If you compare fibre per bowl
You want to know how much fibre your breakfast cereal provides in the amount you actually eat. First compare per 100 g, then look at your own portion.
Who are these options for?
If you’re looking for crunchy wholegrain flakes
You want a cold bowl with milk or yoghurt, and you also check the wholegrain cereal, bran and sugars in your flakes.
If you’d rather make warm oatmeal
You have time for a warm bowl at the weekend and choose an oat base you can customise.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you want a cold, crunchy bowl or oatmeal to serve warm. Then compare similar products per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends this as a consistent basis, making it easier to spot differences in nutritional information than when comparing varying portion sizes.
Wheat bran flakes
A good choice if: fibre per portion is your priority and you want a wheat-based product. Kellogg's lists 27 g of fibre per 100 g and 11 g per 40 g portion for All-Bran Fibre Plus.
Worth considering: check the other ingredients and sugars as well as the fibre; this isn’t an oat-only base.
Wholegrain bran flakes
A good choice if: you want crunchy flakes made with wholegrain cereal and bran. According to Albert Heijn, AH Bran flakes volkoren contains 74% wholegrain wheat and 13% wheat bran.
Worth considering: wholegrain alone doesn’t tell you how much sugar a product contains; compare the nutritional values per 100 g too.
Oatmeal
A good choice if: you’d rather make a warm bowl. According to Albert Heijn, Brinta Havermout is made from 100% rolled oats.
Worth considering: oatmeal doesn’t have the crunchy texture of cold bran flakes and needs to be prepared differently.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre per bowl | Compare fibre per 100 g, then check how much you use. | If I mainly want to get fibre from my breakfast cereal, I need to know how much is in my own bowl. For around 46% of consumers, fibre content is the top priority. |
| Wholegrain and sugars | Read the first ingredients and compare sugars per 100 g; check whether added sugar is listed. | I want crunchy wholegrain flakes, but I don’t want to rely on the front of the pack alone. For around 36% of consumers, this combination of wholegrain and sugars matters most. |
| Warm preparation | Check the ingredients, preparation instructions and allergens for the oatmeal. | For my weekend breakfast, I’d rather choose a warm base I can customise than a cold, crunchy bowl. This is the main priority for around 18% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Focusing only on ‘high fibre’
Breakfast cereals that are high in fibre can also contain sugars and salt. So a fibre claim doesn’t tell you everything about what’s in the product.
Compare fibre, sugars and salt per 100 g on the label before choosing between products.
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Assuming portion sizes are the same
Pack portion sizes can vary, so two per-portion values aren’t necessarily comparable.
Use per 100 g as a consistent basis for comparison, then consider what the amount means for your bowl.
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Confusing oatmeal with crunchy flakes
Oatmeal has a different texture and preparation method from a cold bowl of bran flakes.
Choose the type of product you want to eat, and check how to prepare oatmeal.
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Relying on allergen information from an old pack
The wheat, bran and oat products discussed here have different ingredients and may contain other cereals. Product information can also change.
If you have a food sensitivity, read the allergen information on the pack you’re actually buying.
Brands and own-label options to consider
Kellogg's
All-Bran is worth considering if you’re specifically looking for bran-based products.
- Kellogg's lists 27 g of fibre per 100 g and 11 g per 40 g portion for All-Bran Fibre Plus.
- These values don’t apply to every product from the brand. Albert Heijn lists 23 g of sugars per 100 g for All-Bran Fruit 'n Fibre, so compare varieties individually.
Brinta
Brinta Havermout is an oat-based option if you’d rather make a warm bowl than eat crunchy flakes.
- Albert Heijn lists the ingredients in Brinta Havermout as 100% rolled oats.
- Oatmeal isn’t a crunchy flakes product. Check the current packaging for allergens, including information about possible traces of other cereals.
Albert Heijn
AH Bran flakes volkoren is an own-label example of wholegrain flakes for a cold bowl.
- Albert Heijn lists 74% wholegrain wheat and 13% wheat bran for this specific product.
- Compare sugars per 100 g too; a wholegrain base doesn’t automatically mean a product is low in sugar.
Jumbo
Jumbo lets you compare different types of products, including rolled oats and flakes.
- The breakfast cereal range includes products such as Jumbo Havermout Fijne Vlokken Volkoren and Jumbo Special Flakes.
- Compare fibre, sugars and allergens using the information for each individual product, rather than the category as a whole.
Golden Bridge / ALDI
Golden Bridge 7-granen volkoren ontbijt is another type of breakfast cereal to consider alongside flakes.
- ALDI describes this product as a breakfast cereal made with wholegrains.
- Check the nutritional information and allergens on the specific pack before comparing it with flakes.
Lidl
Lidl is another place to shop if you’re considering a seven-grain breakfast cereal with wholegrains.
- Lidl lists a seven-grain breakfast cereal with wholegrains as a separate product.
- Check the ingredients, fibre, sugars and allergens on the pack for this product.
Breakfast cereals on Joybuy
These products are mainly oatmeal and a wholegrain cereal breakfast, for anyone considering something different from crunchy bran flakes. If fibre and sugars are key to your choice, compare the latest nutritional information for each product.
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Brinta Oatmeal 450 g
For anyone who prefers a warm bowl of oats to crunchy flakes. Joybuy’s product information lists 100% rolled oats and 9.7 g of fibre per 100 g. Check the allergens on the current packaging.
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Zonnatura Organic Whole Wheat Oatmeal 500 g
An oatmeal option if you’re not looking for crunchy flakes. Compare fibre and sugars per 100 g on the pack, and read the latest allergen information before choosing.
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Quaker Oatmeal 600 g
A good option if you’re considering oatmeal instead of a cold bowl of flakes. Check the preparation instructions, nutritional information and allergens on this pack before comparing it with other oat products.
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Brinta Whole Wheat Cereal Breakfast 500 g
For anyone looking for a wholegrain wheat-based breakfast as well as oatmeal. Check the preparation instructions and compare fibre, sugars and allergens on the current packaging; don’t expect the texture of cold bran flakes.
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Leev Dutch Oatmeal 450 g
An oatmeal option if you’re not looking for crunchy flakes. If gluten is important to your choice, pay particular attention to the allergen information on the current packaging.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compare the fibre in breakfast flakes?
First compare the fibre per 100 g in similar products. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using this consistent basis when comparing labels. Then consider how much you put in your bowl, and include sugars in your decision too.
Does wholegrain mean breakfast flakes are low in sugar?
No. Wholegrain describes the cereal base, but doesn’t tell you how much sugar the product also contains. Read the ingredients list and compare sugars per 100 g on the label for the specific variety.
Where can I check allergens in bran flakes and oatmeal?
Check the allergen information on the current packaging of the product you’re buying. The bran and bran-flake products discussed contain wheat and/or barley. Brinta Havermout contains oats and lists possible traces of rye and wheat.
Can you swap oatmeal for crunchy flakes, or vice versa?
Not if texture and preparation matter to you: oatmeal is a different type of product from crunchy bran flakes. Choose oatmeal when you want to make a bowl of oats, and check the instructions on the pack you choose.