To choose chocolate cereals for a weekday breakfast, first check the wholegrain ingredients in the exact variant, then compare the nutritional information per 100 g. A high wholegrain content doesn’t tell you how much sugar the product contains or which allergens it may include, so check the full ingredients list and the packaging of the product you buy too.
You’re looking for a quick chocolate breakfast for busy mornings and want to be able to see which grains are wholegrain in the ingredients list. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing products using the nutritional information per 100 g.
You want crunchy chocolate cereals, but you look beyond the wholegrain base to compare sugar, fibre and other values per 100 g too. That way, you can assess more than just a claim on the front of the pack.
Before buying, you read the ingredients list and warnings for the exact variant. The products mentioned include cereals containing gluten and warnings about milk, soya, peanuts or nuts; which of these are relevant varies by product.
First, check the wholegrain ingredients and any allergens listed on the exact pack. Then compare the nutritional information per 100 g and choose a product type that suits your morning routine.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholegrain base | Check which grains are wholegrain and whether a wholegrain percentage is given for the exact variant. | If wholegrain is my main reason for choosing these cereals, I want to see what the grain base consists of. Around 36% of consumers put a clearly stated wholegrain base first. |
| Sugar and nutritional values | Compare sugar, fibre, protein and salt per 100 g; consider any claim alongside the rest of the nutritional information. | I want chocolate cereals with nutritional values that suit my preferences, not just an appealing claim on the pack. For around 29% of consumers, this is the top priority. |
| Allergens | Check the ingredients and warnings on the current pack of the variant you’ve chosen. | If I need to avoid a particular allergen, the label determines whether I can eat this product. This check comes first for around 21% of consumers. |
| Type and how you’ll eat it | Choose between flakes, crunchy muesli and mini biscuits, and consider which portion size and serving style suit your breakfast. | On busy mornings, I want a type I enjoy with milk or yoghurt and can easily fit into my routine. Around 14% of consumers put this practical preference first. |
A product can contain wholemeal wheat even when another grain is listed first. According to Kellogg's, Special K Pure Chocolade contains 32% wholemeal wheat, but rice is the first ingredient at 41%.
Read the ingredients list for the exact variant and check what a stated wholegrain percentage refers to.
A claim like this doesn’t tell you everything about the nutritional values or ingredients. The amount of sugar and the grain base may also affect your choice.
Compare products per 100 g, then read the ingredients list, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
As well as ingredients that are present, chocolate cereals may carry warnings about possible traces of other allergens. This distinction matters if you need to avoid an allergen.
Use the allergen information on the current pack of the exact variant to help you decide.
Quaker Cruesli Chocolade is a crunchy muesli for anyone looking for an explicitly stated wholegrain content.
Special K Pure Chocolade is a flake variant with separately stated wholemeal wheat.
Crispy Minis Choco consists of crunchy mini biscuits that can be eaten with milk or yoghurt.
Crunchy Muesli Protein Chocolate is a chocolate muesli variant with wholegrain oats listed in its ingredients.
ALDI’s range includes chocolate cereal variants as well as separate wholegrain products.
These products include crunchy chocolate muesli, chocolate cruesli and cocoa rings for breakfast. Check the exact variant when choosing: a name that refers to chocolate or sugar doesn’t replace the ingredients list and nutritional information.
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A crunchy chocolate cruesli for anyone who wants to compare the wholegrain ingredients and sugar content at breakfast.
Pack size: 400 g. Check the nutritional information and allergens on the current pack; according to the product information, this variant contains cereals with gluten and milk, and may contain nuts.
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A crunchy chocolate muesli for anyone weighing up the stated wholegrain oats and nutritional values per 100 g.
Albert Heijn states that this variant contains 46% wholegrain oat flakes and, per 100 g, 21 g of fibre, 22 g of protein and 2,1 g of sugar. The product contains oats and wheat; check the warnings about possible traces of milk, peanuts and nuts, among other allergens.
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A crunchy muesli with chocolate chunks for anyone who wants to compare ingredients for a weekday breakfast.
Pack size: 400 g. Check the wholegrain ingredients and warnings on the current pack; the product information lists oats, spelt and wheat, and possible traces of milk, peanuts and nuts, among other allergens.
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A crunchy chocolate cruesli for anyone looking for an explicitly stated wholegrain content.
Albert Heijn states that this variant contains 95% wholegrain cereals. Compare the sugar content on the label of the pack you buy; also check the allergen information for cereals with gluten and soya, and the warnings about milk and nuts.
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Cereal rings for anyone who’d prefer a cocoa flavour to crunchy muesli.
Pack size: 350 g. The product information lists cocoa, but not chocolate as an ingredient; check whether that suits your taste. The product contains wheat and peanuts and may contain traces of other allergens.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g, then read the ingredients list. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends this basis for comparison; a claim on the front of the pack won’t tell you which ingredient comes first or how the other nutritional values compare.
No. Check which ingredient is wholegrain and what percentage is stated for the exact variant. Also look at the sugar and other nutritional values: chocolate cereals can contain sugar, syrup or oil as well as wholegrains.
Check the ingredients and warnings on the current pack of the exact variant. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the rules for declaring allergens on food labels; depending on the product, cereals containing gluten, milk, soya, peanuts and nuts may be relevant for the products discussed here.
Use the information on the current pack of the variant you’re buying to make your choice. This is particularly important for ingredients, nutritional values and allergens, and when a product page gives different percentages for the same ingredient.
