Who is this choice relevant to?

Parents packing a school lunch

A bake-at-home croissant needs to be prepared at home. Compare the preparation time and storage instructions with the time you have before leaving, so there’s no need to prepare lunch at school.

Families with an allergy or dietary requirement

Check the label on the exact variety for ingredients, allergens and ‘may contain’ statements. Jumbo’s product information, for example, shows that a plant-based croissant may contain wheat and gluten, while a gluten-free croissant may contain egg, milk and soya.

Pupils taking a croissant as part of their lunch

If the croissant isn’t the whole lunch, you can decide what to pack with it. The Voedingscentrum (Netherlands Nutrition Centre) includes wholegrain products, vegetables and fruit in its lunch checklist; the right additions depend on what else is in the lunch.

What should you look for when choosing?

Start with anything that could rule a product out, such as allergens. Then compare how much preparation it needs at home and the role the croissant will play in the lunch. Size or filling alone doesn’t prove that a croissant will be more substantial.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Allergens and dietary requirements Read the ingredients and allergen statement for the exact variety, including any ‘may contain’ information. Check whether the school has its own rules. If a pupil needs to avoid certain ingredients, I wouldn’t rely on ‘plant-based’ or ‘gluten-free’ alone. For around 22% of consumers, checking the specific product comes first.
Preparation Compare the preparation time, equipment needed and storage instructions on the packaging. On a busy morning, the croissant needs to be prepared at home, without relying on equipment at school. Around 28% of consumers give this practical consideration top priority.
Size and filling Check the weight per croissant and whether it has a filling; if it does, read the allergen information too. If you want something savoury or a particular size, the label ‘thick cut’ on its own isn’t enough. For around 22% of consumers, this product choice carries the most weight.
What else is in the lunch Compare the nutritional values per serving and per 100 g, and consider what else you’ll be packing. If the rest of my lunch is limited, I also look at the fibre content and what I’m taking alongside the croissant. For around 28% of consumers, the overall lunch is the first thing they consider.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming plant-based means allergen-free

    Jumbo lists wheat and gluten for its Croissant Plantaardig; the product may also contain milk, among other things. So the label ‘plant-based’ doesn’t answer every question about allergens.

    Read the allergen statement for the variety you’re buying, even if the product name seems to suit a dietary requirement.

  • Overlooking other allergens in a gluten-free product

    The gluten-free Consenza croissant listed by Jumbo contains egg, milk and soya, and may contain lupin, nuts and sesame.

    Check separately which allergens may be present and whether that information is suitable for the pupil.

  • Assuming a bake-at-home croissant is ready to eat

    Preparation varies by variety. Albert Heijn gives a baking time of 3–5 minutes at 200 °C for its part-baked croissants; the PLUS cheese croissant we looked at needs longer to cook after defrosting.

    Read the preparation and storage instructions before buying, and plan to prepare it at home.

  • Assessing the croissant separately from the rest of the lunch

    For an average 45 g croissant, the Voedingscentrum gives a fibre content of 1.1 g. Its lunch checklist also includes wholegrain products, vegetables and fruit.

    Check the nutritional information for the product you’ve chosen and decide what else you’d like to pack for lunch.

Brands to compare

These brands offer a range of croissant options. Always check the ingredients, allergens and preparation instructions for the specific variety you’re considering.

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn offers fresh, bake-at-home and frozen croissants, among other options.

  • AH’s product information lists a vegan, part-baked croissant with a baking time of 3–5 minutes at 200 °C.
  • This variety contains wheat. Albert Heijn notes that ingredient and allergen information may change, so check the packaging.

Jumbo

Jumbo offers, among other options, a plant-based bake-at-home croissant and a separate gluten-free Consenza product.

  • The product information lets you compare the allergens in these two varieties separately.
  • Jumbo’s plant-based variety contains wheat and gluten. The gluten-free Consenza variety contains egg, milk and soya.

Lidl

Lidl lists fresh-from-the-oven croissants and cheese croissants, and provides an ingredients and allergens overview for its fresh-from-the-oven range.

  • For a fresh-from-the-oven variety, you can use the range overview to look up the ingredient information.
  • Check which information applies to the exact variety; according to Lidl, the cheese croissant shown is only available in store.

ALDI

ALDI lists an individual fresh butter croissant as an in-store product.

  • Buying croissants individually lets you choose exactly how many you want.
  • If you have an allergy or dietary requirement, ask for the latest ingredient and allergen information for this product.

PLUS

PLUS lists both butter bake-at-home croissants and a cheese croissant.

  • For the butter variety we looked at, PLUS gives oven cooking instructions of 4–6 minutes at 200 °C or 4 minutes in an air fryer at 180 °C.
  • The butter variety contains wheat, spelt and milk; the cheese croissant we looked at also contains egg and soya.

Dirk

Dirk lists Délifrance frozen butter croissants, among other options, in a pack of six weighing 330 g.

  • The stated quantity and pack weight help you choose a pack that’s the right size.
  • For this frozen variety, check the preparation instructions and, if you have dietary requirements, the ingredients and allergens on the packaging.

Related Joybuy products

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Are regular croissants suitable if a pupil needs to avoid gluten?

Always check the exact variety: the regular croissants from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS that we looked at contain wheat and/or gluten-containing grains. A product sold as gluten-free still needs to be checked separately for other allergens.

Does plant-based also mean gluten-free?

No. Jumbo lists wheat and gluten for its Croissant Plantaardig; this variety may also contain milk, among other things. Read the allergen statement separately from the ‘plant-based’ label.

Should I check the secondary school’s rules?

Yes, if you want to know which rules apply at the pupil’s school. The Voedingscentrum advises parents to check whether the school has a food policy and what it says. Ask the school about any rules on bringing in food and allergens.

Is a croissant enough for a whole school lunch?

Assess the whole lunch, not just the croissant. For an average 45 g croissant, the Voedingscentrum lists 1.1 g of fibre, and its lunch checklist also includes wholegrain products, vegetables and fruit. Compare the nutritional information for the croissant you’ve chosen and decide what else you’d like to take with it.