Only choose between instant porridge and regular oats once you’ve decided what role the oats will play in your Sunday roast. A plain instant product is handy for a quick bowl, while rolled oats are worth considering for a dish where texture matters. Compare the salt content of dry products per 100 g, and remember to factor in anything you add during preparation.
You want to know how much salt the oat base adds to your Sunday meal. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing the nutritional information for similar dry products per 100 g. When preparing your dish, also consider ingredients such as stock and sauce.
Perhaps you’re looking for a quick bowl of porridge to serve alongside your meal. Albert Heijn lists a preparation time of two minutes for Quaker Oats Express Naturel. That preparation time alone doesn’t tell you whether instant porridge will give you the texture you want in a stuffing or as a binding ingredient.
Regular oat products aren’t automatically suitable if you have coeliac disease: oats can come into contact with gluten during processing. For this situation, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends oats bearing the official Crossed Grain mark. Check the packaging of the product you buy for the mark.
Decide whether you’re making a quick bowl of porridge or using oats as an ingredient in your roast dish. Then check the salt per 100 g of dry product and, if you need a gluten-free option, check the packaging of the specific product.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Salt content | Compare the salt per 100 g of dry oat products. Also check the ingredients you add to the dish. | I want to assess the salt in my Sunday meal without confusing a prepared portion with dry oats. For around 50% of consumers, keeping an eye on salt is the top priority. |
| Preparation and texture | Check the preparation instructions and choose the type of oats to suit how you plan to use them. | If I want to make a quick bowl of porridge, convenience matters more than the texture in a stuffing or side dish. Around 30% of consumers say convenience is their top priority. |
| Gluten-free suitability | If you have coeliac disease, check for the official Crossed Grain mark and the allergen information on the current packaging. | If avoiding gluten is medically necessary, I can’t rely on the word ‘oats’ alone. For around 20% of consumers, being certain a product is gluten-free comes first. |
The product information for Brinta Havermout lists 0.25 g of salt for a portion made with 250 ml of semi-skimmed milk. This isn’t directly comparable with the salt content per 100 g of dry product.
When choosing a product, compare the same quantity and preparation basis. Then assess separately how much salt milk, stock or other ingredients add to the dish.
A short preparation time is useful for a bowl of porridge, but it doesn’t tell you what texture the oats will give a stuffing, binding ingredient or savoury side dish.
First decide what you want the oats to do in your recipe. For a savoury porridge recipe, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends rolled oats if you want more texture.
Oat products can become contaminated with gluten during processing. According to its own product information, Quaker can’t guarantee that its regular oat products are completely gluten-free.
If you need to eat gluten-free because you have coeliac disease, check the current packaging for the official Crossed Grain mark and the allergen information.
Oats Express Naturel is a portioned instant porridge for anyone looking for a quick and easy option.
Brinta Havermout is made with fine oats for anyone who wants to measure and prepare their oats themselves.
Jumbo’s range of porridge oats includes fine and jumbo oats, as well as portion packs.
According to ALDI, Golden Bridge offers a 500 g pack of fine wholegrain porridge oats.
This product suits anyone choosing instant porridge for a quick and easy preparation. If you’re planning to serve it with your Sunday roast, separately check whether this type of product will work in your recipe.
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Worth a look if you’re after instant porridge that’s quick to prepare.
The pack contains 324 g. To compare salt content, check the nutritional information per 100 g on the current packaging. Also check that the preparation instructions and allergen information suit your needs.
No. That figure describes only the product and quantity covered by the nutritional information. Stock, sauce and other additions can add salt to your dish, so check those ingredients too.
No. Regular oat products can become contaminated with gluten during processing. For people with coeliac disease, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends oats bearing the official Crossed Grain mark. Check for it on the current packaging.
No. Don’t judge the salt content by a claim on the front of the pack alone. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, European rules apply to nutrition claims. Before you buy, compare the salt per 100 g in the nutritional information for similar products.
That depends on the role the oats will play in the dish. Instant porridge can be handy for a quick bowl, but the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends rolled oats for more texture in a savoury oat dish. That advice doesn’t automatically tell you which product will work in your stuffing, sauce or side dish.
