If you’re choosing bread for a packed lunch, pick a loaf that is genuinely wholemeal; sourdough on its own doesn’t tell you whether it’s wholemeal. Breakfast cake is better suited to a separate snack. For either option, check the ingredients and allergens on the exact product, as well as any rules the school may have.
If bread is the main part of the lunchbox, the type of bread matters more than the word sourdough. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends wholemeal and brown bread for children’s lunches from the age of 4 to 12.
If your child has coeliac disease, a relevant food allergy or dietary requirements at school, check the information on the exact product packaging. The terms sourdough and breakfast cake don’t tell you which allergens the product contains or may contain.
A pre-portioned slice of breakfast cake is easy to pack separately. If you’re including it regularly, the ingredients, sugar content and portion size are also important when choosing a product.
First decide whether you’re packing bread as the basis of the lunch or a separate snack. Then check the specific product for allergens, portion size and nutritional information.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Bread as the basis of lunch | Check whether the sourdough bread is wholemeal or brown; sourdough alone doesn’t tell you this. | If bread is the basis of lunch, I don’t want to rely on the baking method alone. An estimated 36% of consumers prioritise this choice. |
| Allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen information on the exact packaging, including any statements about possible traces, and check for any school requirements. | If my child needs to avoid certain ingredients, the latest product information determines what I can pack. An estimated 29% of consumers prioritise this check. |
| Portion and packaging | Check the portion size and whether the breakfast cake is individually wrapped. | For a separate snack, I want something I can pack without having to cut or divide it first; an estimated 21% of consumers prioritise this. |
| Sugars and sweeteners | Compare the sugar content per portion and per 100 g. If the product contains sweeteners, check the ingredients and any warnings too. | If breakfast cake is going in the lunchbox regularly, I want to know what’s in the portion I’ve chosen. An estimated 14% of consumers say this comparison matters most. |
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says sourdough bread can be made from different grains. So the baking method doesn’t tell you whether the bread is wholemeal.
If you’re looking for wholemeal bread, check the product name and ingredients list rather than relying on the word sourdough.
A snack that’s easy to pack doesn’t serve the same purpose as bread in a lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also states that a 30 g slice of wholemeal breakfast cake contains 11,1 g of sugars.
First decide what will form the basis of the lunch, then consider breakfast cake separately as a snack.
The Peijnenburg product described by Jumbo as having no added sugars contains xylitol and carries a warning that excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.
Also check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information per portion for the specific product you’re buying.
Bread and breakfast cake products can have different ingredients and statements about possible allergens. Jumbo also points out that cross-contamination cannot be ruled out for every product.
Check the packaging of the product you’ve chosen just before packing it, and bear in mind any school requirements.
Breakfast cake in a range of varieties, including individually wrapped portions and a separate gluten-free option.
A bread range to consider if you’re specifically looking for wholemeal sourdough for lunch.
A bread range that includes a smaller wholemeal multigrain sourdough loaf.
This product selection is for breakfast cake to pack as a separate snack, not sourdough bread as the basis of a packed lunch.
Image unavailable
An option for packing breakfast cake as a separate snack. For this variety, check the sugar content per portion and the ingredients, including any sweeteners and allergens; the product name doesn’t mean the breakfast cake is sugar-free.
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says sourdough bread can be made from different grains. If you’re looking for wholemeal bread for lunch, check the product name and ingredients.
Don’t assume so: the regular breakfast cake reviewed contains rye, and the sourdough breads mentioned contain grains with gluten. Only choose a product clearly labelled gluten-free, and check the current packaging for any other relevant allergens too.
You can’t tell from the name sourdough bread. Check the ingredients of the loaf you’ve chosen. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may be present in bread through the addition of baker’s salt.
Follow the storage instructions for the bread you’ve chosen. Albert Heijn says that AH OerDesem volkoren Allinson can be frozen at home on the day of purchase and should be used within one month; don’t apply this instruction to other breads without checking.
