For a childcare lunch, first choose a bread roll that meets the allergen requirements for the children concerned. If rolls are served regularly, check the type of bread and the fibre per 100 g. Then make sure the quantity and storage instructions suit what the childcare setting can prepare and use.
If you pack or serve bread rolls to a child with coeliac disease, a wheat allergy or another specific dietary requirement, check the chosen variety and its current label with the childcare setting. Ordinary bread rolls may contain gluten-containing cereals.
If you regularly prepare rolls for several children, it helps to choose a pack size that suits the group, the space available for preparation and your storage facilities.
If you serve bread rolls often, you can compare the type of bread and the nutritional information. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends wholemeal and brown bread for children aged 1 to 3; for a specific bread roll, always check the label.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens and childcare requirements | Read the allergen information and any warnings on the chosen pack, and check these with the childcare setting. | If a child has a specific dietary requirement, I want to know whether this particular roll is suitable. For around 40% of consumers, this would be the first thing to consider. |
| Type of bread and fibre | Check whether the variety is described as wholemeal or brown, and compare the fibre per 100 g. The name ‘multigrain’ alone does not mean a roll is wholemeal. | If bread rolls are often on the lunch menu, I want to choose the type of bread carefully. This would be the main priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Stock and preparation | Check how many rolls are in a pack, how much preparation space you need, and the storage and defrosting instructions. | For a group lunch, I don’t want to defrost more rolls than we can use. Practical planning would be the main priority for around 30% of consumers. |
A bread roll may contain wheat or other gluten-containing cereals. Warnings about other allergens can also vary between varieties.
Check the current label and the requirements for the child in question before packing or serving bread rolls. Only use an option specifically labelled gluten-free if it meets the child’s individual requirements.
The name ‘multigrain’ does not tell you how much wholemeal flour a roll contains. For its wholemeal multigrain rolls, PLUS states that they contain 56% wholemeal wheat flour and 7 g of fibre per 100 g; this information applies to that variety.
Read the product description and ingredients for the roll you’re buying, and compare the fibre per 100 g.
For the brown frozen bread rolls described by Jumbo, the instructions say not to refreeze them after defrosting.
Only defrost as many rolls as the childcare setting can prepare and use, following the product instructions.
Otherwise, unused defrosted rolls may have to be thrown away.
Among the Jumbo varieties described, you can weigh up rolls that are ready to prepare against brown frozen rolls for planned stock.
The PLUS varieties described include white, wholemeal multigrain and separate gluten-free bread rolls.
The 1 de Beste bread rolls described are white and multigrain bake-off varieties, sold in 300 g packs.
White bread rolls may be suitable if they meet the allergen requirements, but if they’re served regularly, it’s worth comparing the type of bread too. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends wholemeal and brown bread for children aged 1 to 3; check the pack to see whether a particular bread roll is actually wholemeal or brown.
Ask which allergens the chosen bread rolls contain and how the childcare setting keeps this information available. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority provides information about allergens in unpackaged foods; for a lunch brought in by parents, the individual arrangements with the childcare setting also matter.
Follow the child’s individual requirements and keep the bread roll specifically labelled gluten-free separate from ordinary wheat rolls during storage and preparation. Check the label of the chosen variety each time; PLUS describes its gluten-free white bread roll as a separate product.
Frozen bread rolls are a good fit for a childcare setting with enough freezer space and a planned preparation time. The brown frozen bread rolls described by Jumbo must not be refrozen after defrosting, so defrost a quantity that matches the lunch.
No, check the ingredients list for each variety. PLUS states that the white and wholemeal multigrain bread rolls described contain iodised salt; this tells you nothing about other bread rolls or reformulated recipes.
