For a typical school day, wholemeal or brown bread makes a better lunch base. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, these are better bread choices than white bread because they contain more fibre, while croissants are best saved for an occasional treat. If you do want to pack a croissant, check the ingredients and allergens for each product: a name featuring seeds does not prove that it is wholemeal, and gluten-free does not mean free from other allergens.
You’re looking for something a fussy eater will be happy to take to school, without making croissants a regular lunch staple. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends choosing mostly foods from the Wheel of Five for school lunches.
You need to know which ingredients are relevant to your child. PLUS product information shows that standard croissants may contain wheat, gluten and milk; egg is also listed for the small variety reviewed.
You want to know before the school morning whether you’re buying pre-baked croissants or chilled dough. Preparation and storage requirements vary, according to product information from PLUS and Danerolles.
First decide whether the croissant is a change from your usual lunch, then check the allergens, and only after that choose an option that fits your morning routine.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday lunch base | Check whether you’re choosing wholemeal or brown bread, or a croissant for a change. Don’t assume a product is wholemeal just because its name mentions seeds. | If a croissant seems easier to pack than bread, I still want to choose a suitable base for ordinary school days. Around 42% of consumers prioritise this lunch base. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information, including any warnings about traces. Check the school’s policies too. | If my child needs to avoid certain ingredients, I don’t want to rely on the product name. Around 33% of consumers prioritise checking allergens. |
| Preparation and packing | Check whether the croissant is ready to eat or needs baking, and follow the relevant storage instructions. | On a busy morning, I want to pack something my child will enjoy without any unexpected preparation. This is the main consideration for around 25% of consumers. |
The name AH Meerzaden croissant doesn’t tell you which flour has been used. Seeds and wholemeal flour are not interchangeable product descriptions.
If wholemeal matters to you, look for wholemeal flour on the packaging and compare the fibre per 100 g with the bread you would otherwise pack.
The Consenza croissants listed by PLUS are described as suitable for a gluten- and wheat-free diet, but according to that product information they also contain egg and soya, and may contain traces of sesame, lupin and nuts.
Read the full, up-to-date allergen information and follow your child’s individual guidance and the school’s policies.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre considers wholemeal and brown bread better bread choices because of their fibre, and recommends saving croissants for an occasional treat.
If it suits your child, use bread as the base for ordinary school days and treat a croissant as a change rather than an equivalent substitute.
Pre-baked croissants and chilled croissant dough need different preparation. For the dough reviewed, Danerolles states, among other things, that it must be kept chilled and must not be eaten raw.
Check the preparation method and storage instructions before you buy, so you can make sure baking fits the time and equipment you have available.
The AH Meerzaden croissant is a seeded option to compare with a standard croissant.
At PLUS, you can compare small in-store croissants and pre-baked butter croissants with the listed Consenza option for a gluten- and wheat-free diet.
Danerolles offers chilled croissant dough that you shape and bake at home.
Dirk lists 1 de Beste butter croissants in a pack of four, weighing 180 g in total.
ALDI lists a fresh butter croissant sold individually as an in-store option.
These Joybuy products offer a choice between a pack of several croissants, croissants to bake at home and an individually wrapped croissant that’s ready to take with you. Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for each product separately; none of these options can be considered wholemeal based on its name.
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A butter croissant to consider as a change from your usual lunch; the pack contains four, with a total weight of 180 g.
For a school lunch, check the latest allergen information and instructions on the packaging, especially if preparation or avoiding specific ingredients is important.
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An option for anyone who wants to bake the croissants at home and has the time and equipment to do so before setting off. The pack contains four.
Read the preparation instructions before the school morning. Check the latest allergen information too; wheat is listed as an ingredient in this product.
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An individually wrapped 85 g croissant that, according to the product description, is ready to eat without baking at home.
The product description lists wheat, gluten, egg and milk. It also warns that the colourings E102 and E110 may have an adverse effect on children’s activity and attention; bear this warning in mind when choosing a school lunch. Check the latest packaging and nutritional information.
Not as a regular replacement for wholemeal or brown bread. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends choosing mostly foods from the Wheel of Five for school lunches and considers wholemeal and brown bread better bread choices because of their fibre. It recommends saving croissants for an occasional treat.
No. The name doesn’t tell you which flour has been used. Albert Heijn lists an AH Meerzaden croissant, but check the latest ingredients list to see whether wholemeal flour is specifically mentioned.
Don’t assume so: the standard croissants reviewed from PLUS and Danerolles list wheat and cereals containing gluten. Look for a product specifically labelled as suitable for a gluten- and wheat-free diet, and check the latest packaging for other allergens too.
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for prepacked croissants should be shown on the label. If you’re buying an unpackaged product, ask the seller how you can check the allergen information.
Check whether you’re buying pre-baked croissants or chilled dough. For the pre-baked butter croissants reviewed, PLUS recommends 4–6 minutes in the oven or 4 minutes in the air fryer. The Danerolles dough reviewed must be kept chilled and baked, and must not be eaten raw. Follow the instructions on the packaging for the product you choose.
