Camper with limited cooking equipment
You want to prepare breakfast with as little effort as possible. Look beyond the preparation time: consider whether you need a saucepan, microwave or other equipment, and how much washing up there will be.
Who is this choice important for?
Camper who puts together their own breakfast
You’re looking for a wholegrain oat base that you can customise with your choice of toppings. The ingredients list helps you distinguish plain porridge oats from varieties with extra ingredients.
Camper who needs to check allergens
Check the current ingredients and allergen information before use. For anyone with coeliac disease, the Crossed Grain symbol is particularly important, according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide how you can prepare porridge at the campsite. Then compare the ingredients, nutritional information and allergen details of the varieties that suit your chosen method.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Practical preparation | Compare the preparation instructions with the saucepan, microwave or hot water source you have available; also check whether you need to measure out the portions yourself. | With limited cooking space, I don’t want to discover at breakfast that I can’t follow the specified method. An estimated 42% of consumers choosing oats for camping prioritise a practical preparation method. |
| Wholegrain base | Read the ingredients list and compare fibre and sugars for the same quantity, such as per 100 g or per serving. | If I want to choose my own toppings, I look for a wholegrain base whose ingredients I can assess. That’s the main priority for around 33% of these consumers. |
| Allergens and storage | Check the current allergen information and, if you have coeliac disease, look for the Crossed Grain symbol. Also check how to store the dry oats and any toppings that need refrigeration. | If I need to take an allergy or coeliac disease into account, checking the packaging comes before the convenience of a pre-portioned serving. Around 25% of these consumers say allergens and safe storage are their top priority. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming every pack of oats is suitable for coeliac disease
Oats can be contaminated with gluten from other grains. That’s why ordinary porridge oats are not automatically suitable for someone with coeliac disease, according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
Check the current packaging and, if you have coeliac disease, choose only an oat product with the official Crossed Grain symbol.
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Focusing only on the short preparation time
The product information for Quaker Oats Express specifies preparation in a microwave or saucepan. If you don’t have the right equipment, the stated preparation time tells you little about how convenient it will be at your campsite.
Check the instructions for the exact variety before you set off, and make sure you can use the equipment it requires.
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Leaving toppings out of the fridge
Dry porridge oats and highly perishable toppings need to be stored differently. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises not leaving highly perishable food out of the fridge for more than two hours.
Keep milk, yoghurt and other highly perishable toppings chilled, and make portions that you’ll eat straight away.
Brands and product ranges to consider
Brinta
Brinta Porridge Oats 450 g is an option if you’re looking for extra-fine oats for a hot porridge.
- Albert Heijn lists this product as 100% oat flakes with an extra-fine texture.
- The product information lists oats and possible traces of rye and wheat. Check the current packaging if allergens are a concern.
Quaker
Quaker offers both plain porridge oats and its Oats Express range, which uses a different way of portioning.
- Quaker Netherlands lists 100% wholegrain oats as the ingredient in Havermout Original.
- The preparation instructions for the Express variety reviewed require a microwave or saucepan. Also check the allergen information on the pack you choose.
Golden Bridge
Golden Bridge is ALDI’s own brand, offering fine and coarse wholegrain porridge oats.
- The fine and coarse varieties give you a choice of oat texture.
- Read the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging of the variety you’re taking with you.
Porridge oats for different camping situations on Joybuy
These products offer a choice of an Express variety, extra-fine porridge oats and a Protein variety. Above all, compare the preparation instructions and ingredients on the exact pack with the equipment you can use at the campsite.
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Quaker Express Oatmeal 324 g
For anyone who doesn’t want to measure out portions and can use a microwave or saucepan.
The product information for these Express oats lists 100% wholegrain oats, 12 individual servings and a two-minute preparation time using that equipment.
If you have an allergy or coeliac disease, check the current allergen information and whether the packaging displays the Crossed Grain symbol.
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Brinta Porridge Oats 450 g
For anyone who prefers fine oats and would rather measure out a portion from a pack.
Albert Heijn lists Brinta Porridge Oats as 100% extra-fine oat flakes. Check the packaging to see which preparation method suits your camping equipment.
If you have an allergy or coeliac disease, check the current information about oats, possible traces of rye and wheat, and whether the packaging displays the Crossed Grain symbol.
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Quaker Oats Express Protein 302 g
If you want to compare the Protein variety with plain porridge oats, start by checking the ingredients and nutritional information on the exact pack.
Also check the preparation instructions before you set off: the product information lists different methods, including hot water and preparation in a microwave or saucepan.
If you have an allergy, look out for soya and information about possible traces of wheat and barley. If you have coeliac disease, check the current packaging for the Crossed Grain symbol.
Frequently asked questions
Are porridge oats always wholegrain?
Plain porridge oats are made from oat grains and are considered a wholegrain cereal product by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. For composite breakfast products and flavoured varieties, check the ingredients list separately.
Which porridge oats are convenient if I’m short on time?
Fine oats or an Express variety may suit you if you have the equipment needed to follow the preparation instructions. The information for Quaker Oats Express specifies two minutes in a microwave or saucepan; check that you can use one at the campsite.
Can I choose ordinary porridge oats if I have coeliac disease?
Ordinary porridge oats are not automatically suitable if you have coeliac disease. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, oats can be contaminated with gluten, so the packaging must display the official Crossed Grain symbol for this use.
What should I check on the label for allergens?
Read the ingredients list and allergen information for the exact variety, including any warnings about traces. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that, for gluten-containing cereals, the type of grain used must be named in the ingredients list.
How should I store porridge oats and toppings at the campsite?
Store dry porridge oats according to the instructions on the packaging and keep highly perishable toppings chilled. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises not leaving highly perishable food out of the fridge for more than two hours.