Start with the basics of a school lunch: if you’re choosing rusks, check that the variety is explicitly wholemeal, or choose bread labelled ‘wholemeal’ if you’d like to include bread with seeds. Visible seeds alone don’t prove that bread is wholemeal. Treat chocolate sprinkles as a sweet topping, check the portion, read the allergen information on both packs and follow the school’s rules.
Seeds add a different texture, but they don’t determine whether bread is wholemeal. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends looking for the ‘wholemeal’ label if that’s the type of bread you want.
If you’d like to include chocolate sprinkles, check the nutritional information per 100 g as well as the portion you use. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre classifies chocolate sprinkles as outside the Wheel of Five.
Read the information on both the pack of the base and the pack of the topping. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens are listed on labels; also check what rules apply at your child’s school.
First, decide whether you want to pack rusks or bread as the base. Then choose your chocolate sprinkles based on portion size, nutritional information and allergens. Finally, check that the lunch fits the school’s rules.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal base | For bread with seeds, look for ‘wholemeal’ on the pack; check the label on the rusks themselves. If you like, compare the fibre content per 100 g. | If seeds make lunch more appealing, I still want to know which grain forms the base. For around 36% of consumers, wholemeal content and fibre are the main priorities. |
| Sweet topping and portion | Check the sugar content per 100 g and how much chocolate sprinkles you actually use. For lower-sugar varieties, check the ingredients too. | I want to include chocolate sprinkles without losing sight of the sweet topping. Around 29% of consumers give the choice of topping and portion size the highest priority. |
| Allergens and school rules | Read the allergen information for both the base and the topping, including any relevant warnings, and check the school’s rules. | If an allergen or school rule is a factor, the entire packed lunch needs to meet those requirements. For around 21% of consumers, this is their main concern. |
| Pack size and availability | Choose a pack size that suits how you’ll use it at home, and check the latest product information before buying. | For a regular school lunch, I don’t want to choose a large pack that won’t get used up. Around 14% of consumers put practical pack size first. |
Seeds can add texture, but they don’t show that bread is made with wholemeal flour. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, it’s the ‘wholemeal’ label on the bread pack that tells you which type of flour has been used.
Check the type of bread separately from any mention of seeds and kernels; for rusks, read the label on the specific variety.
Comparing one type of chocolate sprinkles with another doesn’t tell you how much sugar is in the portion you’ve chosen. The label also doesn’t change the fact that, according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, chocolate sprinkles are outside the Wheel of Five.
Check the nutritional information per 100 g, decide on a portion size and check the ingredients in the variety you’re buying.
Information on the topping tells you nothing about allergens in the rusks or bread. A ‘gluten-free’ label on one pack doesn’t rule out other listed allergens either.
Check both packs and, if relevant allergens are involved, make sure the lunch meets the school’s rules.
A larger pack is only practical if you’ll use the chocolate sprinkles at home before their shelf life becomes an issue.
Compare the pack size with how often chocolate sprinkles are on the menu, and follow the storage instructions on the pack.
A pack that doesn’t get used up can lead to waste.
The differences below relate to the specific chocolate sprinkle varieties mentioned, not every product from each brand. For a school lunch, always check the pack of the variety you’re buying.
De Ruijter Specials Intens Puur is an option if you’re specifically comparing dark chocolate sprinkles.
Venz offers milk chocolate sprinkles for anyone looking for this variety.
AH Hagelslag melk minder suiker is a variety for anyone wanting to make a specific sugar comparison.
Jumbo offers, among other things, dark chocolate sprinkles in a 600 g pack, as well as other varieties.
Lidl lists Mister Choc Hagelslag puur in a 600 g pack as a store product.
ALDI lists Kiekeboe Hagelslag XXL in milk and dark varieties.
These Joybuy products include chocolate sprinkles as a topping and one loaf of bread as a possible base for a school lunch. Choose rusks or bread with seeds separately by checking the label: the bread shown isn’t labelled as bread with seeds.
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A dark chocolate sprinkle variety to compare if you’re looking for a sweet topping for a school lunch. Check the pack size before buying: the product information also lists a different size.
Before packing, check the latest allergen information and decide how much chocolate sprinkles you want to include.
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Another dark chocolate sprinkle variety to consider if you’re weighing up flavour and pack size. Compare the nutritional information and check the allergens on the current pack.
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Dark chocolate sprinkles to consider if you’re also looking for a 400 g pack. Check the nutritional information and, when checking allergens for this variety, look out for any warnings about wheat.
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Milk chocolate sprinkles for anyone wanting to include this flavour as a topping. For this variety, pay particular attention to the milk, lactose and soya information, and compare the nutritional information with the portion you use.
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A bread option if you’re looking for a base to go with chocolate sprinkles; this product isn’t labelled as bread with seeds. Check the ingredients if you need to avoid wheat or gluten.
The bread needs to be defrosted and baked. Follow the preparation instructions on the current pack, as the stated cooking times vary.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread labelled ‘wholemeal’ is made from 100% wholemeal flour; seeds and kernels don’t prove this. Check for that label on the bread, and check the label on the specific variety of rusks you’ve chosen.
Chocolate sprinkles can be the sweet topping in a lunch, but they’re not included in the Wheel of Five, according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Consider the portion you use and choose your rusk or bread base separately.
Check the allergens on both packs, based on what the pupil needs to avoid. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that, when ingredients come from gluten-containing cereals, the type of cereal must be listed in the ingredients. Also check for information about milk and soya, among other allergens, and any warnings on the products you’ve chosen.
Follow the storage instructions and use-by or best-before information on the current pack. The Venz and AH varieties described by Albert Heijn say to store in a cool, dry place; check the instructions for the variety you buy.
