Choose a large pack of cornflakes for a toddler’s breakfast only if the ingredients and nutritional information suit what you want to serve, and you can use up the contents. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends offering children aged 1 to 3 wholegrain breakfast cereals with no added sugar or salt as part of a varied breakfast. A larger box tells you nothing about these qualities or about allergens.
If you regularly give breakfast cereal to a child aged 1 to 3, you can compare the label with the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s advice to vary breakfast with wholegrain cereals that contain no added sugar or salt.
If you buy cornflakes regularly, it helps to choose a pack size that suits the number of people eating and how often your family has breakfast cereal. A larger pack is less practical if your household often switches between different cereals.
If you need to take allergens into account or send breakfast cereal to nursery or school, check the label on the exact pack and ask in advance about the setting’s rules.
When choosing cornflakes for a toddler’s breakfast, start by checking the ingredients and nutritional information. Then decide what pack size would suit how your household uses them.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients and nutritional value | Check whether the cereal is wholegrain, and read the ingredients list and the sugar, salt and fibre values per 100 g. | If I want to serve cornflakes often at breakfast, I want to know how the ingredients compare with the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s advice for children aged 1 to 3. This is the main consideration for around 50% of consumers. |
| Pack size | Compare the pack size with how your household uses the product, and check the storage and use-by information. | I don’t want a large pack sitting open for a long time when we vary the breakfast cereals we eat. For around 33% of consumers, choosing a suitable pack size is the main concern. |
| Allergens and childcare | Read the allergen information, including any ‘may contain’ warnings, and ask about the rules at your nursery or school. | When I send cereal with my child, I want to know what the label says and what the childcare setting allows. This is the most important consideration for around 17% of consumers. |
Pack size tells you nothing about the ingredients. For children aged 1 to 3, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends wholegrain breakfast cereals with no added sugar or salt as one option to vary their breakfast.
Read the ingredients list and nutritional information per 100 g first; only then choose a pack size your household can use up.
Allergen information varies by product. Jumbo lists maize as an ingredient in Smaakt Bio Unsweetened Cornflakes, but also warns that it may contain cereals containing gluten.
Check the current label on the exact variety, including any ‘may contain’ warnings. If you’re sending it with your child, also ask about the nursery or school’s policy.
A multipack needs more storage space and is only practical if your family can use up the contents. For example, Bol listed a Kellogg's pack of 6 × 750 g; the pack size says nothing about the product’s nutritional value.
Consider how much cornflakes your household usually eats and read the storage instructions before buying several packs at once.
Kellogg's Corn Flakes is listed in both single packs and multipacks.
Jumbo has listed its own-brand cornflakes in a 500 g pack.
Golden Bridge is an ALDI own brand, with cornflakes listed in a 500 g pack.
Jumbo lists Smaakt Organic Unsweetened Cornflakes in a 300 g pack.
Albert Heijn lists standard, BASIC and organic cornflakes as separate products.
You can’t tell from the product name alone: check the ingredients and nutritional information on the exact pack. For children aged 1 to 3, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends oats, muesli or other wholegrain breakfast cereals with no added sugar or salt as part of a varied breakfast.
A large pack is practical if its size suits how much cornflakes your household uses and the storage instructions. If you often switch between different breakfast cereals, check whether you’ll be able to use up the pack after opening it.
You can’t tell from the product name alone; read the allergen information on the exact pack. For Smaakt Organic Unsweetened Cornflakes, Jumbo lists maize as an ingredient and also warns that the product may contain cereals containing gluten.
