When shopping for a vegan snack, choose an individually wrapped breakfast cake bar whose current ingredient information and any vegan labelling meet your requirements. A bar can be wrapped individually and still only be sold in a multipack. Also compare the sugars per bar, and check which sweeteners and usage warnings are listed on the packaging for varieties with no added sugars.
You want to know where ingredients and less familiar additives come from. As the Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains, you can’t always tell an ingredient’s origin from its name alone. You can also decide for yourself how to interpret a ‘may contain milk’ warning.
You’re looking for a portion-sized snack for work, studying or when you’re out and about. Check both the wrapper around each bar and how many bars you have to buy at once.
You check the nutrition information per bar and want to know whether a variety with no added sugars contains sweeteners. Portion size also affects what you’re comparing for each eating occasion.
First, check that the ingredient information suits your vegan choices. Then compare the pack size and nutrition information for each individual bar.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Vegan suitability | Read the current ingredients list and look for any vegan labelling. If an additive’s origin is unclear, ask the manufacturer. | If I want to avoid animal-derived ingredients, I want to know before buying whether the information on the pack meets my requirements. This certainty is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Packaging and portion size | Check whether each bar is individually wrapped, how many grams each bar weighs and how many you’re buying. | When I’m out and about, I want to be able to take one bar without opening a large cake. Around 29% of consumers put this portion-size convenience first. |
| Sugars and sweeteners | Compare sugars per bar and per 100 g; also check the sweeteners and any usage warning. | When choosing a snack, I want to know how much sugar one bar contains and what a sweetened alternative involves. This is the main priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Fibre and texture | Compare fibre per portion and check whether the ingredients suit the texture and flavour you’re looking for. | I’d rather choose based on nutritional value and a different bite than simply go for the familiar soft texture of ontbijtkoek. Around 14% of consumers put this consideration first. |
An individually wrapped bar may be part of a multipack. That means you’ll buy several bars, even if you only want to eat one at a time.
Check the number of bars in the pack and the weight of each bar.
A variety with no added sugars may still contain sugars and sweeteners. Products containing xylitol may also carry a warning about a possible laxative effect if consumed in excess.
Compare ‘of which sugars’ per portion, and check the ingredients and usage warning on the current packaging.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So you can’t tell which salt a particular ontbijtkoek contains just from the product category.
Check the ingredient information or ask the manufacturer which salt was used in the bar in question.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the origin of some ingredients and E-numbers isn’t immediately clear. A ‘may contain milk’ warning also requires a separate decision.
Look for current vegan labelling if you need it, and ask the manufacturer about any unclear ingredients.
Peijnenburg offers individually wrapped plain and Tussendoor+ varieties, with different portion sizes and nutritional values.
Albert Heijn lists Snelle Jelle varieties in multipacks, including spiced cake with less sugar and a protein variety.
Lidl lists both vegan snacks and biscuit bars under Sondey, including ontbijtkoek with less sugar.
This Snelle Jelle spiced cake is a good option if you’re looking for an individually wrapped bar for one eating occasion. The pack contains five bars; check the vegan labelling and ingredients on the specific pack.
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For anyone who wants to take one bar with them: the pack contains five individually wrapped 50 g bars.
The product information shows a vegan label as well as a ‘may contain milk’ warning. Check that the current packaging and this warning suit your choices.
Compare sugars and sweeteners using the nutrition information on the pack.
No, not if you need certainty about the origin of every ingredient. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, some ingredients and E-numbers can be of plant or animal origin. Check the current packaging and, if in doubt, ask the manufacturer for clarification.
The warning indicates that milk may be present; it doesn’t list milk as an ingredient. Decide whether that possibility fits your own vegan requirements. If you have a milk allergy, the allergen warning is a separate and important consideration.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So for a specific ontbijtkoek, check the ingredient information or ask the manufacturer which salt was used.
