If you have coeliac disease, choose crispbread or toast that is explicitly labelled gluten-free, and check the current packaging of your chosen chocolate sprinkles separately. A small portion may work just before a regular training session, but it isn’t a meal replacement. For long or intense exercise, you’ll also need to think about the rest of your food and fluid intake.
If you want to eat crispbread with chocolate sprinkles before exercise, you need to check that both the crisp base and your chosen topping are suitable for a gluten-free diet. Choosing gluten-free crispbread doesn’t automatically make the whole snack gluten-free.
If you’re short on time, consider whether a small portion sits comfortably, rather than having a meal just before training. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends eating a proper meal around 2 to 3 hours before exercise.
For long or intense exercise, one crispbread with a topping is no substitute for considering your overall carbohydrate and fluid intake. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre discusses these wider nutritional needs in relation to endurance training.
If you have coeliac disease, first check that both products are suitable for a gluten-free diet. Then consider the portion size and timing that work for your training, and only then compare the nutritional information of the options you’re left with.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free base and topping | Check the current packaging of both the crispbread or toast and the exact chocolate sprinkle variety. Look for the gluten-free label, ingredients and allergen information. | If I have coeliac disease, I want to choose both parts without relying on the product name. For around 36% of consumers, this check is the top priority. |
| Timing and portion size | Time your snack around your training and choose a portion you find comfortable if eating shortly before setting off. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends having a meal around 2 to 3 hours before exercise. | I want a small bite before setting off, without training on a full stomach. Around 29% of consumers prioritise the timing and size of their snack. |
| Nutrition for longer exercise | Check the carbohydrates per portion in the base and topping together, and consider the snack alongside your meals and drinks. | For a long or intense training session, I don’t want to rely on a sweet crispbread alone. Around 21% of consumers pay most attention to their nutrition throughout the entire session. |
| Topping and nutritional information | Compare the exact varieties for ingredients and nutritional information, including sugars, fats and fibre per portion. Keep checking gluten-free suitability separately. | Once both products are suitable, I also want a topping I enjoy, in a portion that works for me. Taste and nutritional information are the main considerations for around 14% of consumers. |
Ingredients vary between varieties. Albert Heijn’s product page for De Ruijter Hagelfeest lists wheat starch, and the allergen information includes wheat and gluten-containing cereals.
Check the packaging of the exact flavour and variety every time you buy it; don’t assume the same applies to an entire brand.
Even if the base is sold as gluten-free, the topping also determines whether the combined snack is suitable for someone with coeliac disease.
Read the current labels on both the crispbread or toast and the topping before combining them.
A small snack just before training serves a different purpose from a meal earlier in the day. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends having a meal around 2 to 3 hours before exercise.
Plan your meals and drinks around your training session. Keep any snack just before setting off small, and choose a portion you find comfortable.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre identifies bread made with added baker’s salt as an important source of iodine in the Netherlands. That doesn’t tell you which ingredients are in a particular gluten-free crispbread or toast.
Check the ingredients of the product you choose, and don’t assume it contains iodine based on the product category alone.
Schär offers Zwieback, a gluten-free toast you can top yourself.
Damhert makes gluten-free bread and bakery products that may be suitable alternatives to crispbread.
Jumbo sells a product called Lekker Vrij van Gluten Beschuit 120 g, which you can use as the base for a snack you put together yourself.
Albert Heijn lists gluten-free products in its range, including options you can use to put together your own snack.
No. Ingredients and allergen information vary between varieties. For example, Albert Heijn lists wheat starch and gluten-containing cereals for De Ruijter Hagelfeest. Always check the current packaging of the chocolate sprinkles you want to use.
A small portion that feels comfortable for you may work just before a regular training session. If you have around 2 to 3 hours, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends having a proper meal and a drink before exercise, rather than just a snack.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, sports bars and gels aren’t needed for exercise lasting less than an hour. For prolonged, intense exercise, you’ll need to consider your nutrition around the session more broadly than just crispbread with chocolate sprinkles.
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the term ‘gluten-free’ may be used when the food, as sold to the final consumer, contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kilogram. If you’re making a snack with a topping, check the packaging of both products separately.
No, you can’t assume this for every gluten-free crispbread or toast. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes bread made with added baker’s salt as a source of iodine in the Netherlands. For a specific product, check the ingredients on the packaging.
