Planning breakfasts for several BBQ days
If you want to plan breakfast for several mornings, you can use a neutral oat base for porridge, overnight oats or recipes. Pack size and how much you’ll actually use are also worth considering.
Who will notice the differences?
Busy morning planners
If breakfast needs to be ready quickly on a busy morning, the preparation instructions on the packaging matter more than the name of the flakes alone. For a make-ahead breakfast, it’s also important to check that your chosen oats are suitable for cold preparation.
Shoppers checking ingredients and allergens
If you have coeliac disease or a relevant allergy, standard oats need extra checking. Blended varieties may also contain ingredients that aren’t found in a pack containing oats alone.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you’re looking for a neutral base, a particular preparation method or a product with additional ingredients. Then compare packs against the same points that matter for your breakfast.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Simple wholegrain base | Read the ingredients list and compare the nutritional information per 100 g if fibre content matters to you. | For porridge, overnight oats and recipes, I want to choose what I add to the oats myself. For around 31% of consumers, a versatile base like this would be the top priority. |
| Preparation method | Read the instructions for hot or cold preparation on the pack you choose; don’t go by flake size alone. | On a busy BBQ morning, I want to know whether my breakfast suits the time I have. Speed would come first for around 23% of consumers. |
| Stocking up for several breakfasts | Compare the pack size with the number of breakfasts you’re planning, and consider whether you can store the pack in a dry place and keep it tightly sealed. | If I’m preparing breakfast for several days, I want a pack that matches what we’ll use. For around 31% of consumers, planning their supplies would be the most important factor. |
| Gluten-free suitability and allergens | Where necessary, check the gluten-free claim, ingredients and allergen information on the current label. | If someone at the table has coeliac disease or an allergy, I first need to establish whether this specific product is suitable. For around 15% of consumers, this check would be the main priority. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming standard oats are suitable for coeliac disease
Standard oats aren’t automatically suitable: during processing, they may come into contact with cereals containing gluten.
If you have coeliac disease, check the gluten-free claim and current allergen information on the exact pack you’re buying.
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Treating a protein mix as the same as pure oats
A mix may contain ingredients such as soya protein or seeds alongside oats. This changes which ingredients and allergens you need to check.
Compare the ingredients lists and nutritional information per 100 g before deciding whether the additional ingredients suit your breakfast.
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Choosing a large pack without considering how you’ll use it
A large pack is only useful for several breakfasts if it suits your plans and you can store the remaining oats properly.
Decide how many breakfasts you want to prepare and check the storage instructions on the pack.
Brands compared
Brinta
Albert Heijn describes Brinta Havermout as a variety with extra-fine flakes for hot preparation.
- The fine flakes are worth considering if you’re looking for this texture.
- If you have coeliac disease or allergies, check the claims on the pack; fine flakes don’t indicate whether a product is gluten-free.
Quaker
Quaker lists 100% wholegrain oats as the ingredient in Havermout Original.
- This makes it a neutral base that you can add your own ingredients to.
- Quaker says Havermout Original may contain barley and wheat; don’t treat this variety as gluten-free.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn lists a wholegrain oat mix with soya protein separately from a wholegrain variety labelled gluten-free.
- The separate product listings make it easier to distinguish between a simple base, a mix and a variety labelled gluten-free.
- Check the ingredients and allergens for each variety; a claim made for one product doesn’t apply to the whole range.
Jumbo
Jumbo lists, among other products, coarse wholegrain oat flakes and a 1 kg pack of fine wholegrain oats.
- Flake type and pack size are practical differences to compare with your breakfast plans.
- Even with a wholegrain or organic variety, read the label if ingredients or allergens are important to you.
Golden Bridge (ALDI)
ALDI Netherlands lists fine wholegrain oats from Golden Bridge and also mentions coarse wholegrain oats.
- The flake types listed give you a starting point for choosing the texture you want.
- Check the packaging of the variety you buy for ingredients and allergens.
Crownfield (Lidl)
Lidl Netherlands lists organic Crownfield oat flakes as a product available in store.
- This listing is useful if you want to compare organic oat flakes in store.
- Don’t assume that ‘organic’ means gluten-free; check the claims and ingredients on the pack.
Oats for different breakfast plans
These Joybuy products range from packs for a neutral oat base to a portion-sized option and a product with Protein in its name. First choose your preferred preparation method and pack size, then check the ingredients and allergens for each product.
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Quaker Express Oatmeal 324 g
Worth considering if you want to plan individual breakfast portions for busy mornings. Check the preparation method and allergens on the pack.
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Zonnatura Organic Whole Wheat Oatmeal 500 g
A pack to compare if you’re looking for oats for breakfast or recipes. Read the ingredients, preparation instructions and allergens on the label before choosing this variety.
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Quaker Oatmeal 600 g
The 600 g pack is worth considering if you want to stock up for several breakfasts. Check how much you use per breakfast, and read the current label if you have dietary or allergen requirements.
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Quaker Oats Express Protein 302 g
Compare this variety if you’re specifically considering an oat product with additional ingredients. Read the ingredients list and nutritional information per 100 g, and check for any allergens.
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Quaker Oatmeal 375 g
You can compare this 375 g pack with the larger Quaker pack if you want to buy a smaller amount of oats at a time. Check the preparation instructions for your chosen method, and the label for any dietary requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Are oats automatically wholegrain?
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, oats are made from oat grains and are a wholegrain cereal product. For blended oat products, still check the ingredients list: they may contain ingredients other than oats.
Which oats should I choose for overnight oats?
Choose a variety whose preparation instructions suit cold preparation and the time you have to make breakfast in advance. Check the directions on the specific pack rather than assuming every variety needs the same amount of liquid or preparation time.
Are standard oats suitable for coeliac disease?
Not automatically: oats may come into contact with cereals containing gluten during processing. If you have coeliac disease, check for an appropriate gluten-free claim and the current allergen information on the pack.
Where can I check the allergens in oats?
Read the label on the pack you’re buying. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergen information must appear on the label of prepacked foods. This is especially important when an oat variety contains additional ingredients.