Who might find these options useful?

If you’re looking for a simple oat base

You want to choose organic wholegrain rolled oats or oatmeal and decide for yourself what to add to your breakfast. Compare the ingredients list and nutritional information for the product you buy.

If you keep track of carbohydrates per serving

You want to be able to include the carbohydrates in your whole breakfast in your personal diabetes plan. According to diabetes.nl, eating carbohydrates raises blood glucose, so looking at sugars alone doesn’t give you the full picture.

If you prefer crunchy flakes

You prefer the texture of cornflakes, but don’t want to swap them for wholegrain oats without comparing the two. Check fibre, carbohydrates, ingredients and allergens too.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether you’re mainly looking for a wholegrain base, a clear picture of carbohydrates per serving or a crunchy texture. Then compare the label of the option you’ve chosen.

What to consider What to check when buying Who is this most important for?
Wholegrains and fibre Check the main ingredient and compare the amount of fibre per 100 g and per serving of your choice. If I want a simple base to which I can add my own ingredients, wholegrain oats and fibre come first. Around 46% of consumers put this need at the top of their list.
Carbohydrates per serving Compare the carbohydrates per 100 g and calculate the amount in your serving. Include the other ingredients in your breakfast too. I want to be able to fit breakfast into my personal carbohydrate plan, even if a product contains no added sugar. For around 36% of consumers, this is the most important consideration.
Crunchy flakes Compare fibre and carbohydrates with wholegrain oats. If you have allergies, check the ingredients and allergen information too. If I prefer cornflakes to oatmeal, I want to know the nutritional values and ingredients that come with that choice. This preference is the deciding factor for around 18% of consumers.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming organic means suitable for diabetes

    According to the European Commission, the EU organic logo may be used on products certified as organic by an approved control body. The logo tells you nothing about carbohydrates, fibre or serving size.

    Use the organic label to assess how a product was made, and check the nutritional information separately when deciding what to eat.

  • Checking only for added sugar

    No added sugar doesn’t mean a product is low in carbohydrates. Albert Heijn lists AH Biologisch Cornflakes as containing 80 g of carbohydrates per 100 g.

    Compare the carbohydrates in the serving you eat, and include milk, yoghurt, fruit or other additions in your total breakfast.

  • Treating cornflakes and wholegrain oats as equivalent bases

    According to Albert Heijn, the AH Biologisch Cornflakes studied contain 5 g of fibre and 80 g of carbohydrates per 100 g. AH Biologisch Havermout fijne vlokken is listed as containing 10 g of fibre and 59 g of carbohydrates per 100 g. These values apply to these specific products.

    If fibre is your priority, compare the oat option with the cornflakes before choosing based on texture.

  • Assuming organic oats are gluten-free

    An organic label doesn’t mean a product is gluten-free. If you have coeliac disease or a relevant allergy, ingredient information and possible cross-contamination may affect your choice.

    Check the gluten-free label and allergen information on the current packaging. If you have coeliac disease, ask your healthcare professional which oat products may be suitable for you.

Brands compared

Albert Heijn / AH Biologisch

The AH Biologisch products studied include both rolled oats and cornflakes.

  • According to Albert Heijn, AH Biologisch Havermout fijne vlokken consists of wholegrain rolled oats and contains 10 g of fibre per 100 g.
  • According to Albert Heijn, the organic cornflakes studied contain 5 g of fibre and 80 g of carbohydrates per 100 g. The organic label doesn’t make the nutritional values of the two products the same.

Jumbo

The Jumbo options studied are organic wholegrain rolled oats and oatmeal.

  • Jumbo lists its organic wholegrain rolled oats as containing 12 g of fibre and 54 g of carbohydrates per 100 g.
  • The product contains oats and may carry a warning about possible cross-contamination with other allergens. Check the packaging if allergens or gluten are important to your choice.

Lidl / Crownfield

Lidl lists a Crownfield product containing organic oatmeal in a 500 g pack.

  • This is an oat option to consider when comparing organic products.
  • Check the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens on the pack before choosing this option for a specific dietary goal.

ALDI / Golden Bridge

Golden Bridge at ALDI includes fine and coarse wholegrain oatmeal, among other products. The wider breakfast cereal range also includes products with several ingredients.

  • Wholegrain oatmeal is a separate product category from muesli and cornflakes.
  • Check each pack to see whether the product is organic and which ingredients and nutritional values it lists.

Kellogg's

The Kellogg's Cornflakes studied are a cornflake option, not a verified organic oat product.

  • The ingredients list and nutritional information give you useful points of comparison with organic options.
  • For these Kellogg's Cornflakes, Albert Heijn lists sugar among the ingredients, along with 84 g of carbohydrates, 8 g of sugars and 3 g of fibre per 100 g.

Products at Joybuy

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Is an organic breakfast product automatically suitable if you have diabetes?

No. Organic certification relates to how a product is made, not its carbohydrate content or whether it suits someone’s personal dietary plan. Compare the nutritional information and the serving you plan to eat.

Is it enough to check the sugars in breakfast cereal?

No. Check the total amount of carbohydrates per serving too: according to diabetes.nl, eating carbohydrates raises blood glucose. The claim ‘no added sugar’ doesn’t answer that question.

Can oatmeal fit into a lower-carbohydrate eating plan?

It depends on the serving, the rest of your meal and your personal treatment. The Diabetes Fonds advises people with diabetes to discuss a lower-carbohydrate or low-carbohydrate eating plan with a doctor and dietitian, as medication may also need to be considered.

Are organic oats automatically gluten-free?

No. The organic label tells you nothing about gluten or possible cross-contamination during processing. If you have coeliac disease, check the gluten-free label and allergen information on the current packaging, and discuss your choice of oat products with your healthcare professional.