If you’re making porridge oats as a separate breakfast or lunch around Pea Soup Day, a standard 450–500 g pack is a good choice if you want to prepare several portions at home and decide how much to use yourself. Individual portions are more convenient if you want to take them with you or avoid weighing them out, but check the ingredients: Jumbo’s pre-portioned product contains sugar. If you have coeliac disease, check the gluten-free labelling on the pack separately before choosing.
If you make porridge, oats with yoghurt or overnight oats at home, you can measure out what you need from a standard pack and add your own ingredients. Check whether each product is unsweetened; Albert Heijn says that AH Fine Wholegrain Oats contain no added sugars.
For work, school or when you’re out and about, pre-measured portions save you having to weigh them out at home. Do check the ingredients, though: Jumbo lists sugar in its Havermout Porties Original.
Standard porridge oats are not automatically suitable if you have coeliac disease. According to the Voedingscentrum, the official Crossed Grain symbol on the pack is important when choosing oats. Check the current label for the specific product.
If you’re having porridge oats alongside your meal on Pea Soup Day, first decide whether you’ll measure them out at home or want to take a portion with you. Then check the ingredients and, if relevant to you, the gluten-free labelling.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| The right amount to keep in stock | Choose between a standard pack of around 450–500 g and a larger pack; consider whether you can store the contents in a dry place. | If I make porridge oats regularly, I want to keep enough at home without leaving a large pack unused. An estimated 40% of consumers put having the right amount in stock first. |
| Making it your own | Read the ingredients list and check whether added sugars or salt are listed. | I want to decide for myself what to add to my porridge oats, so I look for flakes with no added ingredients. An estimated 30% of consumers give this the highest priority. |
| Set portions | Check how many individual portions the pack contains and read their ingredients list too. | When I take a portion with me, I don’t want to have to weigh it out first. An estimated 20% of consumers value this convenience most. |
| Gluten-free labelling | Check the gluten-free labelling and the current label on the oat product you’ve chosen. | If I have coeliac disease, I don’t want to rely on the product name alone, as standard oats are not automatically suitable. For an estimated 10% of consumers, this check comes first. |
A pre-measured portion tells you about the quantity, not the packaging material. For example, Jumbo describes a product containing five individual 27 g portions.
Look for a portion pack if you want to prepare a single serving. If you want to take standard porridge oats with you, check for yourself which resealable container is suitable.
A portion pack may contain different ingredients from standard oat flakes. Jumbo lists both wholegrain oat flakes and sugar in its Havermout Porties Original.
Compare the ingredients lists for the specific products before choosing based on the type of pack.
According to the Voedingscentrum, standard oat products can be contaminated with gluten. So the name ‘porridge oats’ on its own is not a reliable guide if you have coeliac disease.
Check the gluten-free labelling on the current pack and look for the official Crossed Grain symbol, which the Voedingscentrum recommends for oats if you have coeliac disease.
Albert Heijn lists a 450 g pack of Brinta porridge oats with extra-fine flakes.
Jumbo includes Quaker in its range of porridge oats, including varieties that are quick to prepare.
AH Fine Wholegrain Oats come in a standard 500 g pack, ideal if you want to measure out your own portions.
The Jumbo range includes standard packs of porridge oats and a product with individual portions.
ALDI Netherlands lists 500 g packs of Fine Wholegrain Oats under the Golden Bridge brand.
Lidl Netherlands describes Crownfield organic porridge oats in a 500 g pack.
These products suit two ways of planning a separate meal of porridge oats around Pea Soup Day: taking a pre-portioned pack with you or measuring out your own portion at home from a standard pack. Always compare the ingredients of the specific variety before choosing.
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An option if you want to take individual portions of porridge oats with you rather than measure them out at home. Check the number of portions and the ingredients on the pack. If you have dietary requirements, check the allergen information too.
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For anyone who wants to measure out several portions at home and add their own toppings. Albert Heijn lists this Brinta variety as containing 100% oat flakes, with extra-fine flakes and a recommended portion size of 40 g. If you avoid gluten, check the label: possible traces of wheat and rye are listed.
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A standard pack for anyone who wants to measure out their own portions at home and values organic produce. Check the ingredients and allergen information for this variety on the label, particularly if you need to avoid gluten or possible traces of other allergens.
No, it doesn’t have to come in a tin: you can choose a pre-measured portion or measure out porridge oats yourself from a standard pack. For example, Jumbo lists a product with five 27 g portions, while Albert Heijn and Brinta give a recommended portion size of 40 g for the standard packs mentioned here.
Individual portions are a good choice if taking them with you or not having to weigh them out is most important to you. Check the ingredients too: the Jumbo product described here contains five portions and includes sugar, so it isn’t necessarily the same as standard oat flakes.
Don’t assume they are based on the name ‘porridge oats’ alone. According to the Voedingscentrum, oat products can be contaminated with gluten. If you have coeliac disease, the official Crossed Grain symbol on the pack is important, so check the label of the product you want to buy.
Read the ingredients list and allergen information on the current pack. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that oats are a type of cereal that must be named in the ingredients list.
Follow the storage instructions for the product you’ve chosen and seal the pack properly after use. Albert Heijn recommends storing the Fine Wholegrain Oats mentioned here in a cool, dark and dry place; the Brinta variety mentioned here says to store in a dry place.
