Don’t choose breakfast cake for your baby just because it says ‘sourdough’ or ‘artisan’: these words tell you nothing about its texture, ingredients or nutritional value. First consider what your baby can already eat, then check the current label for things such as salt, honey and allergens. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises that children under 1 year old should not be given honey.
If your baby is still practising with small bites and coarser textures, the shape of the food matters more than the brand or how it was made. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends brown or wheat bread without seeds as a starting point for bread after 6 months, and advises staying with your child while they eat.
You’ll want to check the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens before considering a packaged breakfast cake. A claim such as ‘wholemeal’ or ‘no added sugar’ doesn’t answer all your questions.
If you’re buying a cake from a bakery, find out what ingredients and allergens it contains before you buy. You’ll also need to assess its texture and check for any hard or loose pieces; the word ‘sourdough’ doesn’t tell you this.
Start with your baby’s feeding skills. Then compare the ingredients and nutritional information, and use ‘sourdough’ only as a description of the type of product you’re looking for.
When: Your baby is ready for bread and you’re looking for something they can practise feeding themselves with. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends brown or wheat bread without seeds as a starting point after 6 months.
Consider: This isn’t breakfast cake. With bread, too, choose a shape and texture your baby can manage, and stay with them while they eat.
When: Consider a variety only once your baby can manage its texture and you can check the current label.
Consider: A claim such as ‘wholemeal’ or ‘no added sugar’ doesn’t tell you whether it contains honey or salt, which allergens it contains, or whether it has hard pieces.
When: You’re specifically looking for an artisan or sourdough version and can ask about its ingredients and allergens before buying.
Consider: How it was made doesn’t replace checking the nutritional information and texture.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Texture and feeding skills | Check whether the cake is soft and free from hard or loose pieces. Consider whether you can serve it in a shape your baby can already manage. | If my baby is just learning to feed themselves, I mainly want to know whether the texture is right for this stage. For around 42% of consumers, their child’s feeding skills are their main concern when buying. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list and allergen information; compare salt and sugars in the nutritional information per 100 g. If the child is under 1 year old, make sure you check specifically for honey. | When buying packaged cake, I want to know what’s in it first, especially if an ingredient isn’t suitable for my child. For around 42% of consumers, checking the ingredients is their top priority. |
| Sourdough and origin | Ask a baker about the ingredients and allergens. Compare packaged varieties using their labels, not just their names. | If you’re specifically looking for an artisan sourdough cake, you’ll want to find out what that means for the product you’re choosing. For around 16% of consumers, this is their main concern when buying. |
‘Zero’ or ‘no added sugar’ doesn’t tell you everything about the ingredients in a breakfast cake either. None of these claims tells you whether the texture is suitable or whether the cake contains honey.
Read the full ingredients list, allergen information and nutritional information per 100 g before assessing a variety.
Breakfast cake varieties with pearl sugar or nuts may have a different texture from a simple, soft cake. The product name doesn’t tell you how the individual pieces feel.
Check the cake itself and avoid hard or loose pieces. Choose a texture your baby can already manage, and stay nearby while they eat.
Ingredients and allergens can vary between varieties or change when a product is reformulated. An earlier product description is no substitute for checking the information on the item you’re buying.
Check the physical packaging when you buy. For unpackaged breakfast cake, ask the baker which ingredients and allergens it contains. If you want to send the cake to nursery or school, also ask about their food and allergen policy.
A baby who is still getting used to small bites and coarser textures won’t necessarily benefit from breakfast cake. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends bread without seeds as a starting point after 6 months, when a baby is ready for bread.
Base your choice on what your baby can already eat, not on the flavour or the word ‘sourdough’ on the packaging.
These brands and shops offer different types of breakfast cake. Always assess any option for your baby individually, based on the packaging and texture.
Jumbo and Albert Heijn ranges include wholemeal breakfast cake and a variety labelled gluten-free.
The range includes its own breakfast cake and products from Peijnenburg, including varieties with different claims.
Jumbo lists its own breakfast cake, including a ‘Less Sugar’ variety, alongside Peijnenburg products.
PLUS offers, among other products, plain breakfast cake and sliced wholemeal breakfast cake under its own name.
ALDI sells products under this name, including a sliced Zero variety and a luxury breakfast cake with pearl sugar.
Lidl lists breakfast cake varieties labelled Zero and sliced wholemeal.
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises that children under 1 year old should not be given honey. Check the ingredients list before considering a breakfast cake, and also assess whether its texture is suitable.
Seeing ‘sourdough’ on the packaging doesn’t mean the breakfast cake is suitable for your baby. First consider their feeding skills and the texture, then check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for that specific cake.
For packaged breakfast cake, read the allergen information on the label; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains what information must be provided for pre-packed foods. For unpackaged breakfast cake, ask the seller which allergens it contains before buying, and don’t rely on the product name alone.
