For a relaxed weekend breakfast, choose a simple porridge or bowl of oats if you want to decide for yourself what it tastes like and what to add. If you’re after a crunchy bowl with yoghurt or quark, look at muesli, Cruesli or flakes. Whichever you choose, compare the ingredients, nutritional values per 100 g and allergens on the exact packaging: the word ‘wholegrain’ doesn’t tell you how the whole product is made.
With porridge or oats, you can choose what to add, such as fruit, milk, yoghurt or nuts. Check the preparation instructions, though: making a warm bowl takes more effort than choosing cereal you can eat straight away.
With muesli, Cruesli and other cereal mixes, the exact ingredients determine what you get alongside the crunchy texture. So compare the wholegrain ingredients, fibre and sugars on each pack.
The product name alone won’t tell you which grains or other allergens are present. Read the ingredients list and allergen information on the current packaging, especially if gluten is a concern.
The kind of weekend breakfast you want can help narrow down your options: porridge needs preparing, while a crunchy mix or flakes can go straight into a cold bowl. Then compare products within your chosen category by looking at their ingredients and nutritional information.
A good fit for: a warm base that you can top with fruit or other ingredients.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to heat and stir it; wheat porridge isn’t gluten-free.
A good fit for: anyone looking for a single-grain base for a warm bowl or breakfast with yoghurt.
Bear in mind: what you add yourself and, if you have coeliac disease, the information on the packaging.
A good fit for: a crunchy bowl with yoghurt or quark, perhaps with nuts or seeds.
Bear in mind: ingredients, nutritional values and allergens vary between products.
A good fit for: anyone who wants a bowl of cereal with no preparation.
Bear in mind: the grain mix and sugar content; wholegrain ingredients don’t mean a product is unsweetened.
| What to look for | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholegrain base and fibre | Look for wholegrain cereal or wholemeal flour in the ingredients list, and compare fibre per 100 g across similar products. | If I want a simple grain base, I look beyond the wording on the front of the pack. Around 36% of consumers put a wholegrain base and fibre first. |
| Sugars and your own toppings | Check the ingredients list and ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g; that figure alone doesn’t tell you how much sugar has been added. | I want to decide for myself how my breakfast tastes and what to add. For around 29% of consumers, having control over added sugar matters most. |
| Crunch and ingredients | Compare the nutritional values per 100 g and check for ingredients such as nuts, seeds and gluten-containing grains. | A crunchy bowl makes weekend breakfast more appealing to me, but the exact mix needs to suit me. Crunch, taste or protein comes first for around 21% of consumers. |
| Preparation and convenience | Read the preparation instructions and serving size: do you want to make a warm bowl, or eat cereal straight away with yoghurt or milk? | I prefer to choose based on how much time and effort I want to spend on breakfast. Around 14% of consumers put the preparation method first. |
A breakfast cereal can contain wholegrain cereal and still include other ingredients or sugars. For example, Kellogg's Nederland lists wholegrain wheat alongside 15 g of sugars per 100 g for Special K Original.
Read the ingredients list and compare sugars, fibre and salt per 100 g. Don’t assess flakes and plain oats as if they were the same type of product.
Cruesli, granola and muesli can vary in the grains, nuts, seeds and other ingredients they contain. A label such as ‘Protein’ doesn’t tell you what else is in the mix.
First decide what texture and ingredients you’re looking for. Then compare the nutritional information and allergens for the specific product.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, oat products can come into contact with gluten. So if you have coeliac disease, the word ‘oats’ isn’t enough to assess a pack.
In that case, check for the official Crossed Grain symbol on the packaging and read the allergen information too.
A recipe change can also affect the ingredients, nutritional values or allergen information. This matters especially if you need to avoid a particular ingredient.
Use product pages to compare options, then check the current packaging before buying and eating the product.
Even within the same brand, porridge, oats, flakes and cereal mixes can vary considerably. Use the products mentioned as useful examples, and always check the particular product you’re thinking of buying.
Brinta Volkoren is a wheat product for a warm bowl of porridge. Albert Heijn’s product information lists it as 100% wholegrain wheat.
Quaker offers both oats for a simple bowl and crunchy cereal mixes with added ingredients.
Cruesli is Quaker’s crunchy product range, not a separate brand or another name for plain oats.
According to Kellogg's Nederland, Special K Original is a ready-to-eat mix of rice, wholegrain wheat and barley flakes.
The own-brand range includes different types of breakfast cereal, including grain-based cereals, oats and muesli.
Nestlé makes breakfast cereals in various forms, including flakes and crunchy options.
These products show two options for weekend breakfast: oats or wheat porridge for a bowl you prepare yourself, and crunchy cereal mixes to serve with yoghurt, for example. The right ingredients depend on the exact packaging and what you choose to add.
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An oat base for anyone who wants to choose their own fruit or other toppings for a weekend bowl.
Pack size: 600 g. If you have coeliac disease, check for the official Crossed Grain symbol on the current packaging; also read the allergen information.
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A wheat porridge for anyone who wants to make a warm bowl and choose the other ingredients themselves.
Pack size: 500 g. As it contains wheat, this isn’t a gluten-free option. Check the current ingredients list if added sugars are important to your choice.
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A crunchy nut Cruesli for anyone who likes to eat cereal with yoghurt or milk.
Pack size: 400 g. Check the current nutritional information rather than relying on the product name as a full description of its sugar content. If you have an allergy, check the information on nuts, grains and possible traces.
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A crunchy chocolate-flavoured muesli for anyone who prefers a cold bowl to porridge.
Pack size: 400 g. Compare this muesli’s nutritional information with that of other mixes. Also check the current information on cereals, milk, nuts and peanuts if those allergens are relevant to you.
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Oats for anyone who wants a warm breakfast bowl without spending the weekend focused on preparation.
Pack size: 324 g. Read the ingredients list if added sugars matter to you. If you have coeliac disease, check for the official Crossed Grain symbol and read the allergen information on the current packaging.
Check the ingredients list to see which grains or flours are described as wholegrain. Then compare fibre, sugars and salt per 100 g. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, breakfast cereals can vary considerably because of their other ingredients.
Choose oats if you want a simple base you can customise; choose Cruesli if crunch is what matters most in your bowl. With oats, the final ingredients also depend on what you add, while with Cruesli you’ll need to compare the ingredients and nutritional values of the particular mix.
Don’t assume so just because the product is called ‘oats’. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the risk of gluten contamination in oat products and recommends checking for the official Crossed Grain symbol on the packaging when choosing products for someone with coeliac disease.
For prepacked foods, allergens are listed and clearly highlighted in the ingredients list. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that for gluten-containing cereals, the specific type of grain must be stated. Always read the current packaging for the product you choose.
The current packaging is the best place to check the ingredients, nutritional values and allergens for the product you’re buying. Albert Heijn warns in its product information that these details may change.
