For Sunday breakfast, choose the type of bread first, then check whether it’s sliced and whether the slices suit your toppings. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals. Multigrain and sourdough offer different flavours and textures, but aren’t automatically wholemeal. Finally, choose a whole or half loaf to suit the number of people eating and what you plan to do with any slices left over.
You’re looking for bread for Sunday breakfast and the days that follow, and want to pay attention to whether it’s wholemeal and to its nutritional information. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights wholemeal bread for its fibre, vitamins and minerals.
You want to serve bread without having to slice it yourself. Check whether each loaf is sold sliced and whether the slices suit the toppings you use.
You compare ingredients, nutritional values or allergens to meet a specific need. Check this information for the exact loaf; a claim such as ‘reduced carbohydrate’ doesn’t tell you which allergens it contains.
When choosing bread for Sunday breakfast, first decide which feature matters most to you. Then check the slices and pack size of the loaf you have in mind.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal content | Look for ‘wholemeal’ in the product name; don’t treat ‘multigrain’ as a substitute for this description. | If I’m choosing bread for several breakfasts, I want to be able to compare its grain content and nutritional information. Around 36% of consumers would put wholemeal content first. |
| Convenience and quantity | Check whether the loaf is sliced, then choose a whole or half loaf based on the number of people eating and what you plan to do with the rest. | For a small Sunday breakfast, I want to be able to add toppings straight away without having lots of slices left over. For around 29% of consumers, this would be the main consideration. |
| Flavour and texture | Check the description and ingredients for sourdough, grains, seeds or kernels; check separately whether the loaf is sliced. | For a more substantial breakfast, I’m looking for a distinctive flavour or a different texture from my usual bread. Around 21% of consumers would put flavour and texture first. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients, allergen information and nutritional information per 100 g for the exact product. If buying unpackaged bread, ask about allergens before you buy. | When I’m buying bread to meet specific dietary needs or because of an allergy, I need to know what’s in that particular loaf. For around 14% of consumers, this would be their first priority. |
‘Multigrain’ describes bread made with several types of grain, but doesn’t confirm that it’s wholemeal.
If you’re looking for wholemeal, check that ‘wholemeal’ appears in the product name and look at the ingredients.
A description such as ‘sliced’ doesn’t tell you how thick the slices are. That can make a difference if you’re looking for bread to go with particular toppings.
Check the slices or the product information for the loaf itself before buying several packs.
Speciality bread may contain ingredients that matter to someone with an allergy. A claim on the front of the pack doesn’t replace the information for the exact product.
Read the ingredients and allergen information, including any ‘may contain’ statement. If buying unpackaged bread, ask about allergens before you buy.
If you’re having a small breakfast, you could have lots of slices left over from a whole loaf.
Choose a half loaf if that better suits how much you’ll use, or follow the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s advice to freeze bread in portions as soon as you buy it.
Its online bread range includes sliced multigrain and spelt loaves.
The range includes fine wholemeal bread, as well as a half-loaf option.
The range includes fine wholemeal bread in whole and half loaves, as well as sourdough.
ALDI describes its fine wholemeal bread as sliced and offers both whole and half loaves.
Lidl’s range includes an organic brown sourdough multigrain loaf with seeds and kernels.
No. ‘Multigrain’ and ‘wholemeal’ don’t mean the same thing. If you want wholemeal bread, look for that description on the bread itself and check the ingredients, rather than relying on the name ‘multigrain’.
Before buying, ask the seller for allergen information about the bread you want to take home. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, sellers must be able to provide customers with information about the 14 allergens for which information must be given.
If you won’t use the bread soon, it’s best to freeze it in portions as soon as you buy it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises taking out only as much as you need each time.
