For an Easter lunch with someone who has coeliac disease, choose oats clearly labelled gluten-free, preferably bearing the Crossed Grain symbol, and prepare the portion without letting it come into contact with foods containing gluten. Plain gluten-free flakes let you create your own dish; individual sachets are handy when you want to serve a separate portion quickly. Organic alone does not mean gluten-free.
You’re preparing an Easter lunch to share. As well as choosing a suitable label, it’s important to prepare the food hygienically and give it its own serving space, so crumbs from bread or cake don’t end up in the oats.
You’re looking for gluten-free flakes as a base for porridge or overnight oats, for example, and want to choose what to add yourself. Check each additional ingredient separately.
You want to be able to prepare a separate portion quickly. A gluten-free single-serving sachet could be a good option, as long as the additions and utensils you use are suitable too.
For a guest with coeliac disease, first check the gluten-free labelling on the pack, then choose the product format that suits your dish and how you plan to prepare it.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free preparation | Check the current packaging for a gluten-free label, and keep utensils and the serving area free from crumbs containing gluten. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends choosing oats bearing the Crossed Grain symbol. | If I’m also serving bread or cake, I want to make sure my guest with coeliac disease’s portion doesn’t come into contact with them. This is the top priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Flexibility in the recipe | Compare the ingredients and preparation instructions if you want to choose your own toppings or use the flakes both hot and cold. | For my Easter lunch, I want to decide what goes into the porridge or overnight oats myself. Around 30% of consumers say this flexibility is their top priority. |
| Individual portions | Check the single-serving packaging and preparation instructions if you want to make a separate portion quickly for one guest. | On a busy Easter morning, I want to be able to prepare one portion without serving it from a shared bowl. For around 20% of consumers, convenience matters most. |
Even a product made solely from oats can come into contact with grains containing gluten during production. Brinta Havermout, for example, warns that it may contain wheat and rye; Quaker says it cannot guarantee that its standard products are completely gluten-free.
For a guest with coeliac disease, choose a pack clearly labelled gluten-free, preferably one bearing the Crossed Grain symbol.
Toppings, granola, oat drink and other ingredients can each pose a risk of contact with gluten. A suitable label on the oats doesn’t automatically make the whole dish safe.
Check the current packaging of everything you add to the portion too.
The Dutch Coeliac Society warns that crumbs can contaminate a gluten-free dish via hands, cutlery and worktops.
Prepare the portion separately using clean equipment, then give it its own place on the table, away from bread and shared toppings.
A product you looked at previously may not be available when you do your Easter food shopping. Jumbo states that its 450 g Lekker Vrij van Gluten Havermout is no longer part of its online range.
Check what’s currently available before you shop, and always check the label on the pack you buy.
AH Glutenvrij Volkoren havermout is a specific 450 g option for anyone who wants to put together their own Easter lunch dish.
Jumbo has sold a specific 450 g gluten-free oats product under this name.
Standard Brinta Havermout is not a confirmed gluten-free option for a guest with coeliac disease.
Check each Quaker oats product individually if a gluten-free label is required.
ALDI lists gluten-free oats as part of its breakfast cereal range.
When choosing gluten-free oats at Lidl, check the current product and range.
No, ordinary oats aren’t automatically suitable for someone with coeliac disease. Oats can come into contact with grains containing gluten, so choose a product clearly labelled gluten-free. The Dutch Coeliac Society recommends choosing oats bearing the Crossed Grain symbol.
No, organic labelling is no substitute for a gluten-free label. If you want to serve organic oats to a guest with coeliac disease, check both labels on the current packaging.
Prepare the gluten-free portion separately using clean hands, clean utensils and a clean worktop. Give it its own place on the table and make sure crumbs or used cutlery don’t end up in the portion or its toppings. This is in line with the Dutch Coeliac Society’s advice on preventing cross-contamination.
