If you’re watching your salt intake
If you make warm porridge regularly, comparing the salt content per 100 g gives you a consistent basis for assessing different products. Also read the ingredients list and check what you add when preparing it.
Which option suits you?
If you’re short on time
A sachet can save you the trouble of measuring out a portion. According to Jumbo’s product information, Quaker Oats Express Plain takes two minutes to prepare. Check the salt content and allergen information for the variety you buy, too.
If you’re comparing ingredients or protein
A high-protein option has a different composition from oats made solely from oats. Compare the protein and salt content per 100 g, and read the allergen information, especially if you want to avoid soya.
What should you look for?
Start with the salt content per 100 g. Then consider which preparation method and ingredients suit your warm porridge.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Salt content | Compare the ‘salt’ value per 100 g for similar products and read the ingredients list. | If salt is my priority, I want to know what’s in the dry oats before adding toppings. Around 42% of consumers put checking the salt content first when choosing. |
| Preparation and portion | Check the preparation method and time, and make sure the portion size suits how you’ll use it. | On a busy morning, I want to make a warm bowl quickly without measuring anything out myself. For around 33% of consumers, convenience matters most. |
| Ingredients and protein | Read the ingredients and allergen information; if you’re considering a high-protein option, compare the protein and salt content per 100 g too. | If I’m looking for extra protein or want to avoid soya, the ingredients determine which option I can choose. This is the main consideration for around 25% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Taking ‘plain’ or ‘reduced salt’ as a measure of salt content
The product name doesn’t tell you how much salt the oats contain per 100 g. The stated serving sizes can also vary.
Compare the salt content per 100 g of similar products, then read the ingredients list.
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Treating a high-protein option as oats made solely from oats
The Quaker Express Protein variety reviewed here contains soya protein and soya lecithin as well as oats. Joybuy Netherlands lists 0.2 g of salt and 22 g of protein per 100 g for this variety.
Compare the high-protein option with a plain variety on the same basis, and check the current allergen information.
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Looking only at the dry oats
Added salt and toppings change the composition of the prepared porridge.
If you don’t want to add extra salt, prepare the oats without it and choose toppings whose ingredients you know, such as fruit, cinnamon or unsalted nuts.
Brands and ranges compared
Quaker
Quaker offers both regular oats and Express sachets, as well as an Express Protein variety. Compare the individual products, as their compositions differ.
- According to Quaker Netherlands, Havermout Original is made from 100% wholegrain oats. Jumbo lists 0 g of salt per 100 g for Oats Express Plain.
- The Express Protein variety reviewed here contains soya and, according to Joybuy Netherlands, has 0.2 g of salt per 100 g.
Brinta
The Brinta oats reviewed here have extra-fine flakes, making them suitable if you want to measure out your own portion of warm porridge.
- Albert Heijn lists 100% oat flakes as the ingredients in these oats.
- According to Albert Heijn, the product may contain traces of wheat and rye. When comparing salt content, check the per-100 g value on the packaging.
Jumbo
Jumbo is relevant here as a retailer whose range includes both loose oats and Quaker sachets, not as an indication that all the products mentioned are Jumbo own-brand products.
- The range includes different pack sizes and preparation options to compare.
- Check the nutrition information and availability for each product you choose; these don’t automatically apply to the entire range.
Golden Bridge
Golden Bridge is ALDI’s range to look at if you’re after loose fine wholegrain oats and don’t need portion sachets.
- ALDI Netherlands lists a 500 g variety of fine wholegrain oats.
- Before comparing this variety with other oats, check the ingredients and salt content per 100 g on the packaging.
Oats for warm porridge at Joybuy
These products show two ways to make warm porridge: a quick-to-prepare Quaker Express variety and loose, fine Brinta oats that you can measure out yourself. When comparing salt content, always check the current nutrition information per 100 g.
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Quaker Express Oats 324 g
For a warm portion when quick preparation matters. Joybuy Netherlands describes how to prepare it in two minutes in the microwave or a saucepan, and states that it contains wholegrain oats. Check the current packaging for the salt content per 100 g and for information about possible traces of soya, barley and wheat.
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Brinta Oats 450 g
For anyone who wants to measure out their own portion of warm porridge. The product information describes extra-fine flakes made from 100% oats. Check the current packaging for the salt content per 100 g and for information that the product may contain rye and wheat.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compare the salt content of instant oats?
Compare the amount of salt per 100 g in similar products. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises comparing labels on this basis; information per portion can be less clear when portion sizes differ.
Is ‘reduced salt’ enough to help me choose oats?
No. Check the salt content per 100 g on the current label too. A claim doesn’t replace the nutrition information when you want to compare two products.
Which high-protein oats can I choose if I want to avoid soya?
For every high-protein variety, check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging first. According to Joybuy Netherlands, the Quaker Express Protein variety reviewed here contains soya protein and soya lecithin, so it isn’t suitable if you want to avoid soya.
How can I add flavour to warm oats without adding salt?
Prepare the oats without added salt and use fruit or cinnamon, for example, to add flavour. Check the ingredients in other toppings too, so you’re not judging the dry oats alone.