If you have coeliac disease, start by choosing breakfast cereals whose current packaging says ‘gluten-free’; oats as an ingredient alone are not enough to be certain. Granola and flakes are ideal for a crunchy breakfast bowl, while gluten-free porridge made with teff, maize, buckwheat and rice is a good choice if you prefer a warm bowl. Then compare the nutritional information and check for any other allergens.
If you want to eat oats, the gluten-free label on the product matters more than the fact that oats are naturally gluten-free. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends looking for the Crossed Grain symbol where possible, or another gluten-free logo or claim.
Granola, muesli and flakes offer a range of ingredients and textures for a bowl with milk or yoghurt. Compare the nutritional information, and if you have a nut or other allergy, read the full allergen information too.
A gluten-free porridge base made with teff, maize, buckwheat and rice is an alternative to a crunchy bowl. However, the Zonnatura Teff Multigrain Breakfast described by Albert Heijn needs to be prepared with milk or a plant-based drink.
If you have coeliac disease, start by checking the gluten-free label on the current packaging. Then choose between a crunchy or warm bowl and compare products based on the nutritional information that matters to you.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the current packaging; if the product contains oats, also check the ingredients and allergen information. | If I have coeliac disease, I don’t want to have to rely on the name of an oat product to decide whether it’s suitable. For around 42% of consumers, a clear gluten-free label comes first. |
| Crunch and flavour | Compare granola, muesli and flakes by ingredients, texture and any nuts they contain. | For a leisurely weekend breakfast, I mainly want a crunchy bowl that goes well with what I’m eating it with. Crunch and flavour are the main priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Fibre and sugars | Compare fibre and sugars per 100 g and per serving; distinguish total sugars from added sugar. | When choosing between gluten-free products, I want to know how their nutritional values compare with my usual portion. Around 17% of consumers give top priority to fibre and low levels of added sugar. |
| Warm porridge and preparation | Read the preparation instructions and check which milk or plant-based drink you’ll need to add. | On a relaxed morning, I’d rather make a warm bowl than pour out flakes straight away. Around 16% of consumers put a preference for warm porridge first. |
Oats can come into contact with cereals containing gluten. Quaker itself says it cannot guarantee that its products are completely gluten-free; the Quaker Cruesli Zero Sugar Added Nuts & Seeds described by Albert Heijn also contains wheat and barley.
If you have coeliac disease, choose an oat product with a gluten-free label or appropriate certification, and read the current packaging.
‘Gluten-free’ doesn’t tell you how much fibre or sugar a breakfast cereal contains. And ‘no added sugar’ doesn’t mean a product contains no sugars.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per serving, alongside any ingredients that matter to you.
A gluten-free label tells you nothing about nuts or milk. The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists these separately as allergens that consumers must be informed about.
If you have other allergies, check the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements on the packaging too.
Ingredients and allergen information can change even when a product name stays the same.
When you buy a new pack, check the gluten-free label, ingredients and allergens again.
This product range includes both granola and flakes labelled as gluten-free.
Zonnatura Teff Multigrain Breakfast is a gluten-free base for warm porridge, not a ready-to-eat crunchy cereal.
Freee Chocolate Stars is a sweeter, crunchy breakfast cereal made with maize and rice.
This brand’s regular oat and Cruesli products are not a substitute for a verified gluten-free product.
Assess Nestlé breakfast cereals product by product, rather than by brand name.
These two pack sizes of Holie's Peanut Chocolate granola are a good fit if you’re looking for a crunchy weekend breakfast. If you have coeliac disease, check the gluten-free label on the current packaging before eating it. If you have allergies, read the ingredients information too.
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For anyone who wants granola as part of a crunchy weekend breakfast. If you have coeliac disease, check the current gluten-free label. If you have a peanut or other allergy, read the allergen information.
Pack size: 330 g.
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For anyone looking for a multipack of this granola. If you have coeliac disease, check the current gluten-free label. If you have a peanut or other allergy, read the allergen information.
Pack size: 6 x 330 g.
Not unless the product has a gluten-free label. Oats can come into contact with cereals containing gluten during growing and processing. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends choosing a product with the Crossed Grain symbol where possible, or another gluten-free logo or claim; Quaker says it cannot guarantee that its products are completely gluten-free.
Under European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, ‘gluten-free’ may only be used if the food sold to the final consumer contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. When you buy a product, check that this label appears on its packaging.
Before eating the product, check the current packaging for the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens of the product you have in front of you. An earlier product description is no substitute for checking.
Yes. A gluten-free label says nothing about other allergens. The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists nuts and milk separately as allergens, so if you have another allergy, check the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements on the packaging too.
