When choosing oats for a festival, start by thinking about how you can prepare them on site. Plain oats let you control the portion yourself, while individual sachets make measuring easier but may still require suitable facilities for preparation. To compare sugar levels, check the nutrition information per 100 g and the ingredients list. If you have coeliac disease, also look for the official Crossed Grain mark on the packaging.
The same pack won’t necessarily suit someone comparing ingredients, someone with limited preparation facilities or someone who needs to avoid gluten because of coeliac disease.
They want to choose a simple oat base, so they check both ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g and the ingredients. The average nutritional values for oats listed by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre are no substitute for the nutrition information for a specific product.
They want to take a portion with them without having to measure much on site. Quaker Oats Express Naturel comes in individual sachets, but the hot preparation method described still requires a microwave or saucepan.
They need to look beyond the word ‘oats’. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, oat products are only suitable for people with coeliac disease if the official Crossed Grain mark appears on the packaging.
First, decide how you want to eat your oats and what facilities will be available at the festival. Then use the nutrition information and, where needed, the allergen information to choose between plain oats and varieties with added ingredients.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and ingredients | Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g and check whether the ingredients list includes anything besides oats. | If you’re looking for a simple base for breakfast at the festival, don’t rely on the wording on the front of the pack alone. Around 42% of consumers prioritise sugars and ingredients. |
| Preparation and portability | Read the preparation instructions and check whether the pack contains individual portions. | If I have limited space and want something warm to eat, the necessary pan or microwave needs to be available. Preparation convenience is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Gluten and allergens | If you have coeliac disease, check for the official Crossed Grain mark on the packaging. For other allergens, read the ingredients and warnings too. | If you’re taking oats because of coeliac disease, you need to be able to rely on the specific product packaging, not just the product category. Gluten safety is the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
This wording doesn’t tell you how much sugar a product contains in total. Plain oats and varieties with added flavourings or protein can also have different ingredients.
Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g, then read the ingredients list for the variety you want to take with you.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that ordinary oats can become contaminated with gluten during processing. So a product name that includes ‘oats’ isn’t enough to confirm it’s suitable.
If you have coeliac disease, look for the official Crossed Grain mark on the packaging and check the latest allergen information.
Individual portions save you measuring them out, but according to the product information, Quaker Oats Express Naturel needs to be prepared hot in a microwave or saucepan.
Check the preparation instructions before you pack. If you can’t prepare it that way, only choose a cold preparation method if it’s suitable for the product and the facilities you have available.
These examples show how ingredients and packaging vary between product ranges. Always check the specific variety before you choose.
The range includes plain oats and Express varieties, offering a choice between a basic product, individual portions and a variety with added soya protein.
Brinta Havermout is an option if you want to measure out plain oats and prepare them with water or milk.
The gluten-free oat variety is worth considering if the suitability of oats for people with coeliac disease is your deciding factor.
This product is an oat variety with added soya protein, for anyone looking for that combination who can check the ingredients and allergens on the pack they choose.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for oats with added soya protein for breakfast at the festival. The product information lists 22 g of protein per 100 g and no added sugars; check the nutrition information as well to see the total sugar content. The product contains soya protein and soya lecithin, and may contain barley and wheat. Before you set off, check the preparation instructions and pack size.
No. Don’t treat these claims as interchangeable descriptions of a product. ‘No added sugars’ doesn’t tell you how much sugar the oats contain in total, so compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g and read the ingredients list.
If you have coeliac disease, don’t simply assume ordinary oats are suitable. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, oat products are only suitable if the official Crossed Grain mark appears on the packaging. Check the latest allergen information too.
Not for every individual oat portion: the product information for Quaker Oats Express Naturel describes preparation in a microwave or saucepan. Read the instructions for the variety you choose and check that you’ll have the necessary facilities at the festival.
