If you’re looking for breakfast flakes that are genuinely sugar-free, choose only a variety whose nutritional information lists no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. That’s the limit the Dutch Bakery Centre sets for ‘sugar-free’; ‘no added sugars’ doesn’t guarantee that a product is below it. For a large family, you can then compare each variety’s wholegrain ingredients, fibre and pack size.
For households that only want to choose flakes if the total sugar content falls within the ‘sugar-free’ limit. Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g; ‘unsweetened’ or ‘no added sugars’ isn’t enough on its own.
For anyone who wants to compare grain types and fibre as well as sugar content. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholegrain breakfast cereals generally contain more fibre than white varieties; wholegrain alone says nothing about sugar content.
For families where several people eat the same breakfast cereal. Compare the net weight and consider how many breakfasts a pack will cover, while still checking the nutritional information for each variety.
First, decide whether ‘sugar-free’ is a firm requirement. Then compare the grain type, fibre and pack size of products that meet your criteria.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free or no added sugars | Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g. If sugar-free is a strict requirement, use the limit of no more than 0.5 g per 100 g set by the Dutch Bakery Centre. | I don’t want to buy a pack that is only labelled no added sugars if its total sugar content is above my limit. For an estimated 40% of consumers, that strict sugar limit comes first. |
| Wholegrain and fibre | Check the grain type in the ingredients list and compare fibre per 100 g. Assess the sugar content separately. | If breakfast cereal is often on the table, I also want to know whether I’m choosing a wholegrain variety and how much fibre it contains. This daily choice of grain matters most to around 30% of consumers. |
| Pack size and supplies | Compare the net weight and estimate how many breakfasts the pack will cover in your household. Check the nutritional information for the variety you choose. | With several people eating breakfast, I want to choose a pack that suits how quickly we get through it. For around 30% of consumers, planning supplies is the top priority. |
A product with no added sugars may still contain sugars that occur naturally. So the wording on the front of the pack doesn’t tell you whether it meets the ‘sugar-free’ limit.
Before choosing a variety as sugar-free, check the ‘of which sugars’ amount per 100 g in the nutritional information table.
Products from the same brand can vary considerably. For example, Kellogg’s Netherlands lists Smacks as containing 34 g of sugars per 100 g; that figure applies to Smacks, not all Kellogg’s breakfast cereals.
Check the nutritional information for the exact variety you want to buy.
Pack size alone doesn’t show how well it suits the number of people eating breakfast or their preferences.
Compare the net weight with what your family usually gets through, and check the sugar content per 100 g even on larger packs.
Ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change, according to Albert Heijn. This means online information may not match the pack you have in front of you.
Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information table on the pack again, especially if a member of your family needs to avoid an ingredient.
These brands and retailers offer some useful options for comparing grain-based breakfasts. Their inclusion here doesn’t mean that any of the varieties mentioned are sugar-free; always check the specific product.
Worth considering if your family is also looking at a wholegrain cereal breakfast instead of crunchy flakes.
Worth considering if you want to compare different types of flakes from one brand.
Worth considering if you want to compare breakfast cereals and granola with different sugar claims.
Worth considering if you want to compare cornflakes, wholegrain cereal breakfasts and different pack sizes.
Worth considering if your family also compares breakfast cereals in-store.
Worth considering if you want to compare different types of grain-based breakfasts and pack sizes.
For a product to be labelled ‘sugar-free’, the Dutch Bakery Centre sets a limit of no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. For the variety you want to buy, check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g in the nutritional information table.
No. The claim refers to what has been added during preparation; the product may still contain sugars that occur naturally. If you’re looking for a sugar-free variety, check the total sugar content per 100 g.
Use it to compare varieties, but check the packaging before you buy too. Albert Heijn points out that ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change.
No. Wholegrain describes the type of grain, not the amount of sugar. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholegrain breakfast cereals generally contain more fibre than white varieties; check the sugar content of each product separately.
