If you want to take one portion with you
You’re looking for a snack you can eat without bread, a bowl or cutlery. Check that the product is actually an individually wrapped bar; a pack of chocolate flakes won’t do the same job.
Which product type is right for you?
If you use flakes as a topping at home
You have bread, yoghurt or porridge as a base and want to add chocolate flakes. Albert Heijn and Jumbo sell flakes as a sweet spread or topping, not as individually wrapped snack bars.
If you want to compare the label
You want to check the ingredients, sugars, fats or allergens before you buy. Compare nutrition information per 100 g, and check the current packaging for any ingredients you need to avoid.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you want a ready-to-eat snack or flakes to add to something at home. Then compare the packaging and the label.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to eat and easy to carry | Is it an individually wrapped bar, and how many portions are in the pack? | If I want to eat on the go without bread or cutlery, I need a ready-to-eat portion. Around 50% of consumers put this need first. |
| Flakes as a topping | Does the type of flakes you’ve chosen go with what you use as a base at home? Check the pack size too. | For a snack with bread, yoghurt or porridge, I want flakes to add to it. Around 30% of consumers mainly choose them for this use at home. |
| Nutrition information and allergens | Compare sugars and other nutritional values per 100 g; check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging. | If I avoid certain ingredients or want to compare nutritional values, the label is decisive. Around 20% of consumers give this check top priority. |
Common mistakes
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Mistaking flakes for a snack bar
The chocolate flakes sold by Albert Heijn and Jumbo are spreads or toppings. For an on-the-go snack, you’ll need bread, yoghurt or another base to go with them.
Look for an actual wrapped bar if you want something you can eat on its own; choose flakes when you’re looking for a topping to use at home.
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Assuming an oat bar is low in sugars
The name doesn’t tell you how much sugar or saturated fat a bar contains. An oat bar is also a different type of product from chocolate flakes, even if you use both as a snack.
Compare the nutrition information per 100 g. Also check the portion size if you want to know what’s in one bar; according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, manufacturers set their own portion sizes.
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Guessing allergens from the product name
A name such as chocolate flakes or oat bar doesn’t tell you what other ingredients may be present. This matters if you need to avoid a specific ingredient.
Read the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that prepacked products must show allergen information on the label.
Brands to consider
De Ruijter
De Ruijter Vlokfeest is a 200 g mix of chocolate flakes and vanilla-flavoured flakes.
- Albert Heijn’s product information suggests using them on bread, in yoghurt or in porridge.
- They’re a topping, not an individually wrapped bar. If you have an allergy, check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.
Albert Heijn
AH Mix flakes combines dark and white chocolate flakes in a 300 g pack.
- The flakes are intended as a spread or topping for a snack at home.
- They’re not a snack bar on their own. Albert Heijn’s product information lists 72 g of sugars per 100 g; check the current allergen information too.
Choca
Choca Vlokmix is a 200 g pack of flakes for use on bread or in yoghurt, among other things.
- Albert Heijn’s product information suggests using them on a slice of bread or in yoghurt.
- The mix isn’t a substitute for a portable bar. Albert Heijn lists 74 g of sugars per 100 g; check the packaging for allergen information too.
Jumbo
Jumbo has sold chocolate flakes as a sweet spread in 300 g packs, as well as an Appel & Haver Vlokken Reep bar in a pack of 5 × 30 g.
- The oat bar came in individually portioned pieces, making it a different type of product from sprinkles or flakes.
- Jumbo says this bar is no longer in its online range, so don’t count on it being available to buy now.
Portable snacks at Joybuy
These products are muesli bars and oat sticks for an easy-to-carry snack. Oat sticks aren’t snack bars, and chocolate flakes used as a topping are a different product altogether.
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Hero Coconut Muesli Bar, 6 pack
These individually wrapped muesli bars are a good fit if you want to take a snack with you without needing bread or cutlery.
The pack contains 6 bars. The information about nuts and peanuts is contradictory, so if you have an allergy, check the label on the packaging before choosing this bar.
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Hero B'Tween Muesli Bar Milk Chocolate, 150 g
This individually wrapped muesli bar is an option if you want to take one bar with you for a break.
The pack weighs 150 g. Check how many bars it contains and how much each bar weighs if portion size matters to your choice. The energy information gives a value per bar as well as per 100 g; check which basis is being used on the packaging before comparing them. Check the allergen information if you avoid peanuts or cereals containing gluten.
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Sultana Oat Sticks Chocolate, 150 g
The oat sticks are designed as a portable snack, but they’re sticks rather than a product described as individual bars.
The pack weighs 150 g. The product description says the sticks are packed in pairs; check how many sticks there are and the portion size if you want to take exactly one portion with you. If you avoid certain ingredients, check the allergen information on the packaging.
Frequently asked questions
Are chocolate flakes a snack you can eat on the go?
No. The chocolate flakes sold by Albert Heijn and Jumbo are spreads or toppings, not individually wrapped bars. If you want to eat without bread, yoghurt or cutlery, check that you’re choosing a ready-to-eat snack.
How do I compare an oat bar with chocolate flakes?
Compare the nutrition information per 100 g, but bear in mind that bars and flakes are used in different ways. Also check the ingredients and the nutritional information for one bar or the amount of flakes you use. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, manufacturers set their own portion sizes.
Where can I find allergen information for a wrapped bar or flakes?
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that prepacked products should show allergen information on the label. Check the current packaging if you need to avoid an ingredient, even if you’ve looked at the product information online before.