For an organic Easter brunch, choose granola whose organic status you can check on the current packaging; for pre-packed products from the EU, also look for the EU organic logo. Then compare sugars, fibre and other nutritional values per 100 g, and check the ingredients and allergens for the exact flavour you want to serve.
Packaging with a natural look isn’t enough if organic is a requirement for your Easter brunch. Check the label on the pack you choose and, for a pre-packed organic product from the EU, look for the EU organic logo. Skal Biocontrole explains when this certification is required.
Nutritional values can vary between organic flavours, too. Albert Heijn listed 13 g of sugars and 9.1 g of fibre per 100 g for AH Biologisch Granola chocolate & almond; Zonnatura lists 1.9 g of sugars and 21 g of fibre per 100 g for Granola Almond Cashew. Compare the current labels of the varieties you’re considering.
If guests need to avoid certain ingredients, the allergen information for each granola you choose matters more than a general description of the brand. Read the ingredients and any warnings about the possible unintentional presence of allergens, and take care to avoid cross-contamination when serving.
Start by checking the organic status of the pack you’ve chosen. Then compare the flavour and nutritional information; an organic label alone tells you nothing about the amount of sugars or the allergens in a particular variety.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Verifiably organic | Check the organic label on the pack you’ve chosen. Skal Biocontrole states that the EU organic logo is mandatory for pre-packed organic food produced in the EU. | If organic is a requirement for my Easter brunch, I want to be able to see that on the pack rather than judge by its appearance. This would be the main priority for around 31% of consumers choosing granola for this brunch. |
| Allergens for guests | Read the ingredients and the information about allergens present and possible cross-contamination for every flavour you serve. | When I’m serving guests with a food allergy, I need to know which granola I can offer them. Avoiding the wrong choice would be the top priority for around 25% of these consumers. |
| Sugars, fibre and ingredients | Compare nutritional values per 100 g and read the ingredients list. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using this basis when comparing products. | If there are already sweet dishes on the table, I want to take the granola’s ingredients into account. For around 25% of these consumers, comparing labels would be their main concern when buying. |
| Flavour and serving | Check whether the variety you’ve chosen contains fruit, chocolate or nuts, and refer to the serving and storage information on the pack. | I’m looking for something crunchy that goes well with the rest of what I’m serving, without choosing a flavour my guests won’t enjoy. Flavour and ease of serving would be the deciding factors for around 19% of these consumers. |
Oats, nuts or green packaging don’t automatically make granola organic. According to Skal Biocontrole, the EU organic logo is mandatory for pre-packed organic food produced in the EU.
Check the organic label and the relevant certification on the current packaging of the flavour you’re buying.
A short claim doesn’t tell you how much sugar, fibre or salt a product contains per 100 g, nor does it show the full ingredients list.
Compare the nutrition tables per 100 g, then read the ingredients and allergen information. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using this basis to compare products.
For Granola Almond Cashew, Zonnatura lists wheat, almond, cashew and soya, among other ingredients, and also warns that it may contain other nuts, milk and sesame. That means the flavour you choose won’t necessarily be suitable for all your guests.
Ask which allergens are relevant to your guests, check every pack you choose and use separate serving spoons to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
A flavour you find online may not be available when you do your shopping. For example, Lidl lists the granola varieties shown as products available in its physical shops.
Check where the variety you want is available shortly before your Easter brunch, and decide which other certified flavour would also go with your menu.
If a variety is only sold in-store, you’ll need to factor in a trip to the shop.
The examples below can help you understand product information. Always check the organic status, ingredients and availability of the specific variety you want to buy.
A supermarket range where you can look for organic granola alongside other items for your brunch.
Offers granola varieties whose ingredients and nutritional values can be compared by flavour.
A toasted cereal mix to consider when organic isn’t a requirement; cruesli and granola aren’t necessarily the same product category.
A supermarket where you may find both own-brand granola and products from other brands.
A shopping option if you want to browse the granola range in person.
A granola option to assess separately when organic isn’t a firm requirement.
Check the organic label on the current packaging and look for the EU organic logo. According to Skal Biocontrole, this logo is mandatory for pre-packed organic food produced in the EU; a natural look alone is no substitute for the label.
No, the organic label alone doesn’t tell you how much sugar a product contains. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g for the flavours you’re considering, and read the ingredients list to see what’s in them.
For every granola you choose, read the ingredients, listed allergens and warnings such as ‘may contain’. Check the pack again if you buy a different flavour, and when serving, avoid swapping granola and serving spoons between bowls.
Use the serving information for the product you’ve chosen as a guide to how much you’ll need. For AH Biologisch Granola fruit, Albert Heijn suggests around 40 g for a bowl and recommends storing it in a cool, dark, dry place. Seal the granola well after use and serve it separately from yoghurt or quark at brunch.
Check the packaging of the variety you’ve chosen every time you buy it, especially if ingredients or allergens are important for your guests. Use an online product page to help you choose in advance, but when serving, rely on the information on the pack you actually buy.
