If you have coeliac disease, choose a product labelled gluten-free and avoid contact with gluten-containing crumbs when baking at home; an ordinary currant bun is not a like-for-like alternative. Baking your own gives you control over the ingredients and portion size, while packaged gluten-free raisin bread takes less preparation but isn’t an individual currant bun. Adjust your portion to fit what else you eat and drink during training, and try it out beforehand on a long training run.
You’re looking for a gluten-free option for training and also paying attention to how it’s prepared and stored. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that cross-contamination with gluten remains a risk, even when you start with gluten-free ingredients.
You want to know how many carbohydrates you’re actually taking with you for a long training session. It makes a difference whether the nutritional information is given per 100 g of bread or per prepared currant bun.
You want to be able to portion a packaged product in advance. Gluten-free raisin bread could be an alternative, as long as you allow for its different shape and check the current label.
For runners with coeliac disease looking for something like a currant bun for marathon training, gluten-free safety comes first. Your actual carbohydrate portion and how much time you want to spend preparing it will then help you decide which option suits you.
When: If you want to choose the ingredients, shape and size of the buns yourself. Albert Heijn Allerhande’s recipe makes eight buns.
Consider: The recipe requires around two hours’ waiting time, in addition to preparation and baking; if you’re using a shared kitchen, you’ll also need to prevent cross-contamination.
When: If you’d rather take a packaged, sliceable alternative with you than bake buns in advance. PLUS lists Yam Rozijn glutenvrij as gluten-free raisin bread.
Consider: A slice isn’t an individual currant bun; work out your training portion based on how much bread you actually eat.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it’s most relevant to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free safety | Check the current gluten-free labelling and ingredients. If you’re baking, keep your work surface, utensils and toppings free from gluten-containing crumbs. | If I’m preparing buns in a shared kitchen, I want to make sure my gluten-free portion doesn’t come into contact with crumbs. Around 42% of consumers put this safety first. |
| Carbohydrate portion | Compare carbohydrates per 100 g with those in the portion you actually eat; also include drinks, gels and other food in your calculations. PLUS lists 49 g of carbohydrates and 7 g of fibre per 100 g for Yam Rozijn glutenvrij; Albert Heijn Allerhande’s recipe lists 71 g of carbohydrates per portion. | On a long-distance run, I want to know how much my portion contributes to what else I eat and drink. For around 33% of consumers, portion planning is their main concern. |
| Preparation and shape | Check whether you’re choosing an individual bun or sliceable raisin bread, and look at the current label and availability before planning your training. | If I’m short on preparation time, I want to be able to portion bread instead of baking buns, even if it’s a different shape. Convenience comes first for around 25% of consumers. |
A familiar shape or name doesn’t tell you whether a product is suitable for coeliac disease. Ordinary currant buns made with wheat are not a substitute for a product labelled gluten-free.
Check the labelling, ingredients and allergen information on the packaging of the product you’re buying.
The Dutch Coeliac Society says that gluten-containing crumbs and shared utensils can contaminate a product prepared with gluten-free ingredients.
Clean your work surface and equipment, avoid contact with crumbs, and don’t use spreads that have already been touched by a used knife.
The amount of carbohydrates in a slice of raisin bread depends on its weight. A recipe’s nutritional information per bun is based on a different portion size.
Work out how much you’ll take with you and try it alongside your other food and drink during a long training session.
Jumbo shows its listing for Yam gluten-free raisin bread as no longer available online. Lidl says its extra gluten-free range is temporarily unavailable; neither statement describes the full range available elsewhere.
Check current stock at the shop where you plan to buy, and keep another suitable option in reserve for a planned long training session.
Yam Rozijn glutenvrij is a packaged raisin bread for anyone who’d rather portion slices than bake individual currant buns.
Allerhande has a recipe for anyone who wants to make individual gluten-free currant buns at home.
PLUS lists Yam Rozijn glutenvrij as gluten-free raisin bread, with ingredients and nutritional information on the product page.
Jumbo has a gluten-free bread category and an online listing for Yam gluten-free raisin bread.
Lidl promotes a gluten-free range, but that doesn’t guarantee that a gluten-free currant bun is available to buy.
An ordinary currant bun made with wheat isn’t a gluten-free alternative. Choose a product labelled gluten-free, check the current label and then avoid contact with gluten-containing crumbs.
Count the carbohydrates in your actual portion alongside your drinks and other food, and try out the amount and timing in advance during a long training session. The review in the Journal of Sports Sciences discusses carbohydrate intake during prolonged exercise, but a bun doesn’t automatically make up your entire plan for an hour.
Baking at home lets you choose the shape and size of individual buns, but it takes time to prepare and you need to take care to avoid cross-contamination. You can portion packaged gluten-free raisin bread into slices; it isn’t an individual currant bun, and the packaging may give nutritional information per 100 g.
Keep gluten-free ingredients and prepared buns separate from gluten-containing crumbs and flour dust. The Dutch Coeliac Society highlights a clean work surface, clean utensils and separate storage as some of the things to consider.
Yes. If you want to know whether a bread product contains baker’s salt, check the ingredients list; the gluten-free label won’t tell you. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread provides around 45% of iodine intake in the Netherlands.
