A kano pastry isn’t an obvious snack just before exercise. The Dutch Nutrition Centre recommends eating a regular meal around two to three hours before exercising, and advises against having a large or high-fat portion immediately beforehand. If you do want to eat one kano pastry, consider how long it is until your training session, the weight of each pastry and the current allergen information on the label. Albert Heijn lists a 45 g portion and Jumbo a 55 g portion; a stated portion size doesn’t mean each pastry is individually wrapped.
If there’s not much time between your snack and your training session, when you eat matters more than simply which kano pastry you choose. The Dutch Nutrition Centre recommends eating a regular meal around two to three hours before exercise.
You want to have one pastry rather than keep eating from the pack. Albert Heijn lists six 45 g portions per pack; Jumbo lists five 55 g portions. This helps you compare how much you’ll actually be eating.
For you, the ingredients and the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements are what matter most. Allergen information varies between products, so check the label on the pack you’re buying.
First, work out how long it is until your training session. Then compare the amount you want to eat and check whether the ingredients are suitable for you.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Timing and stomach comfort | Check how long it is until your training session and how much you plan to eat. Jumbo lists 8.1 g of fat per 55 g portion. | If I’m exercising shortly after eating, I don’t want to have a large portion just beforehand. Around 42% of consumers considering one kano pastry before exercise prioritise timing and stomach comfort. |
| A clearly defined portion | Compare the weight of each stated portion and the nutritional information per pastry. Check the packaging if you need the pastries to be individually wrapped. | I want to take one pastry with me and know how much I’m eating, without treating a whole pack as one portion. Around 33% of these consumers prioritise portion control. |
| Allergens and labelling | Check the ingredients and the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements on the pack you buy. | If I need to avoid a particular allergen, the current information on the packaging matters more than my preference for a brand or portion size. Checking allergens is the main concern when buying for around 25% of these consumers. |
A kano pastry is a filled pastry. The fact that it contains carbohydrates doesn’t automatically make it suitable just before a training session; when you eat it and how much you have also matter.
First decide when you want to eat and how much. Don’t assume it’s suitable as an immediate pre-exercise snack just because of its product category.
Albert Heijn lists a 45 g portion and Jumbo a 55 g portion. So the nutritional information per stated pastry doesn’t describe the same amount of pastry.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g, as recommended by the Dutch Nutrition Centre, and also check the figures for the amount you actually plan to eat.
The listed ingredients and possible traces vary between products. A familiar name is no substitute for checking the allergen information on the pack.
Check the current ingredients list and the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements every time you buy, even if you’ve bought the product before.
According to Albert Heijn, AH butter kano pastries come in a 270 g pack with six 45 g portions.
According to Jumbo, its butter kano pastries come in a 275 g pack with five 55 g portions.
According to PLUS, its butter kano pastries come in a 275 g pack and consist of butter pastry with almond paste filling and an almond decoration.
ALDI lists Heerlijck Banket Kano pastries as a 330 g pack.
A kano pastry isn’t a standard choice immediately before exercise. The Dutch Nutrition Centre advises against having a large or high-fat portion at that point; Jumbo, for example, lists 8.1 g of fat per 55 g pastry. Consider how long it is until your training session and how much you want to eat.
No, a stated portion size doesn’t tell you whether the pastry has its own wrapper. Albert Heijn lists six 45 g portions per pack and Jumbo lists five 55 g portions. Check the packaging if you want to take one pastry with you separately.
Check the ingredients and the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements on the current pack. The Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS products described have different statements for ingredients including wheat or gluten, milk, egg, soya and almond or other nuts. Don’t assume that every brand has the same ingredients.
Follow the storage advice on the packaging you bought. Albert Heijn advises storing its butter kano pastries in a sealed tin once opened.
