For meals for one, start by choosing bread labelled as wholemeal on the packaging. If you only use a little bread at a time, a half loaf may be a good fit; you can freeze a whole loaf in portions as soon as you buy it, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Then compare the ingredients, allergens, fibre and salt in the exact product you’re considering. According to Brood.net, a dark colour doesn’t tell you which flour has been used.
If you only use a few slices at a time, it helps to choose a suitable size or freeze a whole loaf in portions as soon as you buy it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends the latter in its storage guide if you use small amounts every day.
You want to know whether bread is genuinely wholemeal, so you compare the fibre, salt and ingredients in the product you’ve chosen. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, packaged wholemeal bread must be labelled as wholemeal; Brood.net points out that the colour doesn’t reveal which flour has been used.
You want to be able to pick up bread during your usual shopping trip or, where available, add it to an order. Check whether the size you want is available in your shop or through your chosen ordering method.
Start with the wholemeal label, then choose a size and storage method to suit how much bread you use with each meal. After that, use nutritional information, availability and texture to help you choose between specific products.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Portions and storage | Check the size and decide whether you can freeze a whole loaf in portions as soon as you buy it. | If I only eat a few slices at a time, I want to avoid leaving the rest open for too long. Around 36% of consumers prioritise reducing bread waste. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | For packaged bread, look for the wholemeal label and compare the fibre per 100 g of the exact products. | I don’t want to judge wholemeal bread by its colour, so I check the label. Around 29% of consumers prioritise identifying wholemeal bread and comparing fibre. |
| Availability | Check whether the size you want is in store or available through your usual ordering method. | When planning my shopping for one, I want to be able to pick up my chosen bread or add it to my order. Availability is the most important factor for around 21% of consumers. |
| Texture and use | Choose fine or coarse to suit your preference, and check whether the bread is sliced. If you have allergies, read the latest allergen information. | I want bread that suits the way I top or toast it. Around 14% of consumers put ease of use and texture first. |
According to Brood.net, the colour doesn’t show whether bread is made with white flour, brown flour or wholemeal flour.
For packaged bread, look for the wholemeal label, then compare the nutritional information for the product you want to buy.
If you only use a few slices at a time, a whole loaf may be left open for longer than you’d like.
Choose a half loaf if that better suits how much you use, or follow the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s advice to freeze a whole loaf in portions as soon as you buy it.
Freezing portions takes up space in the freezer and needs a little preparation after your shopping trip.
A claim about fibre or salt applies to a specific product, not automatically to the whole bread range.
Compare the latest nutritional information per 100 g, and check the packaging of the exact bread you choose for its ingredients and allergens.
A product may only be available in store; Lidl states this, for example, for its Halfje extra volkorenbrood.
Before planning your shopping, check whether the bread you want is available in store or can be added through your chosen ordering method.
Worth considering if you want to compare the ingredients and nutritional information of a specific wholemeal product before you buy.
Worth considering if you want to choose between whole, half and differently textured wholemeal breads.
Worth considering if a half loaf of wholemeal bread better suits how much you use.
Worth considering if you want to look at a specific wholemeal product with a fibre or salt claim.
Worth considering if you want to check the ingredients and storage information for a whole wholemeal loaf before buying.
Worth considering if you want to choose between different wholemeal sizes while shopping.
These products come in different pack sizes for meals with bread for one. When choosing, check the wholemeal label, allergens and storage instructions on the current packaging; they are not all the same type of bread.
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The pack of six individual flatbreads may suit you if you want to use one or a few pieces per meal.
Check the packaging to see how many you need at a time, and read the allergen and storage information.
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The pack of nine is an option if you want to spread your rye bread across several meals.
To check whether it’s wholemeal, look for the label on the Dutch packaging, and read the allergen and storage information too.
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The 500 g pack may suit you if you want to use rye bread for several meals.
Check the packaging for the wholemeal label, portion sizes, allergens and storage instructions once opened.
Look for the wholemeal label: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, packaged wholemeal bread must be labelled as wholemeal. Don’t rely on a dark colour alone, as Brood.net says this doesn’t show which flour has been used.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s storage guide, freeze the loaf in portions as soon as you buy it, then take out what you need. Also follow the storage and date information on the packaging of your chosen bread.
Yes. Check this information for the exact product you’re buying. Albert Heijn and PLUS publish product information on salt and allergens for their individual wholemeal breads; if you have an allergy or intolerance, always read the current packaging too.
You can’t assume that every bread does. If iodine is important to your choice, read the ingredients for the product you’ve chosen. For example, Albert Heijn lists iodised sea salt in AH Vloerbrood volkoren heel.
