For a quick breakfast, start by deciding what you mean by cutting down on sugar: granola with no added sugar can still contain sugars, so it isn’t automatically sugar-free. Then compare protein and fibre if they matter to the balance of your breakfast, or total carbohydrates and energy if those are important to you. If you have an allergy, always check the ingredients and allergens for the exact variety.
You want to cut down on sugar at breakfast and understand the difference between sugar-free and no added sugar. The claim on the front of the pack and the ‘of which sugars’ row in the nutrition information per 100 g answer different questions.
For a breakfast that’s quick to prepare, compare the amount of protein and fibre in the granola. Also consider how much you actually add to your yoghurt, quark or a suitable plant-based alternative.
A low sugar figure doesn’t tell you how many total carbohydrates a granola contains. If that matters to you, compare carbohydrates and energy on the same per-100 g basis.
Start with the sugar claim and nutrition information, then decide which feature matters most for your breakfast. A sugar figure that suits you doesn’t make checking for allergens any less important.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar claim | Read the exact claim and compare it with ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g. | If I’m looking for something genuinely sugar-free, I don’t want to accidentally choose a variety that only has no added sugar. For around 40% of consumers, this distinction comes first. |
| Protein and fibre | Compare protein and fibre per 100 g, and consider how much granola you use. | With yoghurt or quark, I want to know what the granola adds to the balance of my quick breakfast. Around 30% of consumers give protein and fibre top priority. |
| Carbohydrates and energy | Compare total carbohydrates and kcal per 100 g with the sugar figure. | If I’m also keeping an eye on carbohydrates, the sugar claim alone isn’t enough. Total carbohydrates and energy matter most to around 20% of consumers. |
| Allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen information for the exact variety, including any ‘may contain’ warning. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, the contents of this particular pack have to be suitable. For around 10% of consumers, this check is the first thing they look at. |
You might choose a granola that meets your preference to avoid added sugars, but not your stricter requirement about sugars being present at all. The varieties reviewed that have no added sugar also list sugars in their nutrition information.
Before choosing a variety, compare the claim with the ‘of which sugars’ row per 100 g.
Fewer carbohydrates don’t automatically mean less energy. Albert Heijn lists 22 g of carbohydrates and 532 kcal per 100 g for AH Granola koolhydraat verlaagd; AH Granola noten lists 53 g of carbohydrates and 427 kcal per 100 g.
Always compare nutrition values per 100 g, then consider how much you add to your breakfast.
The recipes reviewed have different ingredients and may contain cereals containing gluten, soya, peanuts or nuts, among other things. A nutrition value that suits you says nothing about whether a product is suitable if you have an allergy.
Check the ingredients, allergens and any cross-contamination warning on the current pack of the flavour you’ve chosen.
Jumbo says that Quaker Cruesli Zero Sugar Added Nuts & Seeds is no longer part of its online range. This doesn’t tell you whether another shop or platform sells the same variety.
Before ordering, check the current product page, pack size and nutrition information at the retailer you’re buying from.
The details below apply to the varieties mentioned, not to every granola made by each brand. So compare the label on the pack you’re planning to buy.
Albert Heijn describes several own-brand varieties as having 0% added sugars, including protein, reduced-carbohydrate and nut granola.
The Holie's varieties reviewed offer different points of comparison if you’re keeping an eye on protein, fibre or total carbohydrates.
The Cruesli Nuts & Seeds variety reviewed is a cereal mix with nuts and seeds, described as having no added sugar.
This selection ranges from Cruesli with nuts or a plain cereal mix to Holie's varieties, where protein or carbohydrates are useful points of comparison. Don’t rely on the product name instead of the nutrition information: pay particular attention to sugars per 100 g and the ingredients on the exact pack.
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A nut variety to consider if you’re looking for granola for a quick breakfast. The pack contains 400 g. Check the nutrition information against your sugar requirements, and if you have an allergy, read the ingredients list.
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For anyone who wants to compare total carbohydrates as well as sugars. The pack contains 350 g; assess the current nutrition values for this Crunch variety separately. Also check the ingredients and allergens before buying: while the description says ‘gluten-free’, the ingredients list includes wheat gluten.
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A variety to compare with yoghurt or quark if protein and fibre matter to your breakfast. The product information for this flavour lists 20 g of protein, 14 g of fibre and 3.4 g of sugars per 100 g. If you have an allergy, check the current pack for ingredients including cereals, peanuts, almonds and soya.
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A nut and seed variety for anyone who likes this combination at breakfast. The product information reviewed for Quaker Cruesli Zero Sugar Added Nuts & Seeds lists 3.8 g of sugars and 23 g of fibre per 100 g, so ‘Zero Sugar Added’ doesn’t mean you can ignore sugars that are present. Also check the current pack for wheat, oats, nuts and allergen warnings.
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A plain variety to compare with the nut varieties for a quick breakfast. The pack contains 400 g; check the label for sugars and other nutrition values for this variety. Also read the full allergen information on the current pack, especially if you need to avoid cereals, milk or nuts.
No, the two terms don’t mean the same thing. The granolas reviewed with 0% added sugars also list sugars in their nutrition information. So compare the exact claim with ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g.
Compare total carbohydrates, ‘of which sugars’ and kcal on the same per-100 g basis. Albert Heijn lists 22 g of carbohydrates and 532 kcal per 100 g for AH Granola koolhydraat verlaagd, compared with 53 g of carbohydrates and 427 kcal for AH Granola noten. So, for these two varieties, fewer carbohydrates don’t mean less energy.
You can add a measured portion of granola to yoghurt, quark or a suitable plant-based alternative. Use the portion on the pack as a starting point and consider how much you add yourself; the nutrition values per 100 g don’t automatically reflect the amount in your bowl.
Not automatically: the sugar claim says nothing about allergens. The varieties reviewed contain different combinations of cereals, soya, peanuts and nuts. Check the ingredients and allergen warnings on the current pack of the exact variety you want to buy.
