Choose a sourdough croissant for a school lunch only if the information for that specific croissant clearly confirms it is made with sourdough, and you have checked the allergen and storage details. If you’re looking for a regular, high-fibre lunch base, wholemeal or brown bread is a better choice; think of a croissant as an occasional change instead. Before packing it, also check the school’s rules and what matters to the pupil.
If you’re packing lunch for a pupil with an allergy or coeliac disease, you need to check the information for that specific croissant and find out what rules the school has in place. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists cereals containing gluten, milk and eggs as allergens that must be declared.
A croissant can be a change from the usual bread, but it isn’t automatically a like-for-like lunch base. If you’re keeping an eye on fibre, compare the croissant’s nutritional information with the rest of the lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as often as possible.
If sourdough is what you’re after, look for confirmation on the croissant’s product listing or ask the baker for details of the recipe. The fact that a shop sells croissants or a bakery makes sourdough bread doesn’t confirm that the croissant you’ve chosen is made with sourdough.
Start with the pupil’s needs and the school’s rules. Then consider whether the croissant fits in with the rest of the lunch and whether it has been confirmed as a sourdough product.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens and school rules | Read the allergen information for that specific croissant and check the school’s rules on bringing in and sharing food. | If I’m packing lunch for a pupil with an allergy, I want to know what’s in the croissant and what’s allowed at school. This would be the main concern for around 42% of consumers. |
| Its place in the lunch | Compare the fibre, saturated fat and salt per portion. Also consider whether the croissant is replacing a bread-based lunch. | If I pack a lunch regularly, I don’t want a croissant to quietly become the default bread choice. Around 33% of consumers would put the overall make-up of the lunch first. |
| Sourdough and storage | Look for confirmation that the specific croissant is made with sourdough, or ask about the recipe. Read the storage instructions for when it will be eaten. | I want this particular croissant to be made with sourdough and to keep until lunchtime when stored as directed. This would be the main consideration for around 25% of consumers. |
Being made with sourdough doesn’t, by itself, mean a product is suitable for someone who needs to eat gluten-free. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that cereals containing gluten must be declared as allergens.
Check the allergen information for the croissant you’ve chosen. If you need a gluten-free product, rely on explicit information about that product, not the word ‘sourdough’.
If you’re looking for a regular, high-fibre lunch base, a croissant calls for a different approach. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as often as possible.
Compare the nutritional value per portion of your chosen croissant with the rest of what you’re packing. If a high-fibre bread base is a priority, don’t automatically let the croissant take its place.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt in bread isn’t compulsory. So you can’t tell which salt has been used in a particular croissant from the words ‘croissant’ or ‘sourdough’ alone.
Check the ingredients or ask the baker which salt is used in this croissant if that matters to your choice.
A bakery may sell both sourdough bread and regular croissants. Likewise, an online croissant category doesn’t confirm that an individual product is made with sourdough.
Check the description and ingredients for the specific croissant, or ask the baker directly about the recipe.
These sellers offer different ways to browse croissants. Their inclusion here doesn’t mean that every croissant they sell is a sourdough croissant.
Supermarket with an online croissant category featuring fresh, bake-at-home and frozen products.
Supermarket with croissants available online, with product information provided for each variant.
Bakery that describes sourdough bread and fresh croissants as part of its range.
No, that doesn’t follow from the way it’s made. Check which cereals containing gluten are listed as allergens for the specific croissant. If you need a gluten-free option, don’t rely on the term ‘sourdough’.
Ask about the ingredients and allergens in that particular croissant, including cereals containing gluten, milk and eggs. If necessary, ask about the risk of cross-contamination too. Separately, check whether the croissant itself is made with sourdough; sourdough bread in the same range doesn’t tell you that.
Not if you’re mainly looking for a high-fibre bread base. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as often as possible. If you’re packing a croissant, check its nutritional value per portion and what else the pupil is taking with them.
You can’t tell from the type of product alone. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt in bread isn’t compulsory; that information also doesn’t confirm which salt is used in an individual croissant. Check the ingredients or ask the baker.
