Don’t choose pre-sliced ontbijtkoek as everyday bread for a baby who is self-feeding: the regular varieties reviewed contain salt, while the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving babies food with salt. For a baby’s first bread, after 6 months, it recommends brown bread or wheat bread without seeds or kernels. Larger pieces are only suitable once your baby can sit upright and swallow and chew well.
A pre-sliced piece is convenient, but that doesn’t make ontbijtkoek a suitable everyday bread choice for a baby. For a baby’s first bread after 6 months, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends brown bread or wheat bread without seeds or kernels.
When offering larger pieces, what your baby can do matters more than how soft the food feels. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a baby must be able to sit upright and swallow and chew well.
If you also buy ontbijtkoek for an older child or to take with you, check the exact variety. The labels on the regular Peijnenburg and Albert Heijn varieties reviewed list rye and cereals containing gluten. Also check the arrangements at your childcare provider or school.
For a baby, first check whether larger pieces are suitable for their eating skills. Then compare the ingredients and, if you’re packing food to take with you, check the latest allergen information and local arrangements.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most relevant to? |
|---|---|---|
| Eating skills | Can your baby sit upright and swallow and chew well? For a baby’s first bread after 6 months, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends brown bread or wheat bread without seeds or kernels. | If my baby is holding a piece independently, I want to know whether larger pieces are suitable for their eating skills. This is the main consideration for around 38% of consumers. |
| Everyday ingredients | Check the nutritional information per 100 g for the exact variety, especially the salt and sugars, and check the ingredients for sweeteners. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving babies food with salt. | For an everyday bread option, I don’t want to base my choice solely on the convenience of a pre-sliced piece. Around 38% of consumers therefore prioritise the ingredients. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the latest packaging for cereals containing gluten and ask your childcare provider or school about its local arrangements. | If I’m packing food to take with me, I want to know what ingredients it contains and what arrangements apply there. This check is the main consideration for around 24% of consumers. |
Being easy to hold isn’t the same as being ready for larger pieces. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says babies must be able to sit upright and swallow and chew well.
Assess your baby’s eating skills before offering a piece for them to hold independently; think of pre-sliced food as a practical convenience only.
According to the Albert Heijn labels, Peijnenburg Naturel Gesneden and AH Ontbijtkoek Naturel Gesneden contain 0.50 g and 0.53 g of salt per 100 g respectively. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving babies food with salt.
For a baby’s first everyday bread, choose the brown bread or wheat bread without seeds or kernels recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre after 6 months, once your baby is ready for pieces.
According to the label, the Peijnenburg Zero% variety contains xylitol and carries a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. A sugar claim doesn’t tell you about the other ingredients or the salt content.
Check the ingredients list, nutritional information and warnings for the exact variety instead of relying on the front of the packaging.
The regular Peijnenburg and Albert Heijn varieties reviewed list rye and cereals containing gluten. Ingredients and allergen information can change.
Check the packaging when you buy it and, if you’re packing the product to take with you, ask your childcare provider or school about its current allergen policy.
A brand whose regular sliced ontbijtkoek can be compared with a no-added-sugar variety.
The own-brand range includes a sliced natural variety that can be used for label comparisons.
Jumbo offers sliced natural ontbijtkoek and a sliced variety with sweeteners.
PLUS offers its own Naturel Gesneden variety as well as Peijnenburg varieties.
Koek & Bakker offers sliced Zero and wholegrain ontbijtkoek as separate varieties.
Lidl offers sliced natural ontbijtkoek and information about Tastino ontbijtkoek.
Don’t choose regular sliced ontbijtkoek as everyday bread for a baby: the varieties reviewed contain salt, and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving babies food with salt. For a baby’s first bread after 6 months, it recommends brown bread or wheat bread without seeds or kernels.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, larger pieces are only suitable once your baby can sit upright and swallow and chew well. A soft texture or a pre-sliced piece doesn’t replace these requirements.
No. That claim alone doesn’t tell you whether a variety is suitable for a baby. According to the label, the Peijnenburg Zero% variety contains xylitol and carries a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Check the other ingredients and the nutritional information too.
Check the latest packaging and ask about the local allergen policy. The regular Peijnenburg and Albert Heijn varieties reviewed list rye and cereals containing gluten. Don’t assume that every childcare provider or school has the same rules.
