Want to make a clear choice with less sugar, and are you happy to consider something other than chocolate flakes? According to Albert Heijn, AH Hagelslag melk minder suiker contains 30% less sugar than AH Melk hagelslag, but hagelslag is a different product from chocolate flakes. If you want to stick to flakes, compare the sugars per 100 g on the packaging. Albert Heijn and Jumbo’s product ranges don’t provide enough evidence to recommend a specific lower-sugar flake.
If sugar content is your priority, don’t rely on the wording on the front of the pack alone. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing like-for-like products per 100 g. If a product makes a claim, check which product it is being compared with.
If your child specifically wants chocolate flakes on their bread, hagelslag is a different type of product. Albert Heijn and Jumbo offer a range of standard chocolate flakes, so compare the nutritional information for the varieties you’re actually considering.
If sweet sandwich filling is one part of the lunchbox, the rest of the meal matters too. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends that children mainly eat foods from the Dutch Wheel of Five at breakfast and lunch.
First decide whether the flake shape is essential. Then compare the nutritional information of products in the category you’re considering.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Less sugar | For comparable products, compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. If the pack says ‘less sugar’, also check which reference product is named. | I want to know exactly what ‘less sugar’ means, even if that means choosing hagelslag instead of flakes. For around 50% of consumers, this clear reduction is the most important factor. |
| The whole lunch | Decide what role sweet sandwich filling will play in the lunchbox and what else you’ll pack. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends that children mainly eat foods from the Dutch Wheel of Five. | I don’t want the choice of chocolate sandwich filling to determine the rest of the lunch. For around 30% of consumers, the overall contents of the lunchbox come first. |
| Shape and ingredients | Check whether hagelslag is a suitable substitute for flakes, and read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you choose. | My child wants the familiar flake shape, or I need to avoid an ingredient listed on the label. For around 20% of consumers, this practical consideration is the deciding factor. |
AH Hagelslag melk minder suiker belongs to a different product category. Albert Heijn’s comparison with AH Melk hagelslag tells you nothing about the sugar content of a particular chocolate flake.
Decide whether hagelslag is an acceptable alternative for your child. If it has to be flakes, compare the labels of different flakes.
Different serving sizes can make packs difficult to compare. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing like-for-like products per 100 g.
Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. If the pack claims less sugar, check what product it is compared with.
A lower sugar content in a sandwich filling doesn’t tell you how balanced the whole lunch is. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends that children mainly eat foods from the Dutch Wheel of Five at breakfast and lunch.
So take a look at the other items in the lunchbox too, and vary the sandwich fillings.
Albert Heijn lists milk and lactose in AH Hagelslag melk minder suiker and says that product information may change.
If these ingredients are relevant to your child, check the current packaging of the exact variety you’re buying.
Albert Heijn offers AH Hagelslag melk minder suiker as an alternative for anyone willing to move away from chocolate flakes.
De Ruijter is worth considering if you’re specifically looking for chocolate flakes.
Jumbo offers its own chocolate flakes, as well as a separate milk chocolate hagelslag variety with less sugar.
Venz is one to look at if your child specifically wants chocolate flakes.
Choca appears in Jumbo’s chocolate flake range.
No. One feature of a sandwich filling doesn’t determine how balanced the whole lunch is. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends that children mainly eat foods from the Dutch Wheel of Five at breakfast and lunch. Consider sweet sandwich fillings alongside the rest of the lunchbox.
For comparable products, compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using this measure because serving sizes can vary. If a product claims to contain less sugar, also check which product it is being compared with.
No. AH Hagelslag melk minder suiker is hagelslag, not chocolate flakes. According to Albert Heijn, it contains 30% less sugar than AH Melk hagelslag. That comparison doesn’t automatically apply to chocolate flakes.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging of the variety you’ve chosen. Albert Heijn lists milk and lactose in AH Hagelslag melk minder suiker and says that product information may change.
