If portion convenience is your priority during a night shift, choose an individually wrapped bar. Compare sliced zero and wholegrain breakfast cake separately for sugar, fibre and ingredients. If you’re mainly looking for a cocoa flavour, check the cocoa or chocolate content: Peijnenburg states that its Tussendoor+ Choco bar contains 4% chocolate with sweetener and 2% cocoa beans. The name or dark colour alone is no proof of a high cocoa content.
If you want to pop a snack in your bag without having to cut it, an individually wrapped bar can be handy. Peijnenburg wraps its Tussendoor+ Choco bars individually; each bar weighs 36.7 g.
If sugar, fibre or sweeteners influence your choice, the front of the pack won’t tell you the whole story. Compare the nutritional values per 100 g and per portion, and read the ingredients list, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises.
If you want cocoa or chocolate rather than just a spiced breakfast cake, check the ingredients and any stated percentages. Peijnenburg’s chocolate bar contains both, but that alone doesn’t make it a high-cocoa product.
Decide what matters most during your night shift: a portion that’s easy to take with you, the nutritional information or the cocoa flavour. Then check the exact variety on the packaging.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who does this matter to? |
|---|---|---|
| Portion convenience | Check whether the cake is individually wrapped and how many grams a portion weighs; you may need to wrap pre-sliced pieces yourself. | If I don’t want to cut anything or take it out of a large pack during my break, I’d rather choose a portioned bar. For around 40% of consumers, convenience on the go comes first. |
| Sugar, fibre and sweeteners | Compare sugar and fibre per 100 g and per portion, and check which sweeteners are used. | When I’m choosing between zero and wholegrain, I want to know what’s in the portion I’m taking with me. Around 30% of consumers give this nutritional information top priority. |
| Cocoa or chocolate | Look for cocoa or chocolate ingredients and any stated percentages; don’t judge by the colour or name alone. | I’m specifically looking for a cocoa flavour and don’t want to rely on a dark appearance. For around 30% of consumers, that flavour is their main reason for buying. |
Peijnenburg’s Tussendoor+ Choco bar states that it contains 4% chocolate with sweetener and 2% cocoa beans. Jumbo lists caramelised sugar syrup in its wholegrain breakfast cake, so the appearance of a cake won’t tell you how much cocoa it contains.
Read the ingredients list and check any stated cocoa or chocolate percentage before choosing something for its cocoa flavour.
Jumbo states that its Zero breakfast cake contains 5.8 g of sugar per 100 g. Peijnenburg lists polyols in its chocolate bar and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Compare the sugar, sweeteners and portion size on the label, especially if you’re taking several bars with you for one shift.
Jumbo states that its wholegrain breakfast cake contains 8.2 g of fibre and 35.5 g of sugar per 100 g. The proportion of wholegrain rye therefore tells you something different from the amount of sugar.
Assess wholegrain ingredients, fibre and sugar as separate features of the exact variety.
The Jumbo Zero variety checked contains rye and wheat; the Jumbo wholegrain variety lists rye. A claim about sugar or wholegrain ingredients doesn’t tell you whether a product is suitable if you’re avoiding gluten.
Check the allergen information on the specific pack every time you buy.
The Tussendoor+ Choco bar is individually wrapped and weighs 36.7 g each.
Jumbo offers Zero and wholegrain breakfast cake, among other varieties; compare each one using its own label.
The range includes AH plain, wholegrain and zero breakfast cake, as well as varieties from other brands.
Koek & Bakker offers pre-sliced Zero and wholegrain breakfast cake in 485 g packs.
Lidl lists a 485 g breakfast cake zero.
PLUS offers sliced plain breakfast cake; assess it as a plain variety, not as a cocoa cake.
No. The colour or product name doesn’t prove a high cocoa content. Peijnenburg states that its Tussendoor+ Choco bar contains 4% chocolate with sweetener and 2% cocoa beans. Check the ingredients and any stated cocoa or chocolate percentage for the cake you want to buy.
Not necessarily. Jumbo states that its Zero breakfast cake contains 5.8 g of sugar per 100 g; the name zero doesn’t replace the nutritional information table. Check the portion size and the sweeteners used, too.
Don’t choose based on the general name breakfast cake. The Jumbo Zero variety contains rye and wheat, while Jumbo also offers a separate gluten-free breakfast cake. Check the gluten-free claim and allergen information on the exact pack.
Follow the storage instructions on your product’s packaging. For the breakfast cake varieties it checked, Jumbo advises storing them in a cool, dry place. After opening, also check the pack for any further instructions and the use-by date.
