Sugar-Free Egg Cake for Secondary School: Is It Possible?

Who is this relevant to?

Families with a strict sugar-free requirement

For parents and pupils who only want to pack an egg cake if its nutritional values support the sugar-free claim. A variety that sounds less sweet or is labelled wholemeal is not necessarily suitable.

Families checking allergens and school rules

For anyone who needs to check the allergens listed on the packaging and their school’s rules on bringing or sharing food before packing a lunch.

Pupils taking an everyday snack

For anyone without a strict sugar-free requirement who wants to compare portion sizes, sugars and fibre, without assuming that terms such as wholemeal or crisp tell you anything about the nutritional values.

What should you look for when choosing?

If sugar-free is a firm requirement, start with the sugar content. Then check the allergens and school rules. Only after that should you compare portions and other nutritional values for the varieties that are suitable for that lunch.

What to check	What to look for when buying	Who is this important for?
Sugar-free	Check the sugars per 100 g. For solid foods, the European Commission sets a maximum of 0.5 g per 100 g for the sugar-free claim; ‘no added sugars’ is a different claim.	I want to pack an egg cake that genuinely meets my sugar-free requirement, not one that merely sounds less sweet. Around 42% of consumers put this requirement first.
Allergens and school rules	Check the allergens and any warnings on the current packaging. Find out what rules your school has for lunch.	If allergens or school rules determine what can be packed, I want to know before preparing lunch; this is the main concern for around 33% of consumers.
Portion size and nutritional values	Compare sugars and fibre per 100 g as well as the portion size per cake. Don’t infer the sugar content from terms such as wholemeal, waldkorn or crisp.	I’m mainly looking for a practical snack and want to know what’s in one cake, without a strict sugar-free requirement. Around 25% of consumers put this need first.

Common mistakes

Assuming wholemeal or waldkorn means sugar-free

Jumbo lists 33.6 g of sugars per 100 g for its wholemeal egg cakes, while Albert Heijn lists 31 g per 100 g for its Waldkorn egg cake. The grain description therefore doesn’t tell you whether a product meets the sugar-free limit.

Check the sugars per 100 g on the packaging before relying on a product name.
Confusing the value per cake with the value per 100 g

The amount of sugars per cake also depends on its weight. Voedingscentrum lists 28.6 g of sugar for an extra-large 75 g egg cake. That’s the value for that portion, not for every egg cake.

Use the value per 100 g to compare products and the value per portion to see what’s in the cake you’ve chosen.
Relying on the product name alone for allergen information

Albert Heijn and Jumbo list egg, cereals containing gluten, milk and soya among the allergens in their plain egg cakes. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergens required by law must be shown on the label.

Read the current packaging, including any warnings about possible traces of other allergens, and check your school’s rules.

Brands compared

Use brand and product names as a starting point for comparing specific varieties; the nutritional values of one egg cake don’t automatically apply to another.

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn sells plain, wholemeal, spelt and Waldkorn egg cakes, among other varieties.

For AH Eierkoeken, Albert Heijn lists the ingredients, allergens and 31 g of sugars per 100 g.
AH Waldkorn egg cake contains 3.5 g of fibre and 31 g of sugars per 100 g: the name doesn’t make this variety sugar-free.

Jumbo

Jumbo’s plain and wholemeal egg cakes can be compared separately by their nutritional values.

Jumbo lists 3.9 g of fibre per 100 g for its wholemeal egg cakes.
According to Jumbo, its plain egg cakes contain 29.5 g of sugars per 100 g, while the wholemeal variety contains 33.6 g per 100 g.

Bolletje

Bolletje makes a crisp egg cake; ‘crisp’ describes the product’s texture, not its sugar content.

Bolletje says its Brosse Eierkoek is sprinkled with sugar and lists egg, cereals containing gluten, milk and soya among its ingredients. Also check the packaging for warnings about possible traces.

Heerlijck Banket bij ALDI

ALDI lists Heerlijck Banket free-range egg cakes in a pack of 12, weighing 360 g.

Check the sugars, ingredients and allergens on the packaging before choosing this variety for a lunch with specific requirements.

Lidl

Lidl lists egg cakes among its own-brand products.

Check the sugars and allergens on the pack you choose; don’t assume it’s suitable for a sugar-free school lunch based on the product name.

Related products

Frequently asked questions

Is a plain egg cake sugar-free?

Based on their published nutritional values, the plain egg cakes from Albert Heijn and Jumbo are not. Albert Heijn lists 31 g of sugars per 100 g and Jumbo lists 29.5 g per 100 g; for solid foods, the European Commission sets a maximum of 0.5 g per 100 g for the sugar-free claim. Check the current label of any other product separately.

Is a wholemeal egg cake a sugar-free choice?

Not simply because it’s labelled wholemeal. Jumbo lists 3.9 g of fibre and 33.6 g of sugars per 100 g for its wholemeal egg cakes. For another variety, compare the sugars and fibre separately.

Which allergens should I check in egg cakes?

Check the allergens on the packaging of the egg cake you’ve chosen. The plain varieties from Albert Heijn and Jumbo list egg, cereals containing gluten, milk and soya, among other allergens; other varieties may have a different recipe or additional warnings.

Can I pack an egg cake for secondary school?

Check your school’s food policy and any arrangements for allergies. Voedingscentrum recommends finding out whether your school has a food policy and what it says; a general assumption is no substitute for checking your school’s own rules.

Why should I check the packaging as well as the product page?

The packaging is where you can check the information for the actual product you’re taking with you. Albert Heijn warns that ingredients, nutritional values and allergy information can change, so check the current label before eating the product.