If your office lunch needs to be ready without an oven, choose croissants that can be served straight away; only opt for bake-at-home croissants if you can plan when to prepare and serve them. A smaller size makes it easier to plan portions, but doesn’t tell you how the croissants need to be prepared. Croissants are usually sold whole, so if you want to fill them, plan to cut them open rather than looking for ‘medium sliced’ as a croissant specification.
If lunch needs to be handed out at a set time, croissants that are ready to serve keep office preparation to a minimum. Just check that the product you choose is ready to eat: croissant dough in a pack requires a different plan.
If you have an oven and can set aside time for preparation, bake-at-home croissants may be an option. Follow the defrosting and baking instructions for your chosen product, and allow time between baking and serving.
If anyone attending has a food allergy, you’ll need information about the exact product before ordering or handing it out. For loose croissants, you can ask the seller for this information; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority also explains the information requirements for sellers of unpackaged food.
First decide whether the croissants need to be ready without any preparation. Then choose a size and check the product information for the whole lunch spread.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Most important for |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to serve | Check whether the croissants are ready to eat and how many you’ll need. | If lunch needs to be on the table without an oven, you won’t want to plan for preparation between ordering and serving. For around 42% of consumers considering croissants for an office lunch, serving them straight away is the top priority. |
| Allergens and storage | Ask for the allergen information for the exact product; if you’re adding perishable fillings, check the storage instructions too. | If colleagues need to avoid certain allergens or you’re filling the croissants in advance, you’ll want to know what you’re serving and how to store it. Around 33% of these consumers give this check top priority. |
| Size and nutritional information | Compare the weight of each croissant and the nutritional information per portion; consider whether you’d like to offer another bread option. | If you’re offering several lunch options, you’ll want to be able to plan portions and serve more than just croissants. This consideration matters most to around 25% of these consumers. |
A whole croissant is different from pre-sliced bread for lunch. If you want to serve filled croissants, remember to allow time to cut them open and consider the size of the ones you choose.
Order croissants based on their product type and weight per item. If needed, cut them open just before filling; if you’re looking for medium-sliced bread, choose a bread product instead.
A croissant range overview won’t necessarily give you information about the specific product you end up buying. Ingredients and allergen information can also change, as PLUS notes in its product information.
Check the current packaging or, for loose products, ask the seller for the allergen information for the exact product. Share this information with any colleagues who need it before handing out the croissants.
Bake-at-home products aren’t ready to serve straight away. PLUS gives both defrosting and baking instructions for its small butter croissant; instructions vary from product to product.
Check the packaging instructions before you buy, and plan for oven space, preparation and serving time. If there’s no oven available, choose a product that’s ready to serve.
A mini croissant is smaller per item, but that doesn’t tell you its nutritional value per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives figures for an average 45 g croissant, including 1.1 g of fibre and 5 g of saturated fat; these figures don’t apply to every individual product.
Compare the weight per item and nutritional information for the croissants you buy. If you’d also like to offer bread, consider a wholemeal option separately.
Albert Heijn has a croissant category with a range of different product types.
Jumbo offers a grocery delivery service and also publishes croissant recipes.
Lidl lists a butter croissant and a separate cheese croissant, among other products.
ALDI lists a loose butter croissant and also mentions mini butter croissants.
PLUS lists butter croissants in packs, as well as a small croissant with preparation instructions.
Dirk lists croissants in its search results, including packs from Danerolles and Délifrance.
Ask the seller for information about the exact product. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that sellers of unpackaged food must tell customers about any allergens present; pass this information on before handing out the croissants.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises keeping an opened croissant in a kitchen cupboard for two days, or in the freezer for one to three months. Before buying, also check the date and storage instructions on the specific packaging; how long pre-filled croissants keep will also depend on the filling.
Keep croissants with fillings that spoil quickly chilled. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends a fridge temperature of 4 °C for food that spoils quickly; also check the storage instructions for the filling you’re using.
No. The size of an individual croissant doesn’t tell you how its nutritional value per 100 g compares with wholemeal bread. Compare the nutritional information for the products you choose; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes wholemeal bread as a type of bread that’s high in fibre.
