For a quick coffee break, pre-sliced Dutch breakfast cake is handy if you want to grab a slice without a knife; individually wrapped slices are a better choice if you want to take them with you. Sliced doesn’t automatically mean thickly sliced, so check the stated slice thickness or weight if a substantial slice is important to you. Also compare the sugar and fibre content per 100 g and per slice, and read the ingredients and allergen information.
A pre-sliced pack saves you having to cut a slice during a quick break. Peijnenburg and various supermarket own brands offer sliced Dutch breakfast cake; check separately whether the slices are the thickness you’re looking for.
If you’re keeping an eye on sugar and fibre, you can compare the nutritional values per 100 g and per slice. For its sliced plain variety, Peijnenburg lists 11 g of sugar per 28 g slice; its sliced wholemeal variety contains 4.9 g of sugar and 4.7 g of fibre per 28 g slice.
At home or at work, the pack size and number of slices are useful points of comparison. Jumbo, for example, lists a 475 g pack of sliced plain breakfast cake; ALDI lists 485 g packs of sliced Koek & Bakker varieties.
First, choose a pack format that suits your coffee break. Then check the portion size and the label for the specific variety.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of serving and slice thickness | Check whether the cake is pre-sliced. If you want a thick slice, look for a stated slice thickness or a suitable slice weight; the word ‘sliced’ alone tells you nothing about thickness. | At coffee time, I want to grab a slice straight away without using a knife. For around 31% of consumers, this convenience is the top priority. |
| Sugar and fibre | Compare the nutritional values per 100 g and per slice of the size you plan to eat, and read the ingredients list. | If I’m keeping an eye on sugar and fibre, I want to compare the slice I usually eat. Around 31% of consumers prioritise this nutritional information. |
| Pack size | Check the number of slices and the pack weight, especially if several people will be sharing the same pack. | For a coffee break with others, I want to know how many slices there are. For around 23% of consumers, the quantity available to share is a priority. |
| Flavour choice | Compare the ingredients in your chosen flavour with those in the plain variety; check the allergen information too. | For my coffee break, I mainly want a familiar flavour or something different. Around 15% of consumers put flavour choice first. |
A pre-sliced pack is convenient, but the label doesn’t tell you how thick the slices are. As a result, a slice may not be the size you expect for your coffee break.
Check the number of slices and the weight per slice. If thickness is important, look for an explicit measurement.
The name of a variety doesn’t tell you how much sugar or fibre is in the slice you plan to eat, and it doesn’t give you the full picture of the ingredients or allergens.
Read the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion, and check the ingredients list. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also advises checking the back of the pack when choosing snacks.
The fact that a product is Dutch breakfast cake doesn’t confirm which salt was used in that particular cake.
Check the ingredients list on the pack you’ve chosen, or ask the manufacturer which salt was used if this is important to your choice.
Peijnenburg’s range includes sliced plain Dutch breakfast cake and a sliced wholemeal variety.
Jumbo’s own-brand range includes sliced Dutch breakfast cake and other varieties.
This ALDI brand offers sliced wholemeal Dutch breakfast cake and a sliced variety called Zero.
PLUS offers 485 g packs of sliced plain Dutch breakfast cake, with product information on ingredients, allergens and nutritional values.
Lidl lists a 485 g variety of Dutch breakfast cake called Zero.
No. ‘Pre-sliced’ only confirms that the cake has already been cut into slices. Check for a stated slice thickness or weight per slice if the size matters for your coffee break.
Compare the same nutritional values per 100 g, then compare them per slice of the size you want to eat. Read the ingredients list too: a name such as ‘Zero’ doesn’t, by itself, tell you the full nutritional value of a portion.
No. The Peijnenburg plain variety mentioned contains rye; for its plain variety, PLUS lists rye and the possible presence of wheat, barley and oats. Check the allergen information for the individual product.
You can’t tell from the type of product. Check the ingredients list on the pack you’ve chosen or ask the manufacturer which salt was used.
Close the pack securely and follow the storage instructions on the packaging. For its plain Dutch breakfast cake, Peijnenburg recommends a cool, dry, dark place and suggests using an airtight tin to keep the cake soft.
