Choose plain sliced breakfast cake if you want to measure out your carbohydrates by the slice before a bike ride. For a longer ride, the amount per portion and what else you take with you matter too. With wholemeal and zero varieties, it’s also worth paying closer attention to fibre, sweeteners and when you eat them.
With pre-sliced breakfast cake, you can work out the amount per slice. According to Jumbo’s product information, a 28 g slice of Peijnenburg Naturel contains 19 g of carbohydrates. Check the portion information for the variety you buy.
For a longer ride, you’ll want to take something that’s practical to eat on the go. Voedingscentrum advises against large portions and high-fibre products shortly before exercise, so try your chosen portion on a training day first.
If you eat breakfast cake outside of bike rides too, wholemeal flour, fibre, sugars and sweeteners may also affect your choice. Compare the nutritional information for plain, wholemeal and zero varieties separately: the names alone don’t tell you how much you’ll get per slice.
First, decide when you want to eat the breakfast cake. Then compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per slice. Pre-sliced packaging alone doesn’t tell you how much each slice weighs.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrates per slice | Check the weight and carbohydrate content per slice. If the pack only gives figures per 100 g, work out the weight of your portion too. | I want to know how many carbohydrates the slices I take with me contain. For around 36% of consumers, being able to measure out a portion is the priority. |
| When you eat it and how well you tolerate it | Compare portion sizes and fibre per 100 g. If you’re choosing a zero variety, also check which sweeteners it contains. | If I’m going cycling shortly after eating, I want to know in advance how a portion will suit me. Around 29% of consumers pay most attention to when they eat it and how well they tolerate it. |
| Wholemeal as an everyday choice | Compare the proportion of wholemeal flour and the nutritional values on the same basis, such as per 100 g. | I mainly buy breakfast cake as an everyday snack, so I’m more likely to look at wholemeal flour and fibre than at eating it just before setting off. For around 21% of consumers, this everyday choice matters most. |
| Zero variety and ingredients | Check the ingredients, sugars, carbohydrates and any warnings on the pack. Don’t judge the product by the front of the pack alone; check the nutritional information too. | When I’m looking for a variety with less added sugar, I also want to know which sweeteners it contains. For around 14% of consumers, this is their main concern. |
If you compare only sugars per 100 g, you won’t know how many carbohydrates you’ll get in a portion. According to Jumbo’s product information, a 28 g slice of Peijnenburg Naturel contains 19 g of carbohydrates.
Check the carbohydrates per slice and consider what other food you’ll take with you on the ride.
A wholemeal variety may suit you as an everyday snack, but Voedingscentrum advises against eating a large portion or a high-fibre product shortly before exercise.
It’s better to eat a high-fibre variety earlier, or try a small portion during a training ride.
The name of a zero variety doesn’t tell you how many carbohydrates or how much fibre a slice contains. The Jumbo variety reviewed contains maltitols and carries a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Check the ingredients and warnings, and don’t try a new variety for the first time on a long ride.
The name breakfast cake doesn’t tell you whether baker’s salt was used in the product you’ve chosen or how much iodine a portion contains.
Check the packaging or ask the manufacturer for product-specific information if iodine is relevant to your choice.
Peijnenburg offers sliced plain varieties in different pack sizes.
Albert Heijn’s range of sliced breakfast cake includes plain, wholemeal and zero options.
Jumbo offers sliced plain breakfast cake and a zero variety.
PLUS offers 485 g packs of sliced plain and wholemeal breakfast cake.
ALDI lists a sliced wholemeal variety and a 485 g sliced zero variety under Koek & Bakker.
This sliced wholemeal variety suits anyone looking for an everyday snack as well as something for cycling. If you’re planning a portion for a bike ride, also check the weight and nutritional information per slice on the pack.
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A pre-sliced wholemeal variety for anyone comparing breakfast cake as an everyday snack too.
485 g pack. According to Joybuy Netherlands’ product information, this variety contains 43% wholemeal rye flour.
If you want to measure out slices for a bike ride, compare the weight and nutritional information per slice on the pack.
Yes, if the portion is practical to eat and you know how well you tolerate it. For endurance exercise lasting 1 to 2.5 hours, Voedingscentrum recommends 30–60 g of easily absorbed carbohydrates per hour. So check the carbohydrates per slice and consider what else you’ll take with you, rather than relying on the product name alone.
It depends on when you eat it, the portion size and how well you tolerate it. Voedingscentrum advises against large portions and high-fibre products shortly before exercise. Try your chosen wholemeal variety on a training day first, or eat it earlier.
No. The ‘zero’ label doesn’t tell you enough about the overall ingredients. The Jumbo variety reviewed contains maltitols and carries a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Check the carbohydrates, fibre and warnings on the pack you choose too.
You can’t tell from the product category alone. Check the packaging or ask the manufacturer whether baker’s salt was used in the breakfast cake you’ve chosen and what information is available about its iodine content.
