For New Year’s Eve, choose an ontbijtkoek bar with grains and seeds if you want to hand out individual portions. It isn’t a classic ontbijtkoek loaf that you can slice and serve. If you’d like to serve slices on a platter, choose a sliced or unsliced ontbijtkoek loaf and, if you like, serve a multiseed cracker alongside it. Check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging for both products.
If you want to serve something with seeds that you can hand out without slicing, an ontbijtkoek bar is a good fit. Peijnenburg describes the grains and seeds in Tussendoor+ as giving it a firm bite, while Albert Heijn offers the fruit and chocolate varieties in packs of four.
If you’re serving ontbijtkoek with coffee or a late breakfast, the loaf’s format matters more than a single bar. Jumbo lists both sliced and unsliced ontbijtkoek. If you choose a sliced variety, check how many slices are in the pack.
If sugar, fibre or allergens affect your choice, compare the nutritional information and ingredients on the specific packs. The plain ontbijtkoek described by Albert Heijn contains rye and cereals containing gluten. Don’t assume it contains iodine just because it belongs to this product category.
First decide whether you want a seed-studded bar to hand out on New Year’s Eve, slices of ontbijtkoek to serve, or two separate products on the table.
A good fit if: you want seeds in the product itself and individual portions to hand out.
The trade-off: a bar isn’t a large ontbijtkoek loaf that you can slice and arrange on a platter.
A good fit if: you want to serve classic slices with coffee or a late breakfast.
The trade-off: the name ontbijtkoek alone doesn’t mean the loaf contains seeds.
A good fit if: you want to serve slices of ontbijtkoek as well as a separate option with seeds.
The trade-off: the cracker isn’t seeded ontbijtkoek; it’s a separate product.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Seeds | Look for named seeds in the ingredients list and check whether you’re buying a bar, loaf or cracker. | I want to taste the seeds and won’t choose based on the word ontbijtkoek alone. For around 40% of consumers, the texture comes first. |
| Serving and sharing | Check whether the loaf is sliced or how many individual bars are in the pack. | For a platter, I want to be able to arrange slices straight away; individual bars are more practical for handing out. Around 30% of consumers prioritise ease of serving. |
| Sugars and fibre | Compare sugars and fibre per 100 g, then use the portion information to see what’s in one slice or bar. | I want to compare the nutritional information for each option before choosing something for the table. For around 20% of consumers, this is the first thing they look at. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the allergen information and ingredients list on the pack; don’t assume the product contains iodine based on its name. | If I have an allergy, I want to know which grains or seeds are in this particular product. Around 10% of consumers put this label check first. |
Peijnenburg Tussendoor+ with grains and seeds is sold as a bar. It’s a different portion and format from a loaf that you slice and arrange on a platter.
Decide how you want to serve it first, then check the packaging to make sure your chosen product actually contains seeds.
Ontbijtkoek with no added sugar can still contain sugars. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists 0.8 g of sugars per 30 g slice for this product category.
Read the exact claim and compare the sugars and fibre in the nutrition table, preferably per 100 g.
The plain ontbijtkoek described by Albert Heijn contains rye and cereals containing gluten. If you’re choosing a product with seeds, check whether it contains sesame too.
For every purchase, read the allergen information on the pack of the variety you’ve chosen, including any ‘may contain’ statements.
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, iodine compounds may only be present in bread, bread substitutes and other bakery products through baker’s salt, with a maximum of 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt. This rule doesn’t mean that every ontbijtkoek contains baker’s salt with iodine.
Check the ingredients for the specific product rather than drawing conclusions from the product category.
Worth considering if you’re choosing between an ontbijtkoek bar with grains and seeds and classic ontbijtkoek to slice.
Its range lets you compare ontbijtkoek bars with sliced plain, wholemeal and zero varieties.
Worth considering if you’re choosing between sliced and unsliced ontbijtkoek for your festive table.
Worth considering for sliced ontbijtkoek and for a separate cracker with seeds.
Tastino is one to look out for if you’re browsing Lidl for classic ontbijtkoek.
No. Peijnenburg Tussendoor+ with grains and seeds is a bar, while you’ll need a sliced or unsliced ontbijtkoek loaf if you want slices. If you’d also like to serve seeds alongside those slices, a separate multiseed cracker is another option.
Follow the storage advice for the ontbijtkoek you’ve chosen. For Peijnenburg plain, Albert Heijn recommends storing it in a cool, dry place, preferably in a sealed tin or container. Check the packaging for other varieties.
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists 0.8 g of sugars per 30 g slice for ontbijtkoek with no added sugar. Check the exact claim and the nutritional information on the pack of the product you’re buying.
That doesn’t follow from the rules on baker’s salt. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that iodine compounds may only be present in bread, bread substitutes and other bakery products through baker’s salt, with a maximum of 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt. Check the ingredients of the ontbijtkoek you’ve chosen rather than making assumptions based on the product category.
