Pack Dutch breakfast cake as a small extra alongside lunch, not as a replacement for bread with toppings, vegetables or fruit. A standard individually wrapped portion is handy if you want a ready-cut slice; compare wholemeal or no-added-sugar varieties by looking at both their nutritional values and ingredients. If gluten needs to be avoided, choose a product explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the other allergens, too.
You’re looking for something that fits easily into a school bag alongside the rest of the lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre includes mini or thin slices of Dutch breakfast cake in its school lunch list, while highlighting wholemeal bread, vegetables and fruit, among other foods, for a school meal.
You want to compare a standard Dutch breakfast cake with a wholemeal or Zero variety, portion by portion. Check the sugars, fibre and any sweeteners used: product information from Peijnenburg, Albert Heijn and Jumbo shows that these values vary between varieties.
Choose based on the label and allergen information for the specific product, not on the name ‘Dutch breakfast cake’. Jumbo lists cereals containing gluten in its wholemeal breakfast cake; Peijnenburg also makes a separate gluten-free variety.
First decide what role the Dutch breakfast cake will play in the school lunch. Then compare the nutritional information and check that the allergens and packaging are suitable for taking to school.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| The rest of the lunch | Choose a mini or thin slice as an extra, and check what else is in the lunchbox. | I want to pack a slice of Dutch breakfast cake without it taking the place of bread with toppings, vegetables or fruit. For around 42% of shoppers, balancing the lunch would be the first consideration. |
| Sugars and fibre | Compare the nutritional values per 100 g or for an equivalent portion, and check which sweeteners are used in Zero varieties. | If Dutch breakfast cake goes in regularly, I want to be able to compare standard and wholemeal varieties on the same basis. Around 33% of shoppers would prioritise sugars and fibre. |
| Allergens and packaging | Read the current label; if gluten needs to be avoided, check for a gluten-free label and make sure the packaging is suitable for taking along. | If gluten needs to be avoided, I want to be sure which product I’m packing; a portion that’s easy to take along can matter, too. For around 25% of shoppers, suitability for school would be the most important factor. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, an average 30 g slice of Dutch breakfast cake contains 11.2 g of sugars, 1.1 g of fibre and 0.9 g of protein. For a school meal, the Centre highlights foods such as wholemeal bread, vegetables and fruit.
Use Dutch breakfast cake as a little extra alongside other parts of the lunch.
A lower sugar value doesn’t tell you what other ingredients a product contains. For the Zero varieties reviewed, Albert Heijn and Jumbo both include a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Compare sugars, fibre, ingredients and portion size on the current label.
Jumbo lists gluten, rye and wheat in its wholemeal breakfast cake. According to the brand’s information, Peijnenburg’s plain gluten-free variety also contains ingredients from sources including milk and lupin.
If gluten needs to be avoided, choose a product explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the full allergen information.
Peijnenburg offers a range of Dutch breakfast cake varieties, including standard, wholemeal, gluten-free and individually wrapped options. Compare the specific products if portion format and nutritional values are important to you.
Sliced AH Ontbijtkoek Zero is a product you can compare with standard Dutch breakfast cake for its nutritional values and ingredients.
Jumbo sells both wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake and a sliced Zero variety, so you can compare the nutritional information for two different products.
Tastino is Lidl’s Dutch breakfast cake brand, worth including when comparing standard varieties.
This pack of Dutch breakfast cake could be considered as a little extra in a school lunch. To help you choose, compare the portion size and label with the other food you’re packing.
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Worth considering as a little extra alongside the rest of the school lunch. The pack contains 6 pieces; check the label for portion size, nutritional values and any allergens relevant to you.
It’s better to pack Dutch breakfast cake as a small extra. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights foods such as wholemeal bread, vegetables and fruit for a school meal, and lists mini or thin slices of Dutch breakfast cake as an option for school lunches.
No. Jumbo lists gluten, rye and wheat in its wholemeal breakfast cake. If gluten needs to be avoided, choose a product explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the other allergens on the label, too.
No, compare the portion size, fibre and ingredients as well. For the Zero varieties reviewed, Albert Heijn and Jumbo list sweeteners or polyols and include a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Yes, ask the school what rules apply to bringing in and sharing food. Also read the allergen information on the packaging: it tells you what’s stated about the product, not what rules the school has in place.
