For breakfast around a stamppot evening, choose porridge oats whose ingredients list contains only oats if you want to avoid added sugar. Also check the sugars per 100 g and the allergen information. Plain portions can be handy when you want a quick breakfast, while a mix with extra ingredients calls for a closer look at its composition. Porridge oats with no added sugar are not automatically completely sugar-free.
Planning a stamppot evening and want to choose a simple bowl of porridge for the next morning too? Check both the ingredients and the sugars per 100 g. A plain version and a flavoured version from the same brand can have different ingredients.
If you don’t want to measure out your oats in the morning, plain individual portions can be practical. Still check the ingredients for the specific variety: convenience doesn’t tell you whether sugar has been added.
With a porridge mix, ingredients such as spelt or soya matter too. If you have coeliac disease, follow the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s advice to look for the official Crossed Grain symbol on the packaging.
Start with the ingredients for the exact variety you want to buy. Then compare the nutritional information and packaging with what matters to you at breakfast.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Added sugar | Read the ingredients list and compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g. Oats with no added sugar can still contain naturally occurring sugars. | I want an oat-based breakfast without sugar being added to the product; around 38% of consumers put this requirement first. |
| Preparation and portions | Check the preparation instructions and the amount per portion; for a quick option, check the ingredients too. | When mornings are hectic, I want a measured portion that takes little preparation. For around 23% of consumers, convenience matters most. |
| Composition and allergens | Compare protein and fibre per 100 g and read the allergen information. If you have coeliac disease, look for the official Crossed Grain symbol. | I want to know which grains and other ingredients are in my breakfast before choosing plain oats or a mix; for around 23% of consumers, this check is a priority. |
| Packaging | Check the net weight and whether you measure out the oats yourself or buy them in individual portions. | For my everyday breakfast, I want packaging that suits the way I portion my oats. Around 16% of consumers give this consideration the most attention. |
A product can contain wholegrain oats and still list sugar as an ingredient. The ingredients listed by Jumbo for Quaker Oats Express Kaneel and Jumbo Havermout Porties Original show the difference.
Read the ingredients for the flavour you’ve chosen, then compare ‘of which sugars’ in the nutritional information.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, oats can come into contact with gluten during processing. So, an ingredients list containing only oats doesn’t answer that question.
If you have coeliac disease, check the current packaging for the official Crossed Grain symbol and read the allergen information.
The Zonnatura Bio Havermout Proteïne described by Jumbo contains spelt and soya as well as oats. That matters if you want to avoid certain ingredients.
Compare the full ingredients and allergen lists before choosing a mix.
Brinta Havermout is an option with fine flakes if you want to make up your own breakfast portion.
With Quaker, the key difference is between plain portions and flavoured varieties.
The Jumbo products mentioned here show why coarse flakes and portion packs shouldn’t be assumed to have the same ingredients.
Zonnatura Bio Havermout Proteïne is a mix of oats, spelt and soya, not the same product as plain oat flakes.
These products are porridge oat options to consider when planning breakfast around your meals. Choose the specific pack based on its ingredients, nutritional information and allergen labelling; the Zonnatura pack below is not the Bio Havermout Proteïne mix discussed above.
Image unavailable
An option to consider if you’re looking for porridge oats in a 324 g pack for busy mornings. Check the ingredients and sugars per 100 g for this specific variety; don’t assume it has the same ingredients as another Quaker portion pack.
Image unavailable
A 450 g pack for anyone who wants to measure out their own portion of porridge oats. Albert Heijn lists 100% oat flakes as the ingredient in Brinta Havermout and mentions possible traces of wheat and rye; check the current packaging if ingredients or allergens are important to you.
Image unavailable
A 500 g pack to consider if you’re thinking of having porridge oats as a breakfast staple. Read the ingredients, nutritional information and allergen details for this specific pack: the composition and protein content of Zonnatura Bio Havermout Proteïne don’t automatically apply to this product.
No, oats can contain naturally occurring sugars. So, compare the ingredients list, which shows what has been added, with ‘of which sugars’ in the nutritional information for the pack you’ve chosen.
Not necessarily: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, oats can come into contact with gluten during processing. If you have coeliac disease, check the current packaging for the official Crossed Grain symbol and read the allergen information.
Yes, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists milk, yoghurt and a fortified dairy alternative as possible pairings for porridge oats. If you want to avoid added sugar, also check the ingredients of the product itself when choosing ready-made porridge oats.
