Seeded breakfast cake isn’t an obvious choice for a baby who is just starting to eat bread-like foods. The Dutch Nutrition Centre recommends starting with brown or wheat bread without seeds or kernels after 6 months. For packaged products, also check the texture, salt content and allergens on the current packaging. A claim about fibre or sugars won’t answer those questions.
You want to know whether seeds, kernels and a coarser texture are suitable for what your baby can eat. For a baby’s first bread-like foods, the Dutch Nutrition Centre recommends brown or wheat bread without seeds or kernels.
Before using a product, you want to check the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens for the exact variant you’ve chosen – for example, if you’re packing something for nursery. Albert Heijn notes that product information can change, so check the packaging itself too.
Start with a texture that suits the stage your baby is at as they learn to eat. Then, for a packaged product, check the ingredients and allergens for the exact variant.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Texture without seeds or kernels | Check whether the product contains seeds or kernels. For a baby’s first bread-like foods, the Dutch Nutrition Centre recommends brown or wheat bread without seeds or kernels. | When my baby is just learning to eat bread-like foods, I want to start with a texture without seeds or kernels. This is the main priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Salt and ingredients | Check the salt content in the nutritional information and read the ingredients list. Assess these separately from claims about fibre, wholegrain or sugars. | Anyone assessing breakfast cake by its ingredients will want to know how much salt the chosen variant contains. This is the main concern for around 30% of consumers. |
| Allergens and labelling | Check the allergens on the packaging of the exact variant. If you’re packing it for nursery, also check their allergen policy. | If I’m packing something for nursery, I want to be able to check which allergens it contains. For around 20% of consumers, this labelling information is their main concern. |
The presence of seeds doesn’t tell you whether the texture is suitable for a baby who is just starting to eat bread-like foods. For this stage, the Dutch Nutrition Centre recommends bread without seeds or kernels.
At this stage, start with a bread-like option without seeds or kernels, and take into account the textures your baby is already used to.
A statement about fibre, wholegrain or added sugars doesn’t, by itself, tell you whether breakfast cake contains seeds or kernels, or what its texture, salt content or allergens are.
Check the ingredients list, nutritional information and allergen statement separately on the current packaging.
For example, Peijnenburg lists rye flour for Naturel Gesneden, but you can’t use that to work out the ingredients in another variant. Albert Heijn also says that product information can change.
Check the packaging of the exact variant you want to use every time you buy it. If you’re packing the product for nursery, ask about their allergen policy.
These brand names and retailer listings can help you identify different variants, but they don’t establish whether a product is suitable for a baby. Always compare the packaging of the exact product.
Peijnenburg has a Naturel Gesneden variant and a Tussendoor+ product with grains, seeds and fruit listed by Albert Heijn.
Albert Heijn lists Peijnenburg Tussendoor+ granen, pitten & fruit, as well as various breakfast cake products.
Jumbo’s breakfast cake range includes sliced and wholegrain variants.
PLUS lists Peijnenburg Naturel Gesneden among the products in its breakfast cake category.
ALDI lists sliced wholegrain breakfast cake by Koek & Bakker.
No, not for a baby who is just starting to eat bread-like foods. The Dutch Nutrition Centre recommends starting with brown or wheat bread without seeds or kernels after 6 months, when your baby is ready for tasting foods and coarser textures.
No, that claim doesn’t answer the question about texture. Also check whether the product contains seeds or kernels, and read the salt content and allergens on the packaging. For a baby’s first bread-like foods, the Dutch Nutrition Centre’s recommendation remains to choose bread without seeds or kernels.
Check the allergen statement and ingredients list on the packaging of the exact variant. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergens must be clearly listed on the labels of pre-packed foods. If you’re packing the product for nursery, also check their policy.
Check the packaging of the product you actually buy too. Albert Heijn says that ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change, so a product page you looked at earlier may no longer match the product in your hands.
