Dark breakfast cake can be a carbohydrate snack around marathon training, but a cocoa flavour doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable to eat while running. Choose according to when you’ll eat it, the carbohydrates per portion and what you tolerate well during training. For chocolate and zero-sugar versions, check the fibre and polyol content too. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises limiting foods high in dietary fibre just before exercise.
If you’re prone to stomach or digestive problems when you eat shortly before running, pay particular attention to portion size and the amount of fibre and polyols. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against large portions and foods high in dietary fibre just before exercise.
For a long training run, you’ll want to know how many carbohydrates are in one piece and whether it’s practical to carry and eat on the go. Include the cake in your hydration plan, and try solid foods during a training session first.
A name featuring ‘choco’ or ‘dark’ doesn’t tell you how much cocoa a cake contains. If the cocoa content matters to you, check the stated proportion of chocolate or cocoa and the ingredients for the specific version you’re considering.
First decide whether you want to eat the cake just before your run, during it or at a regular mealtime. The same nutritional values could lead to a different choice depending on when you eat it.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Timing and tolerance | Compare the fibre per portion and, for products with sweeteners, check the polyol content and any warnings on the packaging. | If I’m going running soon after eating, I don’t want to choose an unfamiliar cake that could upset my stomach or digestion. For around 33% of consumers, comfort while running comes first. |
| Carbohydrates and portability | Check the carbohydrates per piece, the portion size and whether the packaging is practical to take with you. | On a long training run, I want to be able to fit the portions I take with me into my eating and drinking plan. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this planning. |
| Rich cocoa flavour | Read the ingredients and any stated percentages for chocolate or cocoa; don’t assume the cocoa content from the product name. | I like choosing a rich flavour, but I want to know how much cocoa the cake actually contains. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this flavour and ingredient preference. |
| Regular mealtime | When you’re not eating close to a run, compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion, including fibre, sugars and ingredients. | On a regular training day, I mainly want to know what’s in my usual slice, without automatically treating it as a snack for eating while running. For around 14% of consumers, this everyday choice matters most. |
A dark-sounding product name doesn’t prove that a cake contains a particular proportion of cocoa. Peijnenburg states that Tussendoor+ Choco with sweetener contains 4% chocolate and 2% cocoa beans; that doesn’t automatically make it a high-cocoa option.
Compare the stated cocoa and chocolate ingredients with the flavour you’re looking for, and check the nutritional information per portion too.
Peijnenburg states that Tussendoor+ Choco contains 16 g of fibre and 19 g of polyols per 100 g, and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. This is worth bearing in mind if you want to eat the cake shortly before or during a run.
Try your chosen version during a regular training session first, and take your own tolerance into account.
A cake on its own isn’t a complete plan for prolonged exercise. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre considers both carbohydrates and fluids as part of nutrition for endurance sport.
Plan your portions and drinks together for the run you want to use them for.
According to Jumbo, its wholemeal breakfast cake contains rye and wheat. The Snelle Jelle Krachtige kruidkoek listed by PLUS contains rye and may also contain milk and nuts, among other allergens. Spiced cake is not necessarily the same product as breakfast cake, either.
Check the current allergen information on the exact pack you’re buying.
Compare specific products: a wholemeal breakfast cake, an individually wrapped cake and a chocolate snack may have different ingredients and portion sizes.
Peijnenburg offers sliced wholemeal breakfast cake and individually wrapped products, among other options. Tussendoor+ Choco is a separate chocolate snack.
Krachtige kruidkoek naturel is sold in individual portions in a 5-pack. It’s a spiced cake, not a proven dark breakfast cake option.
Albert Heijn’s own-brand range includes sliced wholemeal breakfast cake and a zero-sugar version.
Jumbo sells a wholemeal breakfast cake with nutritional values and allergen information listed for the product.
ALDI lists sliced wholemeal breakfast cake and a sliced zero-sugar version under this brand, both in 485 g packs.
No, the name alone doesn’t tell you the cocoa content. Check the ingredients and any stated percentages. Peijnenburg lists 4% chocolate with sweetener and 2% cocoa beans in Tussendoor+ Choco, but this doesn’t establish a high cocoa content.
It depends on the portion, the timing and what you tolerate during training. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against eating a large meal in the two hours before a race, and recommends avoiding foods high in fat, protein or dietary fibre just before exercise.
Use the carbohydrates in the portion you actually eat as part of your overall eating and drinking plan, rather than relying only on the value per 100 g. For intensive endurance exercise lasting 1 to 2,5 hours, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends 30 to 60 g of fast-absorbing carbohydrates per hour. That doesn’t mean you should get all of them from breakfast cake.
Check the ingredients and any iodine information on the packaging you’ve chosen. The product category alone won’t tell you how much iodine it contains. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority describes baker’s salt as a way of adding iodine compounds to bakery products, but this information doesn’t give the iodine content of a specific breakfast cake.
