If you like to choose your own toppings
A simple oat base lets you decide what to add, such as fruit, nuts, milk or yoghurt. Check the main ingredient if you’re specifically looking for porridge oats rather than a mixed breakfast product.
Who are these choices relevant to?
If you’re short on preparation time
If you need to get breakfast ready quickly around Christmas dinner, fine flakes or single-serve packs can be practical. Read the preparation instructions and allergen information for the variety you choose.
If you need to follow a strict gluten-free diet
Ordinary porridge oats are not automatically suitable if you have coeliac disease. For oat products, the Voedingscentrum recommends checking that the pack carries the official Crossed Grain trademark.
What should you look for when choosing?
Start by checking whether you need a gluten-free product. Then compare the main ingredient and preparation method with what you’d like to make on a busy morning.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Oat base and ingredients | Look for wholegrain oats or wholegrain oat flakes in the ingredients list. Compare the added sugars and salt on the same nutritional basis. | I want to decide for myself what to add to my breakfast, so I’m looking for a simple oat base. This is the main priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Preparation and texture | Check whether the product contains fine or coarse flakes, or comes in single-serve packs, and read the preparation instructions. | On a busy morning, I want to spend as little time as possible measuring and preparing breakfast, or I want to know which flakes will suit my recipe. Convenience is the top priority for around 38% of consumers. |
| Gluten-free suitability | If you have coeliac disease, check the gluten-free labelling, the Crossed Grain trademark, and the ingredients and allergen information on the pack. | If I need to follow a strict gluten-free diet, I need to be sure the product is suitable before choosing it based on preparation or ingredients. This is the most important requirement for around 12% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming every pack of oats is gluten-free
According to the Voedingscentrum, ordinary oat products can be contaminated by gluten-containing grains. So if you have coeliac disease, seeing the word ‘oats’ on the front of the pack isn’t enough.
Check the current label before use and choose an explicitly gluten-free oat product bearing the official Crossed Grain trademark.
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Confusing Brinta with porridge oats
According to Albert Heijn, Brinta Volkoren graanontbijt contains wholemeal wheat flour and salt. It’s a wheat porridge, not the oat base you might be looking for in a recipe.
Check the main ingredient: choose wholegrain oats for porridge oats, and a wheat product only if you specifically want wheat porridge.
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Relying on the front of the pack alone
A label such as ‘wholegrain’ doesn’t tell you everything about the other ingredients, allergens or preparation method for that particular variety.
Compare the ingredients list, allergen information, nutritional information and preparation instructions on the pack you’re buying.
Brands to consider
Quaker
Quaker offers both standard porridge oats and Oats Express single-serve portions. The right choice mainly depends on how much preparation you want to do.
- Quaker Netherlands lists 100% wholegrain porridge oats as the ingredient in Havermout Original; Oats Express Naturel is available in single-serve portions.
- Quaker states that Havermout Original may contain barley and wheat. Check the allergen information for each individual variety.
Brinta
Brinta Volkoren graanontbijt is an alternative if you specifically want a warm wheat porridge rather than porridge oats.
- Albert Heijn lists wholemeal wheat flour and salt as ingredients in Brinta Volkoren graanontbijt.
- The product contains wheat and gluten-containing grains, so it isn’t a substitute for oats in an oat-based recipe.
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn offers standard wholegrain porridge oats as well as a separate gluten-free wholegrain variety.
- The ingredients listed for AH Volkoren havermout fijne vlokken include wholegrain oat flakes.
- Don’t treat the standard and gluten-free varieties as interchangeable. If you have coeliac disease, check the trademark on the pack you choose.
Jumbo
Jumbo Grove Vlokken is worth considering if you’re specifically looking for coarse wholegrain oat flakes.
- Jumbo lists wholegrain oat flakes as an ingredient in its coarse variety.
- Choose the flake size to suit the texture you want, and follow the preparation instructions on the specific pack.
Golden Bridge
Golden Bridge Fijne volkoren havermout from ALDI is an option if you’re looking for fine flakes.
- ALDI lists a 500 g pack for this variety.
- Read the label in store before deciding based on the ingredients, allergens or nutritional values.
Crownfield
Crownfield Biologisch havermout is a Lidl variety to consider if you’re looking for this specific product.
- Lidl lists a 500 g pack.
- Check the pack for the ingredients, allergens and nutritional values that apply to the variety you’ve chosen.
Porridge oat options on Joybuy
These options include a Quaker Express single-serve pack and two packs of porridge oats for anyone who wants to put together their own breakfast. Check the current label on all three if the ingredients, allergens or gluten-free suitability matter to you.
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Quaker Express Oatmeal, 324 g
An Express variety to consider if you want to spend less time preparing breakfast around Christmas dinner. Check the preparation instructions and allergen information on the pack; don’t assume it’s suitable for a gluten-free diet.
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Zonnatura Organic Whole Wheat Oatmeal, 500 g
A pack to consider if you want to add your own toppings to breakfast. The product name includes both ‘Whole Wheat’ and ‘Oatmeal’, so check the main ingredient on the pack before choosing this variety as an oat base.
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Quaker Oatmeal, 600 g
A porridge oat option if you want to prepare and customise your own breakfast. Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for this pack; don’t rely on details for another Quaker variety.
Frequently asked questions
Which porridge oats are right for breakfast around Christmas dinner?
Choose a simple wholegrain oat base if you want to decide what to add yourself, or consider single-serve packs if saving preparation time matters more. Whichever you choose, read the label for that specific variety, especially if allergens are a concern.
Are Brinta and porridge oats the same thing?
No. According to the product information from Albert Heijn, Brinta Volkoren graanontbijt contains wholemeal wheat flour and salt; porridge oats are made from oats. Choose Brinta only if you want wheat porridge and don’t specifically need oats.
Are ordinary porridge oats suitable if you have coeliac disease?
Ordinary porridge oats are not automatically suitable if you have coeliac disease. The Voedingscentrum warns that they may be contaminated with gluten and recommends choosing only oat products with the official Crossed Grain trademark on the pack. Check the ingredients and allergen information too.
What should you check on a pack of porridge oats?
Check the main ingredient, allergen information, nutritional information and preparation instructions on the pack you’ve chosen. When comparing nutritional values, use the same basis, such as per 100 g or per serving, so you aren’t comparing different quantities.