Choose a currant bun if you’d like to serve something bread-like with your afternoon coffee; a box of chocolates is better suited to a gift or a treat to share. Neither choice alone tells you much about its nutritional value: compare the serving size, nutritional information and ingredients of the product you plan to offer.
For them, the make-up of a coffee-time snack may matter alongside the rest of what they eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre stresses that older people need enough energy and nutrients; what’s suitable varies from person to person.
If you’d like to bring something to share, a box of chocolates could be a tempting choice. Check which varieties it contains and how you plan to divide them up.
If someone has a food allergy, the information for the product you choose matters. Read the label on packaged chocolate or buns, and ask for allergen information when buying unpackaged bread.
First decide whether you’re looking for a bread-like snack to go with coffee or a gift to share. Then compare the amount you actually plan to serve with the nutritional information for the product you’ve chosen.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Nutritional value of a regular coffee-time snack | Compare fibre and protein per serving and per 100 g; also check which type of bun you’re buying. | If I regularly serve a bun with coffee, I want to know how it fits into the rest of the diet. For around 37% of consumers, this nutritional value is the top priority. |
| Sugars, saturated fat and salt | Compare the serving you plan to offer and check the corresponding values in the nutritional information. | If you pay attention to these nutritional values, you shouldn’t assume that a whole bun is equivalent to a piece of chocolate. For around 36% of consumers, this is the priority. |
| Gifting and sharing | Check which varieties are in the box, how you can divide them up, and which ingredients and allergens are listed. | When visiting someone for coffee, I want to be able to bring something guests can easily share. For around 27% of consumers, this matters most. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a 50 g currant bun contains an average of 15.9 g of sugars and 0.42 g of salt. The values for the bun you buy may differ.
Check the sugars, salt, fibre and protein per serving on the packaging instead of judging by the product name alone.
A piece of chocolate and a currant bun have different serving sizes and nutritional values. For reference, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists 1.4 g of saturated fat and 2.9 g of sugars for a 7 g square of dark chocolate; these values don’t apply to every box of chocolates.
Choose according to what you want to serve: a bread-like snack or a measured treat. For chocolate, check the nutritional information for the specific box.
Ingredients vary between buns and types of chocolate. This is especially important when you’re offering guests unpackaged buns or assorted chocolates.
For packaged products, read the label. Before buying unpackaged bread, ask for allergen information; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains what information sellers must provide.
A range that lets you compare different types of buns.
A useful option if you’d like to check the label on a specific raisin and currant bun.
An option for comparing a different type of bun with currant buns.
These products are chocolate options for an afternoon coffee-time treat. If you’d like to share them, decide on the serving size and check the ingredients of the product you choose; this list doesn’t include currant buns.
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A bag of chocolate sweets for sharing with coffee. Decide in advance how much you’ll serve, and check the ingredients on the packaging.
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A chocolate collection to take along if you’re bringing a little treat for coffee. The pack contains 125 g; check the ingredients and decide how much you’d like to serve.
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For sharing individually wrapped chocolate wafers with a salted caramel flavour. The pack contains 9 pieces; check the nutritional information and ingredients for this product.
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A crème brûlée-flavoured chocolate bar that you can break into pieces to serve with coffee. The bar weighs 150 g; choose your own serving size and read the nutritional information on the packaging.
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For serving dark chocolate with coffee. The pack contains 90 g; check the ingredients and decide how much you’d like to serve.
No, you can’t tell that from the type of product alone. A currant bun is a bread-like snack, but it also contains sugars and salt: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists an average of 15.9 g of sugars and 0.42 g of salt for a 50 g bun. Compare the actual serving size and the labels of the products you’re considering.
Choose a coffee-time snack to suit the people you’re hosting, not just their age. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre stresses the importance of getting enough energy and nutrients as you get older; a general product comparison isn’t enough if someone has specific dietary restrictions.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, iodine is added to this special baker’s salt. Check the ingredients list to see whether the bun you’ve chosen contains baker’s salt; that information alone doesn’t tell you how the product fits into someone’s overall iodine intake.
Ask for allergen information about the specific bun before buying it. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that sellers of unpackaged food must provide customers with information about the 14 designated allergens.
Decide in advance how many pieces you’d like to offer each person, and check the nutritional information for the box you’ve chosen. Don’t use the value for dark chocolate as a guide to all fillings or types of chocolate.
