Who is this choice relevant to?

Fans of cocoa flavours

You’re looking for something to pack in your gym bag and want to check the label to see whether it actually contains cocoa or chocolate. A chocolate-flavoured bar and ordinary breakfast cake aren’t necessarily the same thing.

Sports enthusiasts who want to choose their portion

You want to take one bar with you, or cut off an amount of breakfast cake at home that suits what you plan to eat.

Shoppers comparing ingredients

You look beyond the front of the packaging and compare things such as sugars, fibre and sweeteners. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises checking more than just the front of the label when choosing a snack.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether cocoa is essential or simply a flavour preference. Then choose a packaging format and compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion.

What to consider What to check when buying Who is this most important to?
Cocoa and flavour Look for cocoa or chocolate in the ingredients list and check whether a percentage is given. A dark appearance isn’t an indication of cocoa content. If I’m specifically looking for a cocoa flavour, I want to base my choice on the ingredients rather than the packaging. Around 40% of consumers put this flavour check first.
Portion to take with you Check the weight of each piece and whether portions are individually wrapped. If you’re taking sliced breakfast cake, you can pack slices separately in advance. For a snack in my gym bag, I want to decide in advance how much to take without having to cut it on the go. For around 30% of consumers, having that choice of portion is the deciding factor.
Nutritional information Compare carbohydrates, sugars and fibre per 100 g and per portion. For a bar containing sweeteners, check the ingredients and any warnings too. When I compare products, I want to know how much sugar, fibre and carbohydrate my portion contains. Around 30% of consumers put this comparison first.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming dark packaging means a high cocoa content

    A product can look chocolatey without telling you how much cocoa it contains. Peijnenburg states that its Tussendoor+ Choco bar contains 4% chocolate with sweetener and 2% cocoa beans; this doesn’t support a claim of high cocoa content.

    Check the ingredients and any percentages before choosing a product for its cocoa content.

  • Assuming ‘no added sugars’ means you can eat as much as you like

    That claim doesn’t tell you everything about the nutritional value or other ingredients. Peijnenburg says its Tussendoor+ Choco bar contains polyols and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

    Compare the nutritional information per portion and per 100 g, and read the warnings on the packaging too.

  • Taking a large pack without planning your portions

    Sliced breakfast cake lets you choose how much to take, but it needs more preparation than an individually wrapped bar if you’re taking it on the go.

    Pack the slices you want separately in advance, or choose an individually wrapped option if that’s more practical for you.

Brands to compare

Peijnenburg

Peijnenburg makes classic breakfast cake as well as individually wrapped snack bars. Tussendoor+ Choco is a cocoa-related bar, not necessarily a dark breakfast cake.

  • According to Peijnenburg’s product information, this specific bar contains chocolate with sweetener and cocoa beans; nutritional values are also given per portion.
  • The listed ingredients don’t support a high cocoa content. For this bar, also read the warning about excessive consumption of polyols.

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn offers products including AH plain and wholemeal sliced breakfast cake, as well as spiced cake bars.

  • The different formats give you a way to compare sliced breakfast cake with a bar.
  • Don’t assume the range includes a high cocoa content. Albert Heijn notes that product information can change, so check the current packaging.

Jumbo

Jumbo lists 475 g of sliced Naturel Ontbijtkoek as an example of standard sliced breakfast cake.

  • The sliced format is useful if you want to take your own slices with you.
  • Don’t choose this plain variety to satisfy a craving for cocoa without checking the ingredients first.

Koek & Bakker

ALDI lists a 485 g pack of pre-sliced wholemeal breakfast cake from Koek & Bakker.

  • You can pack the pre-sliced portions separately at home to take with you.
  • The product listing doesn’t confirm that it contains cocoa. Check the current packaging if that matters to you.

PLUS

PLUS offers its own-brand breakfast cake, including plain and ginger varieties, alongside products from Peijnenburg.

  • The varieties mentioned give you different types of breakfast cake to compare by ingredients and packaging.
  • PLUS warns that ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change. Use the current packaging to help you decide.

Breakfast cake for taking a portion with you

This selection features standard breakfast cake in a 4-pack. Check the current packaging for a cocoa flavour and the nutritional information for your portion; the product name alone doesn’t tell you either.

Peijnenburg Pearl Candy 4-Pack breakfast cake

Peijnenburg Pearl Candy 4-Pack

An option if you want to take a portion of standard breakfast cake with you and cocoa isn’t essential. The product name specifies a 4-pack; check the packaging for the ingredients and nutritional information for the portion you choose.

View at Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Does ‘dark’ on breakfast cake mean it contains a lot of cocoa?

No, you can’t tell the cocoa content from the word ‘dark’ alone. Check whether cocoa or chocolate is listed in the ingredients and whether a percentage is given. Peijnenburg states that Tussendoor+ Choco contains 4% chocolate with sweetener and 2% cocoa beans, but doesn’t present the bar as breakfast cake with a high cocoa content.

Is a breakfast cake bar suitable for every training session?

Not necessarily: the right portion and timing depend on your activity and what else you eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre notes that exercising on a full stomach can affect your performance, so don’t choose a snack solely because it’s easy to pack in your gym bag.

Should you still check the label if it says ‘no added sugars’?

Yes, compare the ingredients and nutritional information too. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against relying only on the front of the packaging. Peijnenburg states that Tussendoor+ Choco contains polyols and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.

Can you assume that all breakfast cake contains iodine?

No, a general statement about baker’s salt doesn’t tell you which ingredients are in a particular breakfast cake. Check the current packaging or ask the manufacturer about the ingredients if iodine content is important to your choice.