If you’re looking for sugar-free flakes, don’t rely on the word ‘dark’ alone: according to product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo, the De Ruijter and Jumbo varieties examined contain 63 g and 63.7 g of sugars per 100 g respectively. If you mainly mean ‘no added sugars’, cornflakes of that type may be an alternative, but they aren’t chocolate flakes. The size of your portion and the make-up of your whole snack also matter just before exercise.
If sugar-free is a firm requirement, ‘dark’ and ‘less sugar’ aren’t substitutes for checking the ingredients and total sugars. According to Albert Heijn and Jumbo, the dark chocolate flakes from De Ruijter and Jumbo examined contain sugar as an ingredient.
If you mainly want to avoid added sugars, but don’t necessarily need zero grams of total sugars, breakfast cereal is another option. KoRo’s cornflakes with no added sugars are not chocolate flakes, though.
If there’s little time between eating and exercising, don’t look only at the sugars in the flakes. The size of your portion and what else you eat with your snack are also relevant. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends eating a regular meal around 2 to 3 hours before exercise.
First decide whether you mean literally sugar-free or mainly want to avoid added sugar. Then consider whether the portion suits the time you have before training.
| What to consider | What to check | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Literally sugar-free | Read the ingredients list and compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g; don’t rely on ‘dark’. | If chocolate flakes containing sugar aren’t an option for you, you’ll want to check this on the label before buying. Around 45% of consumers put literally sugar-free products first. |
| No added sugars | Check the ingredients and also compare total sugars and carbohydrates per 100 g. | If you mainly want to avoid added sugar, you could also look at breakfast cereal flakes and accept that they may still contain sugars. This is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Portion before training | Consider how much time you have and assess the whole snack, including the portion and the amounts of fat, protein and fibre. | If you eat shortly before exercise, you won’t want a large snack that feels uncomfortable during your training. Portion size and timing are the top priorities for around 22% of consumers. |
According to Albert Heijn and Jumbo, the dark chocolate flakes from De Ruijter and Jumbo examined contain sugar as an ingredient, and 63 g and 63.7 g of sugars per 100 g respectively.
Check the ingredients list and ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g; colour and cocoa percentage don’t tell you whether the product meets your sugar-free requirement.
According to KoRo, its cornflakes with no added sugars still contain 1.1 g of total sugars per 100 g. They’re breakfast cereal, not chocolate flakes, too.
Decide which of the two requirements matters to you, and check the nutrition table as well as the wording on the packaging.
A large portion just before exercise calls for a different approach from a meal eaten well in advance.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends eating a regular meal around 2 to 3 hours before exercise. If you eat closer to your training, take the size and make-up of the whole snack into account.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, high intakes of polyols can cause wind or diarrhoea. This is worth bearing in mind if a product contains these sweeteners.
Read the ingredients list of any substitute product, and avoid trying an unfamiliar snack for the first time just before a training session or competition.
A benchmark for dark chocolate flakes as a bread topping or garnish.
A supermarket own brand to compare the label on dark chocolate flakes with.
A benchmark for cornflakes if you mean breakfast cereal flakes rather than chocolate flakes for bread.
Not automatically: according to Albert Heijn and Jumbo, the dark varieties examined contain sugar as an ingredient, and 63 g and 63.7 g of sugars per 100 g respectively. So check the ingredients and nutrition information for the variety you want to buy.
No. According to KoRo, its cornflakes with no added sugars still contain 1.1 g of total sugars per 100 g. If you want to assess total sugars, check the ‘of which sugars’ figure.
Adjust your portion to the time you have before training. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends eating a regular meal around 2 to 3 hours before exercise. If you eat closer to your training, assess the size and make-up of the whole snack, not just the flakes.
In particular, compare the ingredients and the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g. According to the European Union, the nutrition table also includes information on carbohydrates, fat, protein and salt, among other things. This helps you assess the flakes as part of your whole snack.
