A breakfast cake bar with grains and seeds can work well if you eat it well before exercising and know it agrees with you. Just before exercise, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against having a large portion or foods high in fat, protein or fibre. At that point, focus instead on timing, portion size and choosing something you’re used to.
If there’s a while between eating and training, an individually wrapped bar with grains and seeds can be handy. Check the portion size, though, and choose something you know agrees with you. Albert Heijn lists Peijnenburg Tussendoor+ Granen, Pitten & Fruit as a 36.7 g bar.
If you’re about to start, when you eat matters more than whether the snack contains seeds. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends having a small portion just before exercise and avoiding foods high in fat, protein or fibre.
You might be looking specifically for seeds, a wholegrain product, a particular portion size or allergen information. Check each point separately: wholegrain breakfast cake doesn’t automatically contain seeds, and a different variety won’t necessarily have the same ingredients as a bar with seeds.
Start by considering how much time there is between your snack and your workout. Then compare the ingredients and nutrition information per portion, rather than letting an appealing claim on the front of the pack be your only reason to buy.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Timing and stomach comfort | Check the portion size and fibre content per portion in relation to when you’ll be starting. | If I’m about to train, I don’t want a large or high-fibre snack that might bother me during exercise. Timing is the biggest consideration for around 42% of consumers. |
| Seeds, grains and fibre | Look for the seeds and grains in the ingredients list; also compare fibre per portion and check for allergens. | If you’re specifically looking for the texture of seeds, check that they’re listed in the ingredients rather than relying on a wholegrain label. This is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Portion size and label preferences | Compare the pack size, carbohydrates per portion, ingredients, and information about sweeteners and allergens. | I want a portion I can take with me, or I need to meet a specific ingredient requirement. This is the main consideration for roughly 25% of consumers. |
Here’s one example of how products differ: according to Albert Heijn’s product information, Peijnenburg Tussendoor+ Granen, Pitten & Fruit contains 9% sunflower seeds and 5.7 g of fibre per 36.7 g bar. Jumbo lists 35.9% wholegrain rye flour and 8.2 g of fibre per 100 g for its Volkoren Ontbijtkoek. Only compare fibre values directly once you’ve converted them to the same quantity; the term ‘wholegrain’ doesn’t in itself tell you whether a product contains seeds.
Jumbo lists wholegrain rye flour for its Volkoren Ontbijtkoek. That’s not the same as listing seeds. So a wholegrain product may not have the texture you’re looking for in breakfast cake with seeds.
Check the ingredients list and look for named seeds if they’re important to you.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that foods high in fibre can stay in your stomach for longer if eaten just before exercise. According to Albert Heijn, a Peijnenburg Tussendoor+ bar contains 5.7 g of fibre per bar. The fact that it contains seeds doesn’t automatically make it suitable for every mealtime.
Have a bar like this earlier, when you have time to digest it, and don’t try an unfamiliar product for the first time just before a workout.
That claim alone doesn’t tell you the total amount of carbohydrates or fibre, or how well the portion will agree with you. Albert Heijn’s product information also lists xylitol in the Peijnenburg bar and warns that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Check the full nutrition information, ingredients and portion size rather than relying on a single claim.
Albert Heijn lists rye and oats for Peijnenburg Tussendoor+ Granen, Pitten & Fruit. According to the product information, the bar may also contain milk, hazelnuts and almonds. Other varieties of breakfast cake won’t necessarily have the same ingredients.
If you have an allergy or another ingredient requirement, always check the current label on the exact variety you’re buying.
These examples show why a bar with seeds, wholegrain breakfast cake and a differently labelled variety should each be assessed on its own merits.
According to Albert Heijn’s product information, Tussendoor+ Granen, Pitten & Fruit is an individually wrapped bar containing oats and sunflower seeds.
Jumbo Volkoren Ontbijtkoek is a sliced option for anyone looking for wholegrain rye without requiring seeds.
PLUS lists its own 485 g sliced wholegrain breakfast cake, as well as a separate Peijnenburg wholegrain variety labelled ‘no added sugars’.
ALDI lists sliced wholegrain breakfast cake and a separate sliced Zero variety under this own-label brand, both in 485 g packs.
Albert Heijn provides product information for Peijnenburg Tussendoor+ Granen, Pitten & Fruit, including its ingredients and nutritional values.
A high-fibre bar with seeds is best suited to a time when there’s still a while between eating and training, and you know it agrees with you. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against having a large portion or foods high in fat, protein or fibre just before exercise, as they can stay in your stomach for longer.
One bar won’t necessarily be the right amount for every workout. Albert Heijn lists 19 g of carbohydrates per Peijnenburg Tussendoor+ Granen, Pitten & Fruit bar. Also consider what you’ve eaten earlier, when you’re starting and how long you’ll be exercising.
No. That claim alone doesn’t determine whether breakfast cake is right for the time you’re exercising. Also compare carbohydrates and fibre per portion, check the ingredients and any sweeteners, and consider what you know you can tolerate.
At the very least, check the current packaging for rye, oats, milk and nuts. Albert Heijn lists rye and oats for Peijnenburg Tussendoor+ Granen, Pitten & Fruit and says that the bar may contain milk, hazelnuts and almonds.
