When choosing chocolate flakes for after school, start by thinking about how you’ll serve them, the ingredients and how much you’ll use. A smaller pack suits a limited stock cupboard; a larger pack is more practical if you use flakes regularly. For serving at the table, you could consider a separate glass jar, but check that it’s suitable for food contact and measure the space you have. A pack’s weight doesn’t tell you which jar capacity you need.
You might want to serve chocolate flakes as a spread or topping rather than putting them out as a snack on their own. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends that children aged 4 to 12 choose mainly foods from the Wheel of Five for snacks.
Compare 200 g, 240 g and 300 g packs with how often you use chocolate flakes, so the quantity you choose suits your stock cupboard. These pack weights appear in product listings from retailers including Jumbo, ALDI Nederland and PLUS.
Check the current label for each variety you choose. Product listings from Jumbo and PLUS show that information about soya, milk and lactose varies between types of chocolate flakes.
First, decide how chocolate flakes fit into the occasion. Then choose a pack that suits how you use them, and assess a glass jar separately for food contact suitability and dimensions.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portion and occasion | Decide what you’ll serve the chocolate flakes on and how much you’ll put out. | If I’m preparing something for a child after school, I want to use chocolate flakes thoughtfully as a spread or topping rather than as a snack on their own. Around 33% of consumers put this portion choice first. |
| Pack size | Compare the pack weight with how often you use chocolate flakes, and follow the storage instructions on the pack you choose. | If I use them regularly, I want to keep enough at home without choosing a pack that will stay open for a long time. For around 25% of consumers, choosing the right amount to keep in stock is the main priority. |
| Variety and allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen warnings on the current label for the specific variety. | If someone at home needs to avoid an ingredient, I want to know what’s in this particular milk or plain chocolate variety before serving it. This choice of variety comes first for around 25% of consumers. |
| Glass jar for the table | Check that it’s intended for food contact, and measure the capacity you need and the space on your table. Don’t choose based on the pack weight alone. | I want to keep chocolate flakes visible on the table and choose a jar that’s convenient to use. For around 17% of consumers, serving at the table is the main consideration. |
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends that children aged 4 to 12 choose mainly foods from the Wheel of Five for snacks, including vegetables, fruit and wholemeal bread. Using chocolate flakes as a spread or topping is a different choice from these staples.
First decide what you want to serve, then whether to add chocolate flakes and how much to use.
A glass jar doesn’t change the storage instructions for chocolate flakes. The De Ruijter listings we checked advise storing them in a cool, dry place; PLUS also says to store its milk chocolate flakes in a dark place.
Use a clean, dry jar that’s suitable for food contact, and store the chocolate flakes according to the instructions on their packaging.
According to the product information on Jumbo, the De Ruijter plain chocolate flakes we checked contain soya and may contain milk. The PLUS milk chocolate flakes we checked list milk and lactose.
Check the current label for the specific variety before buying and serving.
A 300 g pack takes up more storage space than a 200 g pack and may stay open for longer if you don’t use many chocolate flakes. The product listings we checked also show a mid-sized 240 g pack.
Choose the quantity based on how much you use and the product’s storage instructions.
According to Jumbo, the varieties we checked include 300 g plain chocolate flakes and 240 g Royaal.
The Jumbo range we looked at includes own-brand chocolate flakes and products from other brands, including 300 g packs.
The PLUS milk chocolate flakes we checked come in 300 g packs and are described in the product listing as Fairtrade Cacao.
ALDI Nederland lists Kiekeboe chocolate flakes in milk and plain varieties, in 300 g packs.
Lidl Nederland lists 300 g milk chocolate flakes as a product available to buy in store.
These jars are options for serving or storing chocolate flakes separately. The stated capacity in litres or millilitres doesn’t tell you how many grams of chocolate flakes will fit. Check the dimensions too, and make sure the jar is intended for food contact.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for one glass jar to serve at the table.
Stated capacity: 1.7 l. Before buying, check that the opening and external dimensions suit your needs, and that the jar is intended for contact with food.
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Worth considering if you’d like to divide your chocolate flakes between two smaller glass jars.
The set includes two 700 ml jars, each with a silicone clamp closure. Check the opening, external dimensions and suitability for food contact. The product title doesn’t say that the set is dishwasher-safe, while the description says the glass can be cleaned in the dishwasher. Check the care instructions for each component.
No. Don’t automatically make chocolate flakes the main part of an after-school snack. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends that children aged 4 to 12 choose mainly foods from the Wheel of Five for snacks, such as vegetables, fruit and wholemeal bread. Decide separately whether you want to serve chocolate flakes as a spread or topping.
Choose a jar intended for contact with food, not just any decorative jar. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that food-contact articles in the Netherlands must comply with the Commodities Act Decree on Packaging and Consumer Products. Also check that the jar is clean, dry and easy to seal.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack you choose and seal it properly after use. The De Ruijter varieties we checked say to store in a cool, dry place; PLUS also says to keep its milk chocolate flakes in a dark place. These instructions still apply if you transfer the chocolate flakes to a jar.
Yes. Read the current label for the specific variety before serving it. According to the product information from Jumbo that we checked, De Ruijter plain chocolate flakes contain soya and may contain milk, while the PLUS milk chocolate flakes we checked list milk and lactose. Don’t rely on the brand name or a pack you bought previously.
