Who is this choice relevant to?

Walkers with a strict sugar-free requirement

You only want to take an egg cake with you if its sugar content meets the threshold for ‘sugar-free’. For you, ‘no added sugars’ is not the same buying requirement.

Walkers packing a snack

You’re looking for something to eat on the way, but see an egg cake as one part of the food and drink you’re taking with you. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also suggests fruit and filled sandwiches for eating on the go.

Shoppers with specific ingredient requirements

For example, you may be checking for wholemeal ingredients, gluten or other allergens. Check these details separately for the particular variety you’re buying; none of them tells you on its own whether an egg cake is sugar-free.

What should you look for when choosing?

First, decide whether sugar-free is a firm requirement. Then compare the portion and packaging for your walk, and check any ingredient or allergen requirements you have.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Sugar-free Check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g on the label. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives a maximum of 0.5 g per 100 g as the threshold for the ‘sugar-free’ claim. If you’re specifically looking for a sugar-free egg cake, the words ‘no added sugars’ aren’t enough. An estimated 50% of consumers considering an egg cake as a walking snack put this requirement first.
Taking it with you Check the portion size and packaging, and plan what else you want to eat and drink. When I pack a snack for the journey, I want it to fit in with the rest of my food and drink for the walk. For around 30% of these consumers, this practical use is the top priority.
Ingredients Check the ingredients, allergen information and nutritional values for the exact variety. If you’re checking for wholemeal ingredients or allergens, don’t assume that these labels tell you anything about the sugar content too. For an estimated 20% of these consumers, the ingredients are the top priority.

Common mistakes

  • Reading ‘no added sugars’ as ‘sugar-free’

    A product with no added sugars may still contain sugars, so it may not meet a strict sugar-free requirement.

    Check the amount of sugars per 100 g in the nutrition table. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives a maximum of 0.5 g per 100 g for the ‘sugar-free’ claim.

  • Assuming a wholemeal egg cake is sugar-free

    Albert Heijn lists 31 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Volkoren Eierkoeken. The ‘wholemeal’ label doesn’t change the sugar content.

    Check the label of the exact variety you want to take with you, not just the name on the front of the pack.

  • Relying on an egg cake as your only food for the walk

    A single cake won’t replace the rest of the food and drink you need for your walk.

    Take a drink with you and decide what else to pack based on your walk. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre suggests options such as fruit and filled sandwiches for eating on the go.

  • Relying only on allergen information online

    Ingredients and allergen information can vary between varieties and may change. Albert Heijn notes that product information can change.

    Read the packaging of the product you’re actually buying, especially if a particular ingredient or allergen is important to your choice.

Brands to consider

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn sells standard, wholemeal and gluten-free egg cakes as separate varieties.

  • Albert Heijn lists 27 g of added sugars per 100 g for AH Eierkoeken and 31 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Volkoren Eierkoeken.
  • Neither of these varieties meets the threshold for ‘sugar-free’. Always check the current packaging for ingredients and allergens for the variety you choose.

Jumbo

Jumbo offers standard and wholemeal egg cakes, among other varieties, as well as a separate gluten-free egg cake product.

  • The different varieties give you a choice of product compositions.
  • A label such as ‘wholemeal’ or ‘gluten-free’ doesn’t confirm that an egg cake is sugar-free; check the nutrition table for the product you choose.

Bolletje

Bolletje describes Brosse Eierkoek Kaneel as a separate egg cake variety.

  • Bolletje’s product description makes the cinnamon variety easy to identify.
  • According to Bolletje, this variety has a sugar coating. Don’t choose it for a strict sugar-free requirement based on the product category name alone.

Verkade

Verkade San Francisco Zero is a biscuit and could only be an alternative if an egg cake isn’t essential.

  • According to Verkade, San Francisco Zero is a biscuit with no added sugars.
  • A biscuit isn’t an egg cake, and ‘no added sugars’ doesn’t confirm that a product is sugar-free. Check the sugar content and allergens on the packaging.

Joybuy products

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

When is an egg cake sugar-free?

According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the ‘sugar-free’ claim applies to products with no more than 0.5 g of sugars per 100 g. So check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g on the packaging; ‘no added sugars’ doesn’t automatically mean the same thing.

Is a wholemeal egg cake sugar-free too?

No, not just because it’s labelled ‘wholemeal’. Albert Heijn lists 31 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Volkoren Eierkoeken; check the nutrition table for any other variety you’re considering.

Can I take just an egg cake with me on a walk?

An egg cake can make a snack, but plan what else you want to eat and drink too. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre suggests options such as fruit and filled sandwiches for eating on the go; what you take depends on your walk and your own needs.

What should I check for gluten or other allergens?

Read the allergen information on the packaging of the exact variety you’re buying. A wholemeal and a gluten-free egg cake are different products, and Albert Heijn warns that product information can change. The ‘gluten-free’ label doesn’t tell you anything about the sugar content on its own.