If you’re buying egg cakes to share on a night shift, first choose a pack that clearly states the number of cakes or portions. Check separately whether each cake is individually wrapped if you want to hand them out one by one; the number of cakes alone doesn’t tell you this. If any colleagues have specific dietary requirements, compare the nutritional information and allergens for the exact variant on the current packaging.
If you’re buying for colleagues, a stated number of cakes or portions helps you work out how many whole egg cakes you can hand out. For example, Albert Heijn lists 12 portions in a 360 g pack, while Jumbo lists 10 cakes in a standard 300 g pack.
If you want to agree on smaller portions in advance, mini egg cakes are one size to consider. If everyone needs to be able to take a cake away in a sealed wrapper, look for an explicit statement that the cakes are individually wrapped.
If you’re buying for a team with different dietary requirements, compare fibre and sugars per 100 g and per portion. Check the ingredients and allergens on the exact pack before handing the cakes out.
First decide how many whole cakes you want to hand out. Then choose the size you need and check the nutritional information and allergens for that variant.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Enough cakes to share | Compare the stated number of cakes or portions with the number of colleagues who want a whole cake. Don’t use the weight as a substitute for this count. | If I’m buying for the team, I want to know in advance whether everyone can have a whole cake. For around 33% of consumers, the number of portions available to share would be the main reason for buying. |
| A portion for the break | Compare the size of each cake and check whether individual wrapping is explicitly stated; a multipack doesn’t prove that the cakes are individually wrapped. | During a short break, I want to be able to take a clearly defined portion without reaching into an open bag. Around 25% of consumers would place the convenience of use above other considerations. |
| Nutritional information | Compare fibre, sugars and energy per 100 g and per portion on the label for the exact variant. | If I’m choosing between standard and wholemeal, I want to know what the difference means for me per cake. For around 25% of consumers, comparing the nutritional information would be the priority. |
| Allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging, including any relevant warnings about possible traces. | If a colleague has a food allergy, I don’t want to assume that a mini or wholemeal variant is suitable. Checking allergens would be the top priority for around 17% of consumers. |
A 360 g pack may contain 12 standard egg cakes, while a 250 g pack may contain 10 mini egg cakes. So the weight doesn’t tell you how many whole cakes you can hand out.
Check the number of cakes or portions first, then compare the weight and the size of each cake.
A statement that a pack contains 10 cakes says nothing about individual wrappers. This matters if colleagues want to take a cake away in a sealed wrapper.
For this, choose only a variant whose packaging or product information explicitly says that the cakes are individually wrapped.
The wholemeal variants from Jumbo and Albert Heijn that we looked at list allergens as well as their fibre content, including egg, milk, soya and cereals containing gluten. The word ‘wholemeal’ is no substitute for checking the label.
Compare fibre and sugars separately, and check the allergens for the exact variant.
Albert Heijn warns that product information may change. If a colleague has an allergy, the information on the pack you’re actually handing out should guide your choice.
Check the current label before buying or when the product arrives, even if you’ve bought it before.
For both the standard and wholemeal egg cakes we looked at, Albert Heijn lists a 360 g pack containing 12 portions.
Jumbo lists standard, mini and wholemeal egg cakes, with 10 cakes or portions per pack.
According to Jumbo, the Bolletje Brosse Eierkoeken met Melklaagje we looked at are individually wrapped; the pack contains 10 cakes and weighs 155 g.
For the Heerlijck Banket Scharreleierkoeken we looked at, ALDI lists 12 cakes and a pack weight of 360 g.
Lidl lists a pack of 12 egg cakes weighing 360 g, marked as available in store only.
Allow one whole cake per colleague if you want to give everyone a standard egg cake. Compare the number of colleagues with the number of cakes or portions stated on the pack; the packs we looked at list 10 or 12 cakes or portions, among other quantities. Also allow separately for colleagues who want something to eat during more than one break.
Not necessarily: ‘mini’ describes the size, not the inner packaging. For the Bolletje Brosse Eierkoeken met Melklaagje we looked at, Jumbo states that the cakes are individually wrapped. Check the current packaging of other products for this detail.
Don’t assume a product is suitable based on its name or size. The variants we looked at list egg, milk, soya or cereals containing gluten, among other allergens. Check the ingredients, allergens and any relevant warnings about traces on the exact pack before handing anything out.
Store egg cakes in a cool, dry, dark place and keep them well sealed, as advised by the Voedingscentrum. Also follow the storage instructions and date on the packaging you’re using.
‘Wholemeal’ doesn’t give you the full nutritional picture. The wholemeal variants from Jumbo and Albert Heijn that we looked at list 3,9 g and 3,5 g of fibre per 100 g respectively. Also compare sugars and energy per 100 g and per portion on the current label.
