Choose individually wrapped spiced breakfast cake if you want a sealed portion for each party bag. A large, sliced loaf is a good choice if you’d rather decide how much to give each child and portion it yourself. Either way, check the school or after-school club’s rules and the allergens listed on the current packaging first. ‘No added sugars’ doesn’t mean a cake is suitable for someone with a gluten allergy.
An individually wrapped slice gives each child a set portion, with no need for you to cut it yourself. Check that there are enough slices and that the cake you choose meets the school or after-school club’s rules.
Ask about any restrictions that apply to the group before choosing a pack. Rye and other gluten-containing cereals are found in the spiced breakfast cakes mentioned here. The possible presence of other allergens may also be important.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping portions small for treats. If you’re also keeping an eye on sugars, compare the nutrition information per portion. However, consider a ‘no added sugars’ claim separately from allergens and the portion size you choose.
Start by checking what’s allowed in the classroom or at the after-school club, and what’s suitable for the children. Then choose between a sealed portion for each party bag and a sliced loaf that you can portion yourself.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens and rules | Ask about the school or after-school club’s rules and check the ingredients, allergens and ‘may contain’ information on the current packaging. | If a child can’t eat certain foods, I want to avoid giving them an unsuitable treat. An estimated 36% of consumers put this check first. |
| Ready to hand out | Check the number of slices, the weight per slice and whether each one is individually wrapped. | When filling lots of party bags, I want to be able to pick up one sealed portion for each child. An estimated 29% of consumers prioritise this convenience. |
| Portion size and sugars | Compare the nutrition information per portion. If you’re choosing a no-added-sugars variety, check the other ingredients too. | I want to give a small treat and weigh up its ingredients, without treating a sugar claim as a verdict on the whole cake. An estimated 21% of consumers make this their top priority. |
| Portioning it yourself | Compare the size of the loaf with the number of party bags you need and decide in advance how you’ll divide the slices. | For a larger group, I want to decide how much cake goes in each bag, even if it takes a little preparation. An estimated 14% of consumers value this flexibility most. |
A claim about sugars says nothing about whether a product is suitable for someone with an allergy. The Peijnenburg no-added-sugars variety mentioned here contains rye.
Check the sugar claim, ingredients and allergens separately, and make sure the treat meets the rules for the group.
Peijnenburg’s 10-pack of original slices contains rye flour and states that it may contain milk and nuts, among other allergens. Putting a slice in its own bag doesn’t change this allergen information.
Even when slices are individually wrapped, read the label on the packaging you’re actually handing out.
With a sliced loaf, you decide how much each child gets. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping treat portions small.
Count the party bags in advance and decide how you’ll divide the slices, so the amount you buy is right for the group.
Offers individually wrapped spiced breakfast cake, which is worth considering if you want one portion per party bag.
Its sliced original spiced breakfast cake is an option if you want to portion it into party bags yourself.
Offers sliced spiced breakfast cake if you’d like to portion it yourself.
Offers a range of spiced breakfast cakes, including sliced original, wholemeal and zero varieties.
Goud Gebakken Koekhappers are worth considering if you’re looking for smaller, individually wrapped pieces rather than a large loaf.
Lists a 485 g zero spiced breakfast cake as an in-store product.
If you’re putting a portion of spiced breakfast cake in each party bag, this is a product to assess by pack size and label. Before buying, work out how many portions you need for the group.
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For a party bag, the key things to consider are whether the portion suits the number of children and whether it meets the school or after-school club’s rules. Check the current packaging for the ingredients, allergens and nutrition information.
Pack size: 250 g. Don’t assume a specific amount of sugars per portion from the product name.
Before buying, ask what rules apply to the group. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also recommends checking whether any children avoid certain products because of an allergy or religious beliefs.
Don’t assume it is: the Peijnenburg, Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS products mentioned here list rye or other gluten-containing cereals. Check the allergens and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the current packaging for each child.
No. That claim doesn’t tell you whether the portion is right for the group or whether the product is suitable for someone with an allergy. Check the nutrition information, ingredients and allergens for the variety you choose, as well as the school or after-school club’s rules.
Follow the storage instructions and use-by or best-before date on the packaging you buy. Albert Heijn advises storing its sliced original spiced breakfast cake in a cool, dark, dry place. Jumbo advises storing its sliced spiced breakfast cake in a cool, dry place.
No, you can’t tell that from the product category alone. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may be present in bakery products through the addition of bakers’ salt, subject to the stated conditions. Check the product information to assess the ingredients of a specific cake.
