Choose wholegrain muesli if you want breakfast in your holiday home without needing a pan or microwave. Oats or Brinta are a good choice for a warm porridge that you can customise; individual sachets of oats are handy if people are having breakfast at different times. Before buying, check the preparation instructions, number of servings and allergens on the packaging.
If you want to have breakfast with just a bowl and some milk, yoghurt or a plant-based alternative, wholegrain muesli that you can eat cold is more practical than a product intended for making hot porridge.
Oats and Brinta make a versatile base that everyone can customise, for example with fruit. If you want hot porridge, check that you can heat milk or water.
Check which grains and other allergens the variety you choose contains or may contain. Wholegrain does not mean that breakfast cereal is gluten-free or nut-free.
First decide whether you want something cold or plan to make porridge. Then compare the ingredients and any information that matters to the people travelling with you.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| No-cook preparation | Check whether the cereal can be eaten straight away with a cold topping and how many servings the pack contains. | Without a pan or microwave, I want to be able to make a bowl of muesli straight away. For around 36% of consumers, being able to prepare breakfast without cooking is the top priority. |
| A base for hot porridge | Check the preparation instructions and serving size for oats or Brinta, and make sure you can heat water or milk. | When we have breakfast as a group, I want a porridge base that everyone can customise. Around 29% of consumers prioritise having a hot base. |
| Wholegrain content and ingredients | Read the wholegrain statement and ingredients list; compare nutritional values such as fibre and sugars per 100 g. | When choosing between plain and crunchy cereal, I want to know what else is in it besides wholegrains. Around 21% of consumers prioritise the ingredients. |
| Allergens | Check the current packaging for both the ingredients and any statements about the possible presence of allergens. | If someone travelling with me needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know before buying whether the variety is suitable. Checking for allergens is the first consideration for around 14% of consumers. |
According to Albert Heijn, Kellogg's Oaties Original Crunch contains 8.4 g of fibre and 20 g of sugars per 100 g. Quaker Cruesli Luchtig also lists sugar, glucose syrup and honey in its ingredients.
Compare the ingredients and nutritional information per 100 g for the variety you choose; don’t judge a crunchy mix on its wholegrain statement alone.
For a short stay, it can be difficult to keep an opened bag dry and properly sealed.
Choose a pack size that matches the length of your stay, and check whether you can reseal and store it after opening.
Brinta Wholegrain cereal breakfast contains wheat. Quaker Oats product information states that it may contain wheat and barley.
If anyone travelling with you needs to avoid certain ingredients, check the current ingredients and allergen information on the specific pack.
Milk, yoghurt and quark are perishable, even if dry cereal is easy to take with you.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises buying perishable products such as milk last and in small quantities. Choose according to the refrigeration available and the length of your stay.
The product ranges mentioned include plain oats, individually portioned Express oats and crunchy Cruesli.
Brinta Wholegrain cereal breakfast is a wheat-based porridge mix.
AH Organic Wholegrain Muesli Fruit & Nuts is a cold muesli option in the own-brand range.
Oaties Original Crunch is a crunchy breakfast cereal for a cold bowl.
In its Belgian product information, Nestlé Cereals uses a green banner on certain breakfast cereals containing wholegrain ingredients.
This range includes individually portioned oats, oats in various pack sizes and Brinta as a porridge base. Check what you’ll need to prepare each product.
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For anyone who wants to make a serving of hot oats at different times. The product information states that the pack contains 12 sachets of 27 g and can be prepared in 2 minutes in a microwave or saucepan. Check the packaging for allergens.
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A plain base for several breakfasts that you can customise. The product information states that it contains 100% wholegrain oats and makes 15 servings. You’ll need a hob or microwave to make hot porridge. May contain wheat and barley.
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For hot, wheat-based porridge. The product information states that it contains 100% wholegrain wheat and 10 g of fibre per 100 g. The preparation instructions require hot milk. This product contains wheat and gluten.
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A smaller pack of plain oats if you’re planning fewer breakfasts. Check the preparation instructions and serving size on the packaging before deciding what kitchen facilities you’ll need. May contain wheat and barley.
No. A wholegrain percentage in a mix doesn’t mean that the entire mix is made from wholegrain cereals. For example, Quaker Cruesli Luchtig states that it contains 74% wholegrain cereals; check the ingredients list for the variety you choose too.
If you don’t want to cook, choose wholegrain muesli that you can eat straight away with a cold topping. If you want oats or Brinta as hot porridge, check the preparation instructions on the packaging beforehand and see what facilities are available.
Choose an amount that suits the available refrigeration and the length of your stay. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises buying perishable products such as milk last and using small quantities quickly.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging, including any statements about possible traces. According to the European Union, prepacked food must include, among other things, an ingredients list and allergen information. Whether it’s suitable depends on the specific variety.
