For a toddler with coeliac disease, choose only toast or another breakfast product whose current packaging says ‘gluten-free’, and prevent contact with ordinary bread crumbs at home. Crispy toast is not automatically a suitable everyday breakfast staple: compare fibre and salt levels with appropriately labelled bread or breakfast cereals, and choose a texture that suits your child’s chewing ability.
For them, a clear gluten-free label matters more than convenience or a crispy texture. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, coeliac disease requires a lifelong gluten-free diet, so contact with crumbs from ordinary bread also needs to be taken into account.
Toast or a cracker can add variety. Whether it’s suitable also depends on the allergens, nutritional information, size of the pieces and your toddler’s chewing ability.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, people without coeliac disease, a wheat allergy or diagnosed gluten sensitivity do not need to eat gluten-free. If you have concerns about symptoms, it’s best to discuss them before changing your child’s diet.
When choosing breakfast for a toddler with coeliac disease, look for ‘gluten-free’ on the current packaging before deciding between toast and a softer alternative. Then check the nutritional information and consider how easily your child can eat the product.
| What to consider | What to look for | Especially relevant to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten safety | Look for ‘gluten-free’ on the current packaging of the product you’ve chosen. Check the ingredients and allergen information too. | If my toddler has coeliac disease, I don’t want to rely on the product name or let crumbs from ordinary bread get near their food. For around 42% of consumers, gluten safety comes first. |
| Everyday breakfast staple | Compare fibre and salt per 100 g. If you’ll be serving it regularly, also consider appropriately labelled gluten-free bread or breakfast cereals. | I’m looking for something I can serve more often for breakfast, and want to look beyond the gluten-free label alone. For around 33% of consumers, nutritional value is the most important factor. |
| Texture and ease of use | Choose a piece size that suits your child’s chewing ability. Have them eat while seated and stay nearby. Check the allergens for the flavour you’ve chosen. | If crispy pieces are still difficult for my child to eat, I’d rather choose a texture that’s easier for them. For around 25% of consumers, this practical consideration is the deciding factor. |
The shape or brand name doesn’t tell you whether a product is gluten-free. For someone with coeliac disease, contact with crumbs from ordinary bread can also be a problem.
Choose a product whose current packaging says ‘gluten-free’, and use clean hands, knives and chopping boards at home. If you’re sending breakfast in with your child, ask their childcare provider or school about its allergy policy.
A gluten-free label doesn’t tell you how much fibre or salt a piece of toast contains. If it’s regularly replacing bread, the overall balance of your child’s diet matters too.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g, and alternate toast with appropriately labelled gluten-free bread, porridge or other breakfast cereals that suit your child.
Jumbo lists 6.6 g of salt per 100 g online for Gluten Free Bakery Holland Italian-Seasoned Toast Bites. Check an unusually high figure like this against the current packaging before comparing products.
Ask the retailer or manufacturer to clarify if the nutritional information on the packaging differs from the product page.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread is an important source of iodine in the Netherlands. That doesn’t mean every gluten-free bread alternative contains iodised baker’s salt.
Check the ingredients of the bread alternative you’ve chosen. If bread is being replaced for a long time, speak to a specialist dietitian about how your child’s overall diet is put together.
These brands and shops can help you with your search, but the range on offer or a product name is no substitute for checking the packaging of the specific product you’ve chosen.
Albert Heijn lists gluten-free bread, crackers and breakfast products for anyone looking for breakfast options beyond toast.
Schär appears in the supermarket ranges shown, with products including gluten-free bread and crackers.
Italian-Seasoned Toast Bites are a specific toast option on Jumbo’s product page.
In its toast category, Jumbo lists ordinary toast alongside a gluten-free toast option and gluten-free crackers.
Lidl has a page for its gluten-free range and is another shop worth exploring.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, there’s no need to eat gluten-free if you don’t have coeliac disease, a wheat allergy or diagnosed gluten sensitivity. Discuss any concerns about possible symptoms before changing your child’s diet.
Choose a product whose current packaging says ‘gluten-free’. Also check the ingredients and allergens for that exact flavour and pack, especially if your child has other allergies too.
A piece of toast isn’t automatically equivalent to a regular breakfast of bread or other grain products. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends bread and variety, including porridge and breakfast cereals, for young children’s breakfasts. When choosing gluten-free alternatives, compare the nutritional information and consider your child’s overall diet.
Have your child eat calmly while seated and stay nearby, as advised by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Choose pieces to suit their chewing ability, or opt for a softer alternative if crispy pieces are still difficult for them.
You shouldn’t assume so. Check the ingredients of the specific product. If bread is being replaced for a long time, speak to a specialist dietitian about how iodine and other nutrients fit into your child’s overall diet.
