If you mainly want to avoid added sugar, start with plain porridge oats and compare the ingredients and sugars per 100 g. Then choose a pack you can prepare using the facilities available and permitted at your festival campsite. Portion packs save you measuring, but they don’t necessarily only need hot water. If you have coeliac disease, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends oats bearing the official Crossed Grain trademark.
You’re looking for porridge oats without sweet additions. The ingredients list helps you spot sources of added sugar, while the nutritional information per 100 g lets you compare like-for-like products. The sugars listed also include those that occur naturally.
Choose a preparation method that works with the facilities you can actually use. A portion pack saves you measuring, but the instructions may still call for a pan, microwave or milk. A pot that you prepare with boiling water, on the other hand, requires access to boiling water.
As well as sugars, check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact variant. For example, protein variants may contain milk or soya. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ordinary oats aren’t automatically suitable for people with coeliac disease; check that the pack bears the official Crossed Grain trademark.
First decide which feature matters most for your festival breakfast. Then check that the ingredients and preparation method of the specific pack meet your needs.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Added sugar | Compare like-for-like porridge oats per 100 g and read the ingredients list. A claim that there are no added sugars doesn’t mean the table will show zero grams of sugars. | If I want to avoid sweet additions, I want to know what’s really in my breakfast. For around 42% of consumers, less added sugar is a priority. |
| Preparation and portability | Check what liquid and equipment you’ll need. Also check the portion sizes and which facilities are permitted at your festival. | With limited cooking facilities, I don’t want to bring breakfast that I can’t prepare on site. A practical preparation method is the most important factor for around 33% of consumers. |
| Allergens and protein | Check the allergen information for the exact variant; if you have coeliac disease, look for the official Crossed Grain trademark. For a protein variant, compare the sugars and ingredients too. | If an allergen or my preference for extra protein determines my choice, I need more information than just the name of the porridge oats. Around 25% of consumers prioritise suitability for their needs. |
The nutrition table counts all the sugars present, including those that occur naturally in the ingredients. So the wording on the front of the pack doesn’t tell you on its own how much sugar the product contains.
Compare like-for-like products per 100 g and also check the ingredients list for things such as sugar, syrup or honey.
Preparation methods vary by product. Quaker Pots Protein Naturel specifies boiling water, while the product information for Brinta porridge oats and Quaker Oats Express Naturel lists different preparation methods.
Read the instructions for the variant you’ve chosen and check which cooking facilities the festival allows before you set off.
If the facilities you need aren’t available, you may have to arrange milk, cooking equipment or a different breakfast after all.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ordinary oats may be contaminated with gluten. So the word ‘oats’ in the ingredients list alone doesn’t make a pack suitable for someone with coeliac disease.
If you have coeliac disease, check that the pack bears the official Crossed Grain trademark and read the allergen information for the exact product.
These brands offer different types of products. Compare the pack of the variant you want to take with you, rather than choosing on brand name alone.
Brinta porridge oats are a plain base for anyone who wants to choose their own portion size and any additions.
Quaker offers, among other things, portion-packed express porridge oats and a protein variant in a pot. Their ingredients and preparation methods differ.
Jumbo offers fine and coarse wholegrain porridge oats, as well as other pack formats.
Zonnatura Bio Havermout Proteïne is a specific variant for anyone who wants to compare a protein option with ordinary porridge oats.
Lidl offers, among other things, coarse oat flakes and CROWNFIELD organic porridge oats.
These products suit two ways of taking porridge oats with you: a Quaker Express pack and a larger pack of Brinta porridge oats. Check the preparation instructions for both before relying on the facilities at your festival campsite.
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For campers considering express porridge oats who can prepare them using the facilities available. The pack contains 324 g; check the ingredients and preparation instructions for this variant before assuming it only needs hot water.
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For anyone who wants to take a plain oat base and measure out their own portions. The pack contains 450 g; the product information for Brinta porridge oats states that it contains 100% oat flakes and may contain traces of wheat and rye. Check the preparation method on the pack before relying on a kettle alone.
No. The nutrition table also lists sugars that occur naturally. Compare like-for-like porridge oats per 100 g and read the ingredients list to see what has been added.
If you have coeliac disease, don’t choose based on the word ‘oats’ alone. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ordinary oats may be contaminated with gluten, so check that the exact pack bears the official Crossed Grain trademark.
Choose a variant whose instructions say boiling water is enough, and check whether you’re allowed to use a kettle at the festival. Quaker specifies boiling water for Pots Protein Naturel; don’t assume the same instructions apply to ordinary porridge oats or express sachets.
