Choose an oat sachet if you want to prepare a measured portion for yourself and have a bowl and liquid to hand. A breakfast drink is a good fit when quick mixing matters most; mini cereals are particularly useful if you want to take individual packs in different flavours with you. In every case, compare the ingredients and nutritional information per 100 g and per portion, as the fact that something comes in a single-portion pack tells you nothing about its nutritional value.
If you have breakfast on your own on a working or school day and don’t want to weigh out a portion, an individual sachet can save you time. According to the product information at Albert Heijn, Quaker Oats Express Naturel takes two minutes to prepare; Brinta Wake-up! is a breakfast drink that mixes in one minute. Just check what you’ll need to prepare it.
If wholegrain oats, fibre or sugars influence your choice, compare the nutritional information for each variant. A handy sachet won’t necessarily have the same ingredients as another pack of oats.
If you like taking an individual pack with you and choosing between flavours, an assorted pack of mini cereals could be an option. Check the nutritional information and allergen labelling for each variety; don’t assume all the packs are the same.
First decide whether you want to make a bowl of porridge, mix a drink or take a pack of cereal with you. Then compare the portion size and label of products suited to that use.
| What to consider | Check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation time | Check the preparation time and see whether you’ll need liquid, a bowl, a cup or a microwave. | On a busy morning, I don’t want to weigh out a portion or wait around before I can eat breakfast. Around 36% of consumers give top priority to quick, simple preparation. |
| Nutritional information | Compare fibre, sugars and protein per 100 g, among other things; also check whether the figures apply to the dry or prepared product. | I want to choose breakfast based on its ingredients, not just the packaging. This nutritional profile is the most important factor for around 29% of consumers. |
| Portions per pack | Check the number of portions and the weight per portion; decide whether measuring it out yourself works for you. | If I have breakfast on my own every working day, I want to know how many meals I’ll get from a pack. The number and size of portions come first for around 21% of consumers. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients list and allergen labelling for the variant you’ve chosen. | I need to be able to check whether the ingredients suit my dietary requirements before convenience or flavour comes into it. This is the main deciding factor for around 14% of consumers. |
An individual sachet makes portioning easy, but tells you nothing about its sugar or fibre content. According to the product information at Albert Heijn, Quaker Oats Express Naturel contains 1 g of sugars and 9 g of fibre per 100 g, compared with 25 g of sugars and 4.2 g of fibre per 100 g for Kellogg's Variety Pack.
First compare like with like, for example per 100 g, then check how many grams are in one portion.
The nutritional values shown by Albert Heijn for Brinta Wake-up! are for a drink made with semi-skimmed milk. You can’t compare these directly with values per 100 g of dry cereal.
Check whether the table refers to the dry product, one sachet or the prepared drink, and which liquid was used to make it.
For Quaker Oats Express Naturel, the product information states that it may contain soya, barley and wheat. The product category alone therefore doesn’t tell you everything about a specific variant.
When you buy, read the ingredients and allergen labelling on the current pack. If you have an allergy or dietary requirement, don’t base your choice on the word ‘oats’ alone.
The products reviewed include measured Express oat sachets and a larger pack of oats that you portion out yourself.
The range reviewed includes Wake-up! breakfast drink sachets and oats that you measure out yourself.
The Variety Pack reviewed combines four types of cereal in eight individual portions.
The KitKat Cereals reviewed are chocolate-flavoured cereal in a 330 g box.
Here, Albert Heijn is a retailer where you can compare different categories, including cereal, oats and breakfast cups; it isn’t a product range in its own right.
These products suit two ways of making breakfast for yourself on a working day: oats in a single-portion pack or a breakfast drink to mix. When choosing, check how it needs to be prepared and the ingredients in the exact variant.
Image unavailable
For anyone who wants to prepare a measured portion of oats without weighing them out. The pack contains 324 g; have a bowl and liquid to hand, and check the preparation instructions on the packaging.
Image unavailable
A portion of oats to consider if you want to compare the ingredients of a protein variant with regular oats. The pack contains 302 g. This variant contains soya protein; check the current ingredients list if soya is a concern for you.
Image unavailable
For anyone who would rather mix a breakfast drink than make a bowl of porridge. The pack contains 115 g. When comparing nutritional information, check whether the values apply to the dry product or the prepared drink.
No, an individual sachet mainly tells you about portioning. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g, then check how many grams are in the sachet; also check the ingredients for the exact variant.
Choose an oat sachet if you want a bowl of porridge and have what you need to prepare it. A breakfast drink is a better fit if you’d rather mix and drink; check whether the nutritional information applies to the powder or the prepared drink.
Yes, read the allergen labelling for the variant you’re buying if the ingredients matter to your choice. The products reviewed list different grains and sometimes soya or milk; some also state that they may contain other allergens. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that allergens must be listed on the labels of prepacked foods.
