Parents who want to choose the portion
A croissant can make a change from the usual breakfast. If you want to offer a small amount, the stated weight per croissant is more useful than a label such as ‘thick cut’.
Who are these considerations relevant to?
Parents who need to check allergens
If your child has a relevant allergy or dietary restriction, check the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any ‘may contain’ statements on the current packaging. If you’re packing food for school or childcare, check their rules too.
Parents weighing up everyday breakfast choices
If fibre, salt and the place of a croissant in breakfast matter to you, compare the nutritional information per 100 g as well as the amount you actually offer. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends wholemeal and brown bread for young children’s breakfast because of their fibre content.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide how much you want to offer, then check the label for nutritional value and allergens. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also advises against giving toddlers and young children pieces of food that are too large.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size | Compare the weight per croissant or per stated portion. A pack containing several croissants is not one toddler-sized portion. | If I want to offer a small amount, I need to know how big one croissant is. For around 43% of consumers, portion choice comes first. |
| Nutritional value | Check the fibre and salt per 100 g, and take the amount you offer into account when comparing products. | If I’m considering a croissant as a change from the usual breakfast, I don’t want to replace wholemeal bread with it without thinking. Around 29% of consumers give this consideration top priority. |
| Allergens and labelling | Read the current ingredients, highlighted allergens and any ‘may contain’ statements. If you’re packing food, ask about the school or childcare provider’s policy. | If my child has a relevant allergy or dietary restriction, I need to be able to check what’s in the croissant before serving it. For around 28% of consumers, this check is their main concern. |
Common mistakes
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Using ‘thick cut’ as a toddler-sized portion
The croissants discussed here are described by details such as weight, number of pieces and ingredients. ‘Thick cut’ doesn’t give you a comparable measure of how much to serve, nor does it prove that a piece of croissant is safe.
Use the weight per croissant if it’s stated, and offer an amount and piece size that suit your child.
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Treating a croissant as equivalent to wholemeal bread
A small croissant doesn’t automatically have the same nutritional value as wholemeal bread. When it comes to bread for young children, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre specifically points to the fibre in wholemeal and brown bread.
Check the fibre and salt on the croissant label, and consider it as part of the whole breakfast rather than judging it by size alone.
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Assuming ‘gluten-free’ means ‘wheat-free’
The gluten-free Damhert product described by Albert Heijn contains gluten-free wheat starch and lists wheat as an allergen. The two claims are not interchangeable.
If your child has a relevant dietary restriction, always check the current ingredients and allergen information, and follow the advice that applies to them.
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Assuming every croissant contains iodised salt
Ingredients vary from product to product. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in its AH Petit butter croissant; that doesn’t tell you anything about a different croissant.
If you want to know what type of salt a particular product contains, read the ingredients list on its packaging.
Brands to compare
These brands offer different types of product to compare by label and portion. The details listed apply to the products described, not every product made by each brand.
Albert Heijn
Loose butter croissants in different weights per piece for comparison.
- Albert Heijn states that the AH Petit butter croissant weighs 49 g and the AH Luxe butter croissant weighs 90 g.
- Each product has its own ingredients and allergen information; Albert Heijn says the packaging should be treated as the definitive source.
Jumbo
Pre-packed croissants that you can compare by number of pieces and stated portions.
- For the standard croissant described, Jumbo states 40 g per portion; for the butter version, it states 45 g per portion.
- Ingredients vary by version: the standard version also lists a small amount of alcohol. Check the packaging of the version you choose.
PLUS
A small, loose butter croissant and a packaged butter version to compare side by side.
- PLUS lists a small loose croissant and a 180 g pack of butter croissants.
- PLUS gives these products a Nutri-Score of E. Don’t use this rating as a substitute for comparing ingredients, portion size and nutritional value.
Dirk
Products in a range of pack sizes and weights, including bake-at-home and loose croissants.
- Dirk lists, among other options, four butter croissants weighing 180 g in total and a loose butter croissant weighing 65 g.
- A larger product or the name ‘Supercroissants’ doesn’t, on its own, tell you what portion is suitable for a toddler.
ALDI
A loose butter croissant from the bakery range.
- With a loose product, you can choose how many pieces you want.
- Check the weight, nutritional information and allergens of the croissant you take in store.
Lidl
Freshly baked products with a separate ingredients and allergen overview.
- Lidl publishes an ingredients and allergen overview for its freshly baked bread range.
- A cheese or ham and cheese croissant is a filled, savoury product; don’t compare it as though it were a plain croissant.
Croissants on Joybuy
This selection includes two packs of four croissants and a version labelled ‘mini’. For a toddler’s breakfast, compare the details on the current packaging: the number of pieces or the word ‘mini’ doesn’t, on its own, tell you how much to serve.
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SCHOOF Croissants, 4 pieces
A pack of four, so you can decide in advance how many croissants to offer.
Check the weight per piece on the packaging before choosing a portion. Check the ingredients and allergens there too.
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g'woon Butter Croissants, 4 pieces, 180 g
The stated pack size of four and pack weight of 180 g make it easier to compare packs.
Don’t base the portion on a calculated weight per croissant. Check the individual pieces and the current allergen information on the packaging.
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G'woon Mini Butter Croissants, 200 g
The word ‘Mini’ can help you identify this version, but without the weight per piece it doesn’t tell you how much you’re serving.
Check the pack weight, number of pieces and allergens on the current packaging before choosing this version.
Frequently asked questions
Is a ‘thick cut’ croissant better for a toddler?
You can’t tell from that label. For a toddler’s breakfast, compare the stated weight per piece, ingredients and nutritional information instead. The croissants discussed here don’t use ‘thick cut’ to provide a verifiable measure of portion size or safety.
Which allergens should I check in a plain croissant?
Always check the current packaging for wheat or other gluten-containing cereals, milk and egg, if these are relevant to your child. Also check for product-specific ‘may contain’ statements, for example for nuts, sesame or soya.
Is a gluten-free croissant also wheat-free?
Not necessarily. The gluten-free Damhert croissant described by Albert Heijn contains gluten-free wheat starch and lists wheat as an allergen. Check the current packaging against the specific dietary restriction.
Should I cut a croissant into pieces for a toddler?
Offer an amount and piece size that suit your child. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises in general that food for toddlers and young children should not be served in pieces that are too large, but doesn’t specify a set size for cutting croissants.