Use chocolate flakes as a sandwich spread with a meal before cycling, rather than as a snack to eat on the go. If you want less sugar, compare flakes per 100 g and check what any claim is being compared with; a product name such as ‘light’ doesn’t tell you that by itself. For a long, intense ride, you’ll need to make a separate choice about carbohydrates and fluids for the journey.
You’re looking for a sandwich spread with less sugar, but don’t want to confuse flakes with chocolate sprinkles. So compare similar products by their sugar content per 100 g, and read the details behind any claims.
You have breakfast or lunch before cycling and want to know when that meal fits in. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends eating a meal around two to three hours before exercising.
For a long, intense ride, you’re looking for something you can take with you and eat on the go, as well as something to drink. Sandwich spreads for home and food for during your ride are different choices.
First decide whether you’re looking for a sandwich spread to eat before your ride or food to take on the go. When comparing sandwich spreads, check the nutritional information per 100 g, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends when comparing labels.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is it important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Less sugar in flakes | Compare sugar per 100 g within the same product category, and check which product ‘less sugar’ is being compared with. | I want to keep flakes on my bread without guessing how much sugar they contain from the product name. Around 46% of consumers prioritise verifiably less sugar. |
| Eating before your ride | Consider the timing and size of your meal; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre suggests eating around two to three hours before exercising. | If I cycle after breakfast, I don’t want to plan my meal just before setting off. Meal timing matters most to around 36% of consumers. |
| Food for the journey | For a long, intense ride, consider whether you can take food with you and eat it, and how you’ll stay hydrated. | On a longer ride, food I can eat on the go is more useful than loose flakes I’d have at home. Around 18% of consumers prioritise this practical choice. |
The name Chogal Boterhamvlokken licht doesn’t, by itself, tell you how much sugar the product contains. Jumbo also says that this item is no longer available in its online range.
Check the nutritional information per 100 g and confirm with the retailer whether the item is available.
Albert Heijn says that its AH Hagelslag puur minder suiker is compared with its own plain chocolate sprinkles. According to Albert Heijn, the product contains 43 g of sugar per 100 g and is hagelslag, not flakes.
Check both the comparison product mentioned in the claim and the sugar content per 100 g. Choose hagelslag only if you’re happy to use a different product category.
Chocolate flakes on bread can be part of a meal before your ride. Loose flakes are less practical to eat while cycling; on a long, intense ride, food for the journey and fluids need separate consideration.
Decide when you want to eat, and choose something for the journey that you can actually take with you and use.
The Royaal Chocoladevlokken reviewed are regular dark chocolate flakes, not a variety specifically marketed as lower in sugar.
Boterhamvlokken licht belongs to the flakes category, but ‘light’ in the product name doesn’t tell you which nutritional value is lower.
AH Hagelslag puur minder suiker is an alternative in the chocolate sprinkles category, not a variety of chocolate flakes.
Jumbo Hagelslag Melk Minder Suiker is milk chocolate hagelslag and doesn’t belong to the flakes category.
Compare chocolate flakes with one another by their sugar content per 100 g, and check which product is used as a reference for any claim. Also check the product category: a claim about hagelslag doesn’t tell you anything about the composition of flakes.
Try not to have a meal with flakes just before setting off. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends eating a meal around two to three hours before exercising. If you’re eating later, consider the portion size and what feels right for you.
Loose flakes aren’t a practical default choice for the journey. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that carbohydrates can contribute to performance during endurance exercise lasting one to two and a half hours. Choose something you can take with you and eat on the go, and remember to drink too.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging of your flakes. Close the packaging after use and check the label for the storage conditions for that particular variety.
