For a Sunday breakfast when you have coeliac disease, choose flakes whose current packaging states ‘gluten-free’ or displays the Crossed Grain symbol: maize or rice as the main ingredient isn’t enough on its own. Explicitly gluten-free cornflakes are an option for a breakfast bowl. Choose oat flakes only if the oats are explicitly labelled gluten-free and you can tolerate them. Then compare the nutritional information and check that the product is available.
You want to choose a Sunday breakfast for yourself or someone else without relying on the type of grain alone. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, you can identify a gluten-free product by the words ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on the packaging.
You want flakes you can serve straight away with milk, yoghurt, quark or a suitable plant-based alternative. As well as checking that they’re labelled gluten-free, you’ll want to compare serving sizes and nutritional information.
You’re considering oat flakes or porridge oats instead of cornflakes. The Dutch Coeliac Society advises choosing oats that are explicitly labelled gluten-free, preferably with the Crossed Grain symbol. It’s also important to know whether you can tolerate pure oats.
First, check that the current packaging confirms the flakes are gluten-free. Only then should you weigh up convenience, nutritional information and availability.
| What to look for | What to check before buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on the current packaging, and read the ingredients list, checking in particular for wheat and barley. | If someone with coeliac disease is eating with me, I don’t want to rely on the main ingredient alone. Around 46% of consumers put this check first when choosing a product. |
| Easy to serve | Check the stated serving size and choose an option that goes with the milk, yoghurt, quark or plant-based alternative you plan to use. | On Sunday, I want to be able to prepare a breakfast bowl without a separate recipe. For around 27% of consumers, convenience comes first after checking that the product is gluten-free. |
| Nutritional information | For similar flakes, compare fibre, sugars and salt per 100 g, and check what the stated serving contains. | If I’m serving these regularly, I want to know how the ingredients in two gluten-free products compare. For around 18% of consumers, this is the most important next step. |
| Availability | Check your shop’s range shortly before buying, and assess any substitute for its gluten-free labelling again. | If my usual flakes are unavailable, I want to find a suitable alternative in good time. After checking for safety, around 9% of consumers prioritise what’s available. |
The main ingredient doesn’t tell you everything about the other ingredients. For example, Kellogg’s Netherlands lists barley malt extract in its regular Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.
Check the gluten-free labelling on the current packaging and read the full ingredients list before choosing flakes for someone with coeliac disease.
Oats can come into contact with gluten-containing grains during production. What’s more, not everyone with coeliac disease can tolerate pure oats.
Choose oat flakes only if they’re explicitly labelled gluten-free, and bear in mind your personal tolerance to oats.
‘Gluten-free’ doesn’t tell you how much fibre, sugar or salt a product contains. These values can vary between flakes.
Compare similar products per 100 g, and also check the stated serving size for your breakfast bowl.
Jumbo reported that two of the cornflake products mentioned here were no longer part of its online range. So a product you chose before won’t necessarily be available for your next Sunday breakfast.
Check availability shortly before buying, and read the label again if you choose a substitute.
Compare specific varieties rather than relying on the brand name: ingredients, gluten-free labelling and availability can differ from one product to another.
Albert Heijn labels AH Glutenvrij Cornflakes 200 g as gluten-free.
Jumbo described its Lekker Vrij van Gluten Cornflakes 200 g as displaying the Crossed Grain symbol.
Jumbo described Consenza Pure & Free Glutenvrije Cornflakes 250 g as suitable for a wheat-free and gluten-free diet.
Regular Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Special K Original show why the specific variety matters more than the product format.
No, having maize as the main ingredient isn’t enough. For example, Kellogg's Netherlands lists barley malt extract in its regular Corn Flakes. If you have coeliac disease, check the ingredients list and look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on the current packaging.
Only if the oat flakes are explicitly labelled gluten-free and you can tolerate pure oats. The Dutch Coeliac Society stresses the importance of choosing a gluten-free product when it comes to oats, preferably one displaying the Crossed Grain symbol. If you’re unsure whether you can tolerate oats, discuss it with your healthcare professional or specialist dietitian.
According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, products labelled ‘gluten-free’ must contain less than 20 mg of gluten per kg of product. The label doesn’t tell you which other allergens the product contains or what its nutritional value is, so check the rest of the packaging for that information.
Yes, check the current packaging every time you buy it. Albert Heijn says that the ingredients, nutritional values and dietary or allergen information for its gluten-free cornflakes can change. A product page you viewed previously is no substitute for checking the label.
