Label-conscious shoppers avoiding sugar
If you want ‘sugar-free’ to apply literally to the product, compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. A ‘no added sugars’ label doesn’t tell you how much sugar the product contains in total.
Who is this relevant for?
Weekly shoppers stocking up
If you eat porridge on several mornings a week, the pack size determines how often you’ll need to buy another one. With a larger pack, you can measure out the portions yourself.
Busy breakfast eaters who like to control their portions
If you want a quick breakfast without a ready-made flavour mix, look for plain fine oats and check the preparation instructions. You can decide how to make your porridge with milk, yoghurt or water.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether ‘sugar-free’ is an essential requirement. Then compare pack sizes and preparation instructions for the mornings when you want to eat porridge.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar information | Read the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g and distinguish between sugar-free and no added sugars. | If ‘sugar-free’ is a strict requirement for me, I don’t want to rely solely on a claim about added sugars. Around 42% of consumers with this shopping priority put the strict sugar claim first. |
| Pack size and weekly supply | Check how much porridge oats are in the pack and whether you’d rather measure out the portions yourself. | I want to have enough porridge oats at home for several breakfasts, even if I measure out each portion myself. For around 33% of consumers, having enough for the week comes first. |
| Preparation | Check the preparation instructions and whether the ingredients list contains only oats. | On busy mornings, I want to make a bowl of porridge quickly and choose what to add myself; for around 25% of consumers, ease of preparation matters most. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘no added sugars’ means ‘sugar-free’
Even without added sugars, porridge oats can contain naturally occurring sugars. Jumbo lists 0.7 g of sugars per 100 g for Fijne Vlokken Volkoren.
If the strict claim is essential for you, check the total sugar content per 100 g on the pack.
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Assuming ordinary oats are automatically gluten-free
According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, oats may come into contact with gluten during processing. So, oats being the only ingredient on the label doesn’t confirm that the finished product is gluten-free.
If you need a gluten-free product, check that the current packaging explicitly describes it as gluten-free.
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Judging a porridge oat mix as if it were plain oats
A flavoured mix or ready-made variety may contain different ingredients from plain oats. Anything you add to your bowl yourself also changes the nutritional information for the prepared serving.
Read the ingredients and nutritional information for each variety separately. If you’re comparing products, it’s best to compare them per 100 g of dry oats.
Brands to consider
These brands offer different options, including plain porridge oats, fine oats and special varieties. Assess the pack you’re thinking of buying against the features that matter for your breakfast.
Quaker
Quaker offers wholegrain porridge oats as well as Oats Express varieties. For a quick-cook option, check the ingredients and preparation instructions separately.
- The Quaker Havermout multipack listed by Albert Heijn contains 100% wholegrain oats.
- Albert Heijn also states that this pack may contain barley and wheat; and 100% oats as an ingredient doesn’t confirm a sugar-free claim.
Brinta
Brinta Havermout is worth considering if you’re looking for fine oats for porridge.
- According to Albert Heijn, the pack lists 100% oats as its ingredients.
- Albert Heijn also states that these oats may contain traces of wheat and rye. So, if gluten-free is essential, don’t rely on the short ingredients list alone.
Jumbo
Jumbo sells fine wholegrain oats in different pack sizes, including a 1 kg pack for anyone planning several breakfasts.
- Jumbo lists wholegrain oats as the ingredient in Fijne Vlokken Volkoren 500 g.
- The same product information lists 0.7 g of sugars per 100 g. This variety therefore doesn’t meet the threshold for a ‘sugar-free’ claim.
Albert Heijn
Alongside regular porridge oats, Albert Heijn also offers a wholegrain variety explicitly labelled gluten-free. Choose based on the specific product’s labelling, not just the retailer’s name.
- According to Albert Heijn, AH Glutenvrij Volkoren havermout is produced in a completely gluten-free environment.
- The claim of 0 g of added sugars per 100 g for this variety doesn’t mean that the total sugar content is 0 g.
Golden Bridge
Golden Bridge is ALDI’s own brand of fine and coarse wholegrain porridge oats. These different oat sizes give you a useful starting point when choosing how you’d like to prepare them.
- ALDI lists both oat varieties in 500 g packs.
- Before applying a specific sugar or dietary requirement, check the ingredients, nutritional information and any allergen information on the pack you choose.
Porridge oat products on Joybuy
Related products coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘no added sugars’ mean the same as ‘sugar-free’?
No. A product with no added sugars may still contain naturally occurring sugars. For the ‘sugar-free’ nutrition claim, the annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 sets a limit of no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g or 100 ml.
Can plain porridge oats fail to meet a strict sugar-free requirement?
Yes. Jumbo lists 0.7 g of sugars per 100 g for Fijne Vlokken Volkoren. That’s above the 0.5 g per 100 g threshold for the ‘sugar-free’ nutrition claim, even though the ingredients list says wholegrain oats.
How do I compare porridge oats for several breakfasts?
First compare the sugar content and other nutritional values per 100 g for similar dry products, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Then check the ingredients, pack size and how much you want to prepare for each breakfast; nutritional values per serving are harder to compare when serving sizes differ.
Are ordinary porridge oats automatically gluten-free?
No. According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, oats may come into contact with gluten during processing. If you need a gluten-free product, check that the packaging for the variety you choose explicitly says it is gluten-free.