Plain wholegrain porridge oats make a versatile base when you want to choose what to add to a quick evening meal. Choose fine flakes or a quick-cooking option when preparation time is your priority, and jumbo oats when you want more texture. Check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging for each variety. For an evening meal, you can build on your oat base with ingredients such as vegetables and a source of protein.
If you want to make a warm oat base quickly after a busy day, look for fine flakes or a variety with a short cooking time. Brinta describes its porridge oats as extra fine; Quaker states that Oats Express takes two minutes to prepare.
If you want to be able to serve your oats savoury or sweet, start by checking the ingredients list. Jumbo lists wholegrain oat flakes as the only ingredient in its jumbo wholegrain oats; Quaker describes Original as 100% wholegrain oats.
Regular wholegrain oats are not automatically suitable for people with coeliac disease. According to the Voedingscentrum, oats for people with coeliac disease should carry the official Crossed Grain quality mark on the packaging.
If you have coeliac disease, first check whether the specific product is suitable. Then choose based on cooking time, the texture you want and whether you’d like the freedom to measure out your own portions.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Quick preparation | Check the cooking time and see whether the flakes are fine or the oats are pre-portioned. | On a busy evening, I want to make something warm without a lengthy preparation. Around 33% of consumers would put a short cooking time first. |
| Neutral wholegrain base | Check that the ingredients list includes wholegrain oats and see what other ingredients the variety contains. | I want to choose whether my bowl of oats is savoury or sweet. For around 27% of consumers, a neutral base would be the main priority. |
| Measure your own portions or choose pre-portioned oats | Compare the pack size and check whether you can measure out the amount yourself. | If I make different amounts on different evenings, I don’t want to be tied to a fixed portion. For roughly 27% of consumers, that flexibility would come first. |
| Suitability for coeliac disease | Look for the official Crossed Grain quality mark on the packaging and check the current ingredients and allergen information. | If I have coeliac disease, I can’t rely on the wholegrain label alone. For an estimated 13% of consumers, suitability for coeliac disease would be the deciding factor. |
Porridge oats provide a grain base; the wholegrain label alone won’t tell you how to put the rest of your meal together.
Add ingredients such as vegetables and a suitable source of protein, if you like.
Pre-portioned oats save you measuring them out, but give you less flexibility if you want to use a different amount each time.
Check how many portions are in the pack and whether a standard bag would better suit the way you cook.
According to the Voedingscentrum, regular oat products can be contaminated with gluten. So the wholegrain label does not confirm that a product is suitable for coeliac disease.
If you have coeliac disease, choose oats with the official Crossed Grain quality mark and check the allergen information on the packaging.
Albert Heijn states that product information, including ingredients and allergens, can change.
Check the packaging of the product you’re actually buying, especially if ingredients or allergens are important to your choice.
Quaker offers regular porridge oats and Oats Express for anyone who puts cooking time first.
The Brinta porridge oats reviewed have extra-fine flakes for a quick-to-prepare warm base.
Jumbo offers, among other options, jumbo wholegrain oat flakes for anyone who wants a more textured oat base.
Albert Heijn offers separate varieties with fine and jumbo wholegrain flakes, as well as wholegrain porridge oats labelled gluten-free.
ALDI lists fine and jumbo wholegrain porridge oats under the Golden Bridge brand.
These products offer quick-cooking oat options and a neutral base you can customise. Check whether the ingredients, preparation method and allergens of each variety suit your evening meal.
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An option if you want to make a warm oat base quickly. The product information for Quaker Express Oatmeal 324 g states that it makes 12 portions and takes two minutes to prepare; check the allergen information on the packaging.
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An option to consider if you’re looking for oats with added soya protein. Check the ingredients, allergens and preparation instructions for this specific Protein variety before using it.
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A neutral oat base if you want to choose your own additions. The product information for Brinta porridge oats describes the flakes as extra fine; check the packaging of this variety for the wholegrain label and allergen information.
Porridge oats are a grain base that you can combine with other ingredients for an evening meal. Think of vegetables and a source of protein to suit your dish, rather than relying on the wholegrain label alone.
Look for fine flakes or a quick-cooking variety, and compare the instructions on the packaging. Brinta states that its extra-fine porridge oats take two minutes in the microwave, while Quaker says Oats Express takes two minutes; check the cooking time on the product you choose if you’re buying jumbo oats.
If you have coeliac disease, don’t assume that regular porridge oats are suitable. According to the Voedingscentrum, oat products can be contaminated with gluten; look for the official Crossed Grain quality mark on the packaging.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging of the product you buy. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens are listed on food labels; an older online product description is no substitute for the current label.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging and seal the bag securely after use. Jumbo recommends storing its jumbo wholegrain oat flakes in a cool, dry place.
