For baby-led weaning, don’t automatically choose tiger bread or bread labelled sourdough: the texture needs to suit what your baby can already chew. For starting after 6 months, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends brown bread or wheat bread without kernels or seeds. Only consider a crunchy tiger crust once your baby is ready for crusty bread, and check the ingredients and allergens too.
Your baby is still getting used to coarser textures and eating independently. For starting after 6 months, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends brown bread or wheat bread without kernels or seeds; a crunchy crust isn’t the starting point.
You want to work out whether bread with a crust is right for your baby’s eating skills. For larger pieces, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says your child should be able to sit upright and swallow and chew well.
You want to compare the ingredients, allergens and salt content of a specific variety, without assuming what it contains from words such as sourdough or artisan.
First, check whether the bread’s texture is right for your baby’s eating skills. Then compare the ingredients and the type of bread you’re looking for.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Crust and texture | Check whether you can offer soft bread without the crust, and whether it is free from kernels and seeds for the early stages. | If my baby is just learning to eat pieces of bread, I want to start with a texture that suits what they can chew. For around 46% of consumers, texture is the main consideration. |
| Ingredients and label | Read the allergen information and compare the salt per 100 g in the bread you choose; if it’s unwrapped, ask the seller about allergens. | If I’m comparing ingredients, allergens or salt, I want to know what’s in this particular variety. For around 36% of consumers, the information on the label matters most. |
| Type of bread | For sourdough, check the crust, kernels and seeds too; assess brown or wholemeal bread based on the characteristics of the variety you choose. | Once the texture is right, I want to choose the type of bread I’m looking for without relying on the name alone. For around 18% of consumers, their preferred type of bread is the deciding factor. |
Albert Heijn describes the tiger crust on AH Tijger volkoren as extra crunchy. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends introducing crust from 7 months to practise chewing; age alone doesn’t tell you whether your baby can manage larger pieces.
If needed, start with soft bread without the crust. Only offer larger pieces once your baby can sit upright and swallow and chew well, and stay with them while they eat.
Sourdough can be a raising agent, but the name doesn’t tell you how crunchy the crust is or which ingredients and allergens the bread contains.
Check the texture and read the ingredients list, allergen information and nutritional information for the specific variety.
Albert Heijn lists wheat in AH Tijger volkoren; Jumbo lists gluten and wheat in Jumbo Boeren Tijgerbrood Wit. Always check the information for the bread you’re buying.
For wrapped bread, read the packaging. If it’s unwrapped, ask the seller about the allergen information before you buy it.
Albert Heijn offers tiger bread varieties, including AH Tijger volkoren. Check the ingredients for each variety rather than assuming the same information applies to all tiger bread.
Jumbo Boeren Tijgerbrood Wit is a white tiger bread variety with listed ingredients, allergens and nutritional values.
No, sourdough on its own isn’t a reason to choose a particular bread. For starting after 6 months, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends brown bread or wheat bread without kernels or seeds. Also consider the crust and what your baby can already chew.
Only offer bread with a crust when your baby is ready for it: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends introducing crust from 7 months to practise chewing. For larger pieces, your baby should also be able to sit upright and swallow and chew well; stay with them while they eat.
Don’t assume it is. Albert Heijn lists wheat in AH Tijger volkoren, while Jumbo lists gluten and wheat in Jumbo Boeren Tijgerbrood Wit. Check the packaging for the variety you’ve chosen, or ask the seller for allergen information if the bread is unwrapped.
Check the ingredients list for the variety you’re buying; the type of bread alone won’t tell you. For example, Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in AH Tijger volkoren.
