if you’re looking for chocolate in your breakfast cake.
- Check the current packaging in store for ingredients, allergens, nutritional values and any cocoa claim.
Related products on Joybuy
Related products coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
Is breakfast cake an obvious everyday choice for children’s snacks?
No. Don’t assume it’s suitable for everyday use just because it’s called ‘breakfast’ cake. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also suggests vegetables, fruit and wholemeal bread as snacks for children; when choosing breakfast cake, consider the portion, nutritional information and when it will be eaten.
Does all breakfast cake contain gluten?
No, you can’t say that of the whole category. The standard varieties described here contain gluten-containing cereals, while Albert Heijn also lists a Peijnenburg product labelled ‘gluten-free’. Always check the specific packaging; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that gluten-containing cereals must be clearly identified in the ingredients list.
Can I send breakfast cake to school or childcare without checking anything else?
First check the school or childcare setting’s policy and the allergens on the current packaging. What can be brought in or shared at one setting isn’t necessarily allowed elsewhere.
Does breakfast cake always contain iodised baker’s salt?
Don’t assume it does. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. Check the ingredients or ask the baker if the type of salt used matters to your purchase.