If you’re keeping an eye on added sugars and the size of your breakfast portion, plain wholegrain oats with a single ingredient give you the freedom to decide what to add. A plain portion pack may be more convenient, but check the ingredients and nutritional information for that specific variety. Milk and toppings change the nutritional value of your prepared bowl.
You want a simple oat base and to decide for yourself what to add to your breakfast. As well as checking the ingredients, look at the sugars in the nutritional information: even plain porridge oats contain naturally occurring sugars.
You want to know how much dry oats you’re using, and what milk, yoghurt or toppings add to the prepared portion.
You’re looking for an easy-to-measure option, without assuming that every portion pack or flavour has the same ingredients.
First, choose a product format that suits your morning. Then compare the ingredients and nutritional information for that format, and bear in mind what you add during preparation.
Choose these when: you want to decide for yourself how much oats to use and what to add.
Trade-off: you’ll need to measure the portion yourself and prepare or mix the oats.
Choose these when: a pre-measured amount would make breakfast easier; Quaker offers this with Oats Express Naturel.
Trade-off: check the contents and nutritional information of each variety separately, including other flavours.
Choose this when: you don’t want to prepare porridge and the pack you choose suits your portion size.
Trade-off: don’t compare the nutritional value of ready-made porridge directly with that of dry oats.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Added sugar | Read the ingredients and compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g across similar products. | I want to decide for myself what to add to my porridge. Limiting added sugar is a top priority for around 37% of consumers. |
| Portion and energy | Check the portion size and whether the nutritional values are for dry oats or for oats prepared with milk. | When sticking to a set breakfast portion, I also want to account for milk and toppings. Portion control matters most to around 27% of consumers. |
| Fibre and wholegrain oats | Check the ingredients and the amount of fibre per 100 g or per portion. | A wholegrain base and knowing how much fibre I’m getting matter more to me than speed; around 18% of consumers put this first. |
| Convenience | Compare the packaging format, amount per portion and preparation method of the variety you choose. | On busy mornings, I want to spend less time weighing ingredients without automatically choosing a sweetened flavour mix. Convenience is the main reason for around 18% of consumers. |
The product format makes a difference. Voedingscentrum gives average sugar values of 0.3 g for 40 g of dry porridge oats and 10.5 g for a 250 g bowl of ready-made porridge. These portions aren’t directly comparable.
Compare dry oats with dry oats, and ready-made porridge with ready-made porridge. Also consider how much you actually eat.
‘No added sugars’ doesn’t mean a product contains no naturally occurring sugars. ‘Less sugar’ on its own doesn’t tell you how much sugar is in your portion either.
Read the ingredients and the ‘of which sugars’ line per 100 g. If there’s a comparative claim, check what the product is being compared with.
Milk, yoghurt and toppings change the nutritional value of your breakfast. For example, the portion values shown by Albert Heijn for Brinta Havermout are for a serving prepared with 250 ml of semi-skimmed milk.
Decide how much dry oats you’ll use, then include the other ingredients when considering the nutritional value of the prepared portion.
Oats can come into contact with gluten during processing. So, if you have coeliac disease, ordinary oat packaging won’t necessarily give you the reassurance you need.
For coeliac disease, Voedingscentrum advises looking for the ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain symbol, and checking the allergen information on the packaging.
Worth considering if you want to compare plain porridge oats with a plain portion-pack option.
Worth considering if you’re looking for fine oats to make hot porridge.
Worth considering if you want to explore a supermarket own-brand option made with fine wholegrain oats.
Worth considering if you’re looking for plain fine wholegrain oats as a base.
Worth considering if you want to compare fine and jumbo wholegrain oats from a supermarket own brand.
You can compare these porridge products by their ingredients, nutritional information and the amount you want to use for breakfast. Assess the variety you choose separately from any milk and toppings you add.
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If you’re considering these oats for a regular breakfast portion, check the amount per portion and the nutritional information for this variety. The pack contains 324 g.
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If you like to put together your own oat-based breakfast, decide how much dry oats to use and check the ingredients for this variety. The pack contains 500 g.
No. ‘Less sugar’ indicates a comparison; it doesn’t mean the product contains no sugars. Check the ‘of which sugars’ line in the nutritional information and see what the product is being compared with.
No. A product with no added sugars may still contain naturally occurring sugars. Quaker says that Havermout Original has no added sugars, but does contain 1.1 g of sugars per 100 g.
Not necessarily: oats can come into contact with gluten during processing. For people with coeliac disease, Voedingscentrum recommends oat products labelled ‘gluten-free’ or carrying the Crossed Grain symbol. Check the packaging of the specific product.
