If you’re looking for a sugar-conscious breakfast around marathon training, you can compare lower-sugar chocolate sprinkles as a topping, but don’t confuse that claim with sugar-free. According to product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo, the Céréal, Jumbo and AH varieties discussed here contain 7.7 g, 42.6 g and 43 g of sugars per 100 g respectively. For a breakfast before a run, consider the whole meal, when you eat it and what you find comfortable to digest. Céréal also lists 40 g of polyols per 100 g and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
If you have a long training session ahead, think of chocolate sprinkles as part of your breakfast rather than as a complete fuelling plan. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also highlights the importance of planning meals and drinks when exercising.
You want to keep eating chocolate sprinkles while being able to tell from the label how much sugar a product contains. Product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo shows why a claim such as ‘less sugar’ doesn’t mean sugar-free.
If you’re considering a different topping around a training session, check the ingredients, allergens, portion size and timing as well as the sugars. Céréal warns that excessive consumption of its chocolate sprinkles may have a laxative effect.
Start by considering your whole breakfast and when you’ll be running. Then compare the sugars per 100 g in the chocolate sprinkles, and check the ingredients and any warnings if you’re trying a new variety.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast and timing | Check the carbohydrates in the whole meal and plan when you’ll eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre discusses meal planning around exercise. | When I’m planning a long training session, I don’t want to rely on the topping alone to put my breakfast together. For around 36% of shoppers, the meal and timing are the main considerations. |
| Sugar-free or lower in sugar | Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g; if you need a strictly sugar-free option, use a maximum of 0.5 g per 100 g as your limit. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list higher amounts for the lower-sugar varieties discussed here. | When I’m specifically looking for sugar-free chocolate sprinkles, I want to see the amount on the label, not just a reduction claim. This check is the top priority for around 29% of shoppers. |
| Ingredients and tolerance | Check the ingredients, allergens and warnings. Céréal lists 40 g of polyols per 100 g and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. | Before a long run, I want to know whether a new topping contains ingredients I should bear in mind. This is the main consideration for around 21% of shoppers. |
| Availability | Check the current product page or in-store range before relying on a particular variety. | If I want to buy the same topping for back-to-back training sessions, it needs to be available at my chosen shop. Availability is the main consideration for around 14% of shoppers. |
Product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo lists 7.7 g, 42.6 g or 43 g of sugars per 100 g for the lower-sugar chocolate sprinkles discussed here. So, comparing a product with a regular variety doesn’t mean it contains hardly any sugar.
If sugar-free is essential to your choice, check the ‘of which sugars’ amount per 100 g on the packaging.
Céréal Hagelslag Puur also lists 40 g of polyols per 100 g and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. This is useful information if you’re planning to eat a different topping before a run.
Check the ingredients and warnings as well as the nutritional information. Don’t try a new topping for the first time just before a long run.
The sugar content of a topping doesn’t tell you what the rest of your meal contains or when you’ll eat it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre covers carbohydrates and meal planning in the context of exercise.
Think of chocolate sprinkles as part of your breakfast, and consider the whole meal and when you eat it.
A product page doesn’t necessarily tell you whether you’ll be able to buy the same variety next time. The Jumbo page for Hagelslag Melk Minder Suiker 200 g stated that it was no longer in the online range.
Check current availability at the shop where you plan to buy it.
Céréal Hagelslag Puur is a lower-sugar variety, not sugar-free chocolate sprinkles.
AH Hagelslag Puur Minder Suiker is a supermarket own-brand option for comparing sugars per 100 g.
Jumbo Hagelslag Melk Minder Suiker is a milk chocolate variety in the supermarket’s own-brand range.
De Ruijter is worth considering if you want to compare regular milk or dark chocolate sprinkles with a lower-sugar variety.
Jumbo’s chocolate sprinkles range includes Venz products, such as milk chocolate and Rimboe varieties.
Kiekeboe is ALDI’s own brand, with products including regular milk and dark chocolate sprinkles.
No. ‘Less sugar’ is a comparison, while a strictly sugar-free choice means checking the amount of sugars in the product itself. For the Céréal, Jumbo and AH varieties discussed here, Albert Heijn and Jumbo list 7.7 g, 42.6 g and 43 g of sugars per 100 g respectively; none of these amounts is 0.5 g per 100 g or less.
Pay particular attention to the ingredients and the warning about excessive consumption before choosing this topping before a long run. Céréal lists 40 g of polyols per 100 g and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. It’s best not to try a new topping for the first time just before a run like this.
The sugar content of chocolate sprinkles alone doesn’t determine how to plan a meal around marathon training. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre discusses carbohydrates during prolonged exercise, so consider the whole meal, when you eat it and what you find comfortable to digest. Don’t treat chocolate sprinkles as a complete training plan.
Plan it as a complete meal and allow enough time before your training session. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre suggests having a proper meal around two to three hours before exercise. If you’re eating closer to your run, your portion size and what you find comfortable to digest become especially important.
