Plain wholegrain supermarket own-brand oats are a sensible base for lunch if you want to measure out your own portions and put the rest of your lunch together yourself. Fine oats or pre-portioned packs may be more practical for a short break. Only choose a protein mix after checking its ingredients, nutrition information and allergen details.
You make several lunches and want to decide how much oats to use each time. Plain wholegrain own-brand options from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and ALDI are useful starting points for comparing pack sizes and ingredients.
You want to spend as little time as possible preparing lunch at work or on the go. Fine oats or pre-measured portions may suit you; just check how the product you choose needs to be prepared.
As well as checking the packaging, you look at the ingredients, protein per 100 g and allergen information. If the lunch is for someone with coeliac disease, check specifically that the oat product is suitable and look for the Crossed Grain mark.
First decide whether you want to portion the oats yourself or prepare them quickly. Then compare the ingredients of the options that suit you. Oats alone don’t determine what the whole lunch will be like.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Portioning your own oats | Compare the pack size and ingredients; check whether you can measure out the oats yourself for several lunches. | If you prepare lunches in advance, you may not want to use an individually portioned pack for every meal. Around 50% of consumers prioritise being able to portion the oats themselves. |
| Ease of preparation | Read the preparation instructions for fine oats or pre-portioned packs, and consider what facilities you have at lunchtime. | If you have little time during your lunch break, you’ll want something you can eat without much preparation; around 30% of consumers prioritise this convenience. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Compare the ingredients and nutrition information per 100 g, and read the allergen information for the specific product. | If protein or an allergen is a deciding factor, you’ll want to know what else is in the product besides oats. This is the main priority for around 20% of consumers. |
A bar, biscuit and pack of plain oats are different products. The fact that a product contains oats doesn’t tell you what other ingredients it contains or what its nutritional values are.
When comparing oats you can prepare for lunch, compare plain oats with plain oats. For bars and other mixed products, check the ingredients list and nutrition information separately.
Oats may come into contact with gluten-containing cereals during processing. So, simply seeing oats listed on the pack doesn’t confirm that the product is suitable.
If you’re buying for someone with coeliac disease, check the current packaging, allergen information and Crossed Grain mark.
A protein mix may contain ingredients that aren’t in plain oats. For example, the AH Protein variant we looked at contains soya protein isolate and seeds.
Compare the protein content per 100 g as well as the full ingredients list of the options you’re considering. Then decide whether those ingredients suit your lunch.
The own-brand range includes plain fine wholegrain oats and a separate protein mix.
The own-brand range includes fine wholegrain oats in a 1 kg pack.
Golden Bridge is an own-brand range offering fine and jumbo wholegrain oats.
Quaker offers plain oats and Oats Express Naturel in pre-portioned packs.
According to the product information we looked at, Brinta Oatmeal is made from extra-fine oat flakes.
Lidl has a product page for oats with jumbo flakes.
These products offer different pack sizes, portion formats and a protein mix for anyone putting together their own oat-based lunch. For each product, check the ingredients, preparation instructions and allergen information on the current packaging.
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An option if you want to take pre-measured portions with you for lunch. Check the preparation instructions and allergen information, especially if the lunch is for someone with coeliac disease.
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A pack you can portion yourself for a lunch you’ve put together. Check the packaging for preparation instructions and allergen information.
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A smaller pack for anyone who wants to decide how much oats to have for lunch. Check the preparation instructions and allergen information for this version too.
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An oat mix to consider if protein content matters when choosing your lunch. Compare the nutrition information per 100 g with plain oats and check the allergen information, including for soya.
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An option if you’re looking for organic wholegrain oats with fine flakes for lunch. Follow the preparation instructions on the pack and check the current allergen information.
Yes, oats can be part of a lunch. The Dutch Nutrition Centre includes oats in its Wheel of Five; what you add also affects the overall meal. When choosing toppings, think about your diet as a whole.
A 40 g portion is a practical starting point based on the preparation instructions for the products we looked at. The Dutch Nutrition Centre also provides nutritional values for 40 g of oats. Adjust the amount and toppings to suit the lunch you want to put together, rather than treating this portion as a fixed rule.
Don’t assume that oats are a complete replacement for bread. The Dutch Nutrition Centre points out that iodine is added to bread, but not to oats, so consider your diet as a whole.
Don’t assume they are. If you’re buying for someone with coeliac disease, check for the Crossed Grain mark and read the current allergen information for the specific product. Oats may come into contact with gluten-containing cereals during processing.
Compare the protein content per 100 g, ingredients and allergen information with those of plain oats. For example, the AH Protein variant we looked at listed 20 g of protein per 100 g and contained soya protein isolate and seeds. A higher protein figure on its own doesn’t tell you which lunch option is right for you.
