Sweet-breakfast fans short on time
You want something crunchy that you can eat without adding a topping. If you choose a chocolate-coated variety, check the nutritional information for the whole product, not just the crispbread base.
Who is this choice for?
It largely comes down to what you want to make easier on a weekday morning: preparing breakfast, comparing nutritional information or checking ingredients.
Those comparing nutritional values
You want to compare fibre, sugars, saturated fat and salt, among other things. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing products per 100 g; serving sizes on packs can vary between manufacturers.
Shoppers checking allergens
You need the ingredients and allergen information for the exact variety. For example, Ryvita lists rye and possible traces of sesame for its regular Original Crispbread; that information tells you nothing about any chocolate-coated variety.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether convenience or adding your own topping matters more. Then use the packaging for the products you choose to check their nutritional values and ingredients.
Chocolate-coated crispbread
Choose this when: You want to grab a sweet breakfast without adding a topping yourself, provided you can find a product with clear product information.
The trade-off: You’re choosing the coating too, so check the ingredients and nutritional information for the whole product.
Crispbread with a separate chocolate spread
Choose this when: You want to choose the crispbread base and the amount of sweet topping separately.
The trade-off: Adding your own topping takes an extra step, and the topping you choose has its own ingredients list and nutritional information.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Convenience | Check that the variety you choose is actually chocolate-coated, and read the information on the packaging. | On a busy weekday, I want to be able to grab something sweet without adding a topping first. This convenience would be the main reason for choosing it for around 40% of consumers. |
| Nutritional value | Compare fibre, sugars, saturated fat and salt per 100 g; if you’re adding a separate topping, check its label too. | If I eat this breakfast regularly, I want to be able to compare what it contains rather than rely on the wording on the front of the pack. This comparison would be the top priority for around 40% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list and highlighted allergens for the exact variety, and for the separate topping too, if applicable. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, I need to know what’s in both parts of my breakfast. This check would matter most to around 20% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Treating the front of the pack as the full nutritional picture
A product name or a claim about fibre doesn’t tell you how much sugar, saturated fat and salt the whole product contains.
Check the nutrition table. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing products per 100 g and reading the ingredients list too.
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Comparing serving sizes from different packs directly
A stated serving size isn’t necessarily the same as the serving size for another product, or the amount you eat yourself.
Compare products per 100 g first, then see what the per-serving information means for the amount you’ve chosen.
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Assuming all crispbread contains iodised baker’s salt
You can’t tell whether a product is made with iodised salt from its category or brand name.
If this ingredient matters to your choice, check the ingredients list on the specific pack.
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Mistaking a regular variety for a chocolate-coated one
A regular crispbread variety from the same brand won’t automatically have the same coating, ingredients or allergens as another variety.
Check the full product name and the label for the exact variety you want to buy.
Brands to compare
These brands offer a starting point for comparing plain crispbread; always check the packaging of a chocolate-coated variety separately.
Wasa
Jumbo lists Wasa Wholemeal and Wasa High Fibre among its regular crispbread varieties.
- The regular varieties give you a basis for comparing labels.
- Don’t assume a variety is chocolate-coated just because of the brand name.
Jumbo
Jumbo lists several own-brand varieties in its crispbread range, including wholemeal, golden, sunflower seed and pumpkin seed.
- The varieties give you different plain crispbread bases to compare on the label.
- Check the exact product name if you’re specifically looking for a chocolate coating.
Ryvita
The official information for Ryvita Original Crispbread describes a regular rye-based variety; it doesn’t relate to a chocolate-coated variety.
- The ingredients information for Original Crispbread shows what you can check on a product label.
- Don’t assume that the ingredients and allergens in Original Crispbread are the same for another Ryvita variety.
Crispbread to top yourself
These crispbread products suit the option of adding your own chocolate topping to a weekday breakfast. Choose the topping separately and check the ingredients of both products.
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g'woon wholemeal crispbread 375 g
A crispbread base for choosing your own chocolate topping. Check the ingredients and nutritional information for the topping too before breakfast.
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Bolletje wholemeal crispbread 265 g
For anyone who wants to choose the crispbread base and sweet topping separately. Read the allergen information on both packs before combining them.
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Wasa High-Fiber Crackers 300 g
An option if you’re looking for a crispbread base to add your own topping to. Compare the nutritional values per 100 g with other bases and assess your chosen topping separately.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compare chocolate-coated crispbread with crispbread I top myself?
First compare the nutritional information for the products per 100 g, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. If you add your own topping, the nutritional make-up of your breakfast also depends on which topping you choose and how much you use.
Is chocolate-coated crispbread automatically high in fibre?
No, you can’t tell from the product category. Check the fibre content per 100 g for the exact variety and compare it with other products you’re considering.
Can I assume that crispbread contains iodised baker’s salt?
No, don’t assume that without checking the label. If the type of salt used matters to your choice, look for it in the product’s ingredients list.
Which allergens should I check in chocolate crispbread?
Read the highlighted allergens on the pack for the exact chocolate-coated variety, or on both packs if you’re adding your own topping. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points to the allergen information in ingredients lists; you can’t automatically apply information about a regular crispbread variety to a chocolate one.