If your child has coeliac disease, choose a breakfast cake whose current packaging says ‘gluten-free’ or carries the Crossed Grain symbol, and check the other allergens too. You can slice a whole cake at home, while an individually wrapped bar is a single portion to take with you. For both formats, compare the portion size and sugars per 100 g.
For a child who needs to follow a strict gluten-free diet, it’s important to check the information on the current packaging and avoid contact with ordinary cake or bread crumbs. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists the ‘gluten-free’ wording and the Crossed Grain symbol as things to look out for.
A gluten-free breakfast cake isn’t automatically free from milk, lupin, sesame or nuts. If you want to pack a cake for your child or let them share it, check the allergen information against your child’s dietary needs and ask about the rules at school or childcare.
You can cut a whole breakfast cake into slices at home, while an individually wrapped bar is already a single portion. Product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo shows that portion sizes and sugars per 100 g vary, so it’s worth checking both on the label.
First check the gluten-free wording and other allergens, then choose a format that suits sharing at home or taking with you. Under EU Regulation 828/2014, a food labelled ‘gluten-free’ must contain no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg of finished product.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free wording | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on the current packaging. At home, avoid contact with ordinary cake or bread crumbs. | With coeliac disease, I want to be able to check that the product is gluten-free before choosing a cake for my child. For around 42% of consumers, that assurance would be the first thing they look for when buying. |
| Other allergens | Read the full allergen information and ask the school, after-school club or childcare provider about the rules for bringing food in and sharing it. | If my child also needs to avoid milk or lupin, I want to check the label before packing the cake. Around 33% of consumers would prioritise other allergens and rules about food eaten away from home. |
| Portion and sugars | Compare the portion with how much you want to give your child, and check the sugars per 100 g. A slice from a whole cake and an individually wrapped bar are not the same portion. | For teatime, I want to choose between cutting a slice myself and packing a single bar, while keeping an eye on how much sweet cake I’m giving. For around 25% of consumers, portion size and how it fits alongside other snacks would be the biggest consideration. |
Product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo lists milk and lupin in the breakfast cakes discussed here. The Jumbo cake and AH bar also carry warnings about the possible presence of other allergens. The gluten-free wording doesn’t replace this information.
Read the full ingredients and allergen information on the packaging every time you buy, and check it against the foods your child needs to avoid.
‘Gluten-free’ describes the gluten content, not the nutritional value. For the Peijnenburg cake and AH bar discussed here, Albert Heijn lists 42 g and 43 g of sugars per 100 g respectively; Jumbo lists 43.4 g per 100 g for its cake.
Decide how much you want to give your child and compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion. Balance a sweet treat at teatime with other snacks.
Albert Heijn warns that ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information may change. So packaging that was suitable before is no substitute for checking the current label.
Check the packaging again before serving the breakfast cake at home or packing it to take with you.
Albert Heijn describes a 285 g gluten-free Peijnenburg breakfast cake, sold unsliced so you can cut it into portions yourself.
Jumbo’s gluten-free range includes a 300 g breakfast cake, sold unsliced. Jumbo says this cake carries the Crossed Grain symbol.
Albert Heijn describes a 65 g gluten-free breakfast cake bar as one portion. According to the product page, it is made in a completely gluten-free environment.
No. Check that the current packaging says ‘gluten-free’ or carries the Crossed Grain symbol, rather than relying on the absence of wheat alone. Under EU Regulation 828/2014, ‘gluten-free’ means no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg of finished product. You should also avoid contact with ordinary cake or bread crumbs.
No, that doesn’t follow from the gluten-free wording. According to product information from Albert Heijn, the Peijnenburg cake and AH bar discussed here contain milk and lupin; Jumbo lists those allergens in its cake too. The Jumbo cake and AH bar also carry warnings about the possible presence of other allergens, including nuts. Always read the current packaging for the product you choose.
First ask about the rules for bringing food in and sharing it with other children at the school, after-school club or childcare provider. Check the allergens on the packaging too, and keep it available in case someone else needs to check the cake.
No. Albert Heijn lists one 65 g portion for the AH bar and 30 g portions for the Peijnenburg cake discussed here; Jumbo lists twelve portions for its 300 g cake. Compare the portion you actually want to give your child with the nutritional information per portion and per 100 g.
You can’t tell from the ‘gluten-free’ wording. Check the ingredients list for the specific breakfast cake if the type of salt or iodine content is relevant to your choice.
