If you want to make one bowl quickly
Are you making porridge for yourself while getting ready for a dinner party, or the morning after? A pre-measured portion saves you weighing out oats for just one bowl. Do check how many grams are in each sachet.
Which pack is best for you?
If you’re making several bowls
A pack of oats lets you decide how much to use in each bowl and offer guests a choice of toppings. You’ll need to measure out the portions yourself and store the opened pack.
If you’re checking ingredients for guests
If you’re buying for someone with an allergy or specific dietary requirement, read the label on the exact pack. Oat products can differ in their added ingredients and warnings about the possible presence of other cereals.
What should you look for when choosing?
Choose between sachets and a large pack based on what you’re making: one pre-measured bowl, or several bowls where you decide what goes into each one. Then check that the ingredients in your chosen product suit the people you’re buying for.
Pre-measured portions
Best if: you want to make one bowl without weighing out the oats.
The trade-off: sachets vary in weight and ingredients; convenience doesn’t tell you what’s in them.
Large pack of oats
Best if: you’re making several bowls and want to choose the portion size and toppings yourself.
The trade-off: you’ll need to measure out each portion and store the opened pack properly.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Speed and portion control | Check the number of sachets and the weight of each one. Read the preparation instructions for your chosen product. | If I’m making one bowl in between getting things ready, I don’t want to weigh out the oats first. Around 42% of consumers prioritise a consistent portion that’s easy to prepare. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list and allergen information; compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion. | If I’m buying for guests too, the ingredients need to suit their dietary requirements. For around 33% of consumers, checking ingredients and allergens is their main concern. |
| Several bowls | Compare the pack weight and stated number of portions with the number of bowls you want to make. | If I want to prepare different bowls, I’d rather decide for myself how much oats to put in each one. That flexibility with multiple portions matters most to around 25% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming every portion sachet has the same ingredients
Jumbo lists sugar as an ingredient in Havermout Porties Original. The word ‘portions’ doesn’t tell you whether a product contains added ingredients.
Read the ingredients list first, then compare the sugars in the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion.
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Assuming oats are naturally gluten-free
The products described include statements about cereals containing gluten or the possible presence of other cereals. The product name alone isn’t a reliable basis for choosing something for a guest with coeliac disease.
Check the current label on the exact pack and make sure your choice is suitable for your guest.
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Treating a soya-protein variety like ordinary oats
According to the product information, Quaker Express Havermout Proteïne contains soya protein and soya lecithin. Its ingredients are therefore different from oats without these additions.
Before buying, check whether soya is suitable for the person you’re making the porridge for.
Brands to consider
Portion sizes and ingredients vary between products from these brands. Compare the specific product, not just the brand name.
Quaker
Quaker Oats Express Naturel is an option if you’re looking for pre-measured portions: Quaker Netherlands lists twelve 45 g sachets. It’s a different product from Quaker Express Havermout Proteïne.
- The Naturel pack gives you a set quantity of oats in each sachet.
- Check the allergen information for each product; the protein variety described contains soya protein.
Brinta
Brinta Havermout 450 g is a pack of oats that you can measure out yourself for several bowls. Albert Heijn lists around eleven portions per pack.
- The product information for this variety states that it contains 100% oats.
- These aren’t individually wrapped portions; also check the warning about the possible presence of rye and wheat.
Jumbo
Jumbo offers both Havermout Porties Original, with five 27 g sachets, and Grove Vlokken Volkoren 500 g, for which the brand lists around thirteen portions.
- These two products give you the choice between pre-measured sachets and measuring out your own portions from one pack.
- Havermout Porties Original lists sugar as an ingredient; check the current allergen information for both products.
Oat products at Joybuy
This range includes oats for a single serving, oat mixes with added ingredients, and oats that you can portion out yourself. For your dinner party, first decide what ingredients you want, then check the portion size and allergens on the exact pack.
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Quaker Express Oatmeal 324 g
Consider this pack if you want to prepare one bowl at a time. Check how many grams are in each individual portion, and read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack if you’re serving guests.
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Family Whole Reduced Sugar Oatmeal with Milk 838 g
This is a prepared oat mix for individual servings, not a pack containing oats alone. The product information lists milk powder and separate glucose sachets; check how you’d like to use these, and read the label for milk, wheat, soya and sesame, among other allergens, before serving.
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Family Whole Red Dates Raisins Oat Flakes 838 g
This mix is for anyone who wants a portion with raisins and red dates, rather than a plain base to add their own toppings to. It also contains sugar and is described as coming with separate glucose sachets; check the current label for ingredients and allergens before serving it to guests.
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Quaker Oats Express Protein 302 g
This express variety is suitable only if you’re specifically looking for an oat product with soya protein and soya is suitable for the person who’ll be eating it. Joybuy’s product information lists 85% wholegrain oats and 15% soya protein; check the label and portion details if you need individual sachets.
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Brinta Havermout 450 g
If you want to make several bowls with your choice of portions or toppings, you can measure out these oats yourself. The product information lists 100% oats and eleven portions per pack; these aren’t individual sachets. If you’re serving guests, check the allergen information, including the possible presence of rye and wheat.
Frequently asked questions
Is ordinary porridge automatically gluten-free?
No. If you’re catering for a guest with coeliac disease, don’t rely on the name alone. Quaker Netherlands warns of possible cross-contamination in its oat products; the packs described from other brands also mention cereals containing gluten or the possible presence of other cereals. Check the current label and what your guest can eat.
How many portions of oats are in a pack?
It varies by product: Quaker Netherlands lists twelve 45 g sachets for Oats Express Naturel, while Jumbo lists five 27 g sachets for Havermout Porties Original. For the large packs described, Albert Heijn lists around eleven portions for Brinta Havermout 450 g, and Jumbo around thirteen for Grove Vlokken Volkoren 500 g. Choose based on the weight of the portion you want to make, not just the number shown on the pack.
Can I make porridge with water, milk or a plant-based drink?
Yes, as long as the preparation instructions for your chosen product allow it. For its Biologisch Volkoren Havermout, Jumbo recommends 250 ml water, milk or plant-based drink for 40 g of oats. Follow the instructions on the pack for any other product, and remember to check the ingredients in your chosen liquid if you’re serving guests.
What allergen information should I check when guests are eating too?
Read the allergen information and warnings about possible traces on the exact pack, and ask guests about their dietary requirements in advance. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information must be shown on the label of prepacked foods. Keep the pack so you can refer to the information while preparing the food.