If you’ve just moved out and don’t eat much bread, half a wholemeal loaf is a practical base for chocolate sprinkles: you’ll have less bread to use up at once. If you eat bread regularly and have freezer space, you can freeze a whole wholemeal loaf in portions as soon as you buy it. For occasional use, well-sealed Dutch rusks are another option. Chocolate sprinkles are still a sweet topping, whichever base you choose.
If you don’t eat several slices of bread every day, you’ll have less to use up at once with half a loaf. If you only have chocolate sprinkles now and then, well-sealed Dutch rusks might suit your habits too.
A whole loaf is an option if you freeze it in portions straight away and only defrost what you need. When you shop, compare what you’re actually likely to use, not just the pack size.
First, choose a type of bread or Dutch rusk that suits the way you stock your kitchen. According to the Voedingscentrum, chocolate sprinkles are a sweet topping outside the Dutch Wheel of Five guidelines; choosing chocolate sprinkles doesn’t change the nutritional value of the base into that of a different product.
Choose this: if you eat only a few slices and don’t want to freeze a whole loaf.
Trade-off: you’ll have less to use up at once, but you’ll still need to eat half a loaf in good time. The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping wholemeal bread in the kitchen cupboard for 2 to 4 days.
Choose this: if you eat bread regularly and can freeze it in portions on the day you buy it.
Trade-off: you’ll need freezer space. The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping wholemeal bread in the freezer for 1 to 3 months; it may dry out if you store it for longer.
Choose this: if you only occasionally want a dry base for chocolate sprinkles and don’t want to freeze bread.
Trade-off: Dutch rusks aren’t bread and can go soft if the pack is left open. The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping opened Dutch rusks in the kitchen cupboard for about one month, provided you store them properly.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Stock and waste | Check the pack size and decide whether you have room to freeze bread in portions. | If I only eat a little bread, I don’t want the last few slices to go uneaten. A small amount in stock matters most to around 40% of consumers. |
| Base and labelling | For bread, look for the word ‘wholemeal’ and, if needed, compare fibre per 100 g and the ingredients list. | When choosing a sweet topping, I want to make a conscious choice about the bread or Dutch rusks underneath. Around 30% of consumers put the base first. |
| Convenience after moving | Compare how much preparation each option involves and check the storage instructions for the product you choose. | Without a regular bread routine, I’m looking for something that fits the cupboard and freezer space I have. Convenience is the deciding factor for around 30% of consumers. |
The colour doesn’t tell you whether bread is made with wholemeal flour. According to the Voedingscentrum, bread labelled ‘wholemeal’ is made with 100% wholemeal flour.
Check the product name and compare the ingredients and nutritional information on the label.
If you eat only a few slices, you may need to finish a whole loaf sooner than you’d like. The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping wholemeal bread in the kitchen cupboard for 2 to 4 days.
Choose half a loaf if that better suits how much you eat, or freeze a whole loaf in portions on the day you buy it.
Throwing bread away or going shopping again also takes time and effort.
Dutch rusks can go soft or lose their flavour if the pack is left open.
Seal the pack securely after use and store the rusks somewhere cool, dry and dark.
Chocolate sprinkles are a sweet topping and, according to the Voedingscentrum, are not included in the Dutch Wheel of Five guidelines. So choosing between bread and Dutch rusks is a separate decision.
First, choose a base that suits the way you eat, then decide how much chocolate sprinkles to add.
Albert Heijn offers products including AH Rond volkoren half and AH Extra lang lekker Zaans volkoren half.
Jumbo offers both half wholemeal loaves and various types of Dutch rusks.
Lidl lists a 400 g Halfje extra volkorenbrood.
ALDI lists a half extra-fibre-rich wholemeal loaf with seeds and grains.
De Ruijter makes chocolate sprinkles; its Specials Intense Puur variety is a 200 g sweet topping.
Venz offers products including XXL milk chocolate sprinkles in a 380 g pack.
These products include rusk as a related dry base and chocolate sprinkles as a topping. If you’re specifically looking for half a wholemeal loaf or a product labelled as Dutch rusks, check the product name and category separately.
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For anyone looking for a dry base in a pack of 10 pieces. This product is called rusk; check that this type of product matches the Dutch rusks you have in mind, and follow the storage instructions on the pack.
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A dry base for anyone looking for a pack of 13 pieces instead of bread. The product name says rusk, not Dutch rusks; check the product type and storage instructions before choosing.
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A 200 g pack for anyone who wants to use chocolate sprinkles as a sweet topping. Choose your bread or Dutch rusk base separately, and check the label if ingredients or allergens are important to your choice.
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A 400 g pack for anyone who uses chocolate sprinkles regularly. If you only have them occasionally, consider whether this quantity suits the space you have for food; buy bread or Dutch rusks separately.
No. Half a loaf is best if you eat only a few slices and don’t want to freeze bread. If you eat bread regularly and have freezer space, you can freeze a whole loaf in portions on the day you buy it. The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping wholemeal bread in the kitchen cupboard for 2 to 4 days, or in the freezer for 1 to 3 months.
Keep bread dry and, if needed, freeze it in portions straight away. Seal Dutch rusks and chocolate sprinkles securely after use. For opened Dutch rusks, the Voedingscentrum recommends around one month in the kitchen cupboard. Store them somewhere cool, dry and dark, and follow the pack instructions for chocolate sprinkles.
For packaged bread, look for baker’s salt or iodised salt in the ingredients list. For unpackaged bread, ask the baker which ingredients are used. Don’t rely on the type of bread alone.
No. Chocolate sprinkles are still a sweet topping when you put them on wholemeal bread. According to the Voedingscentrum, chocolate sprinkles are not included in the Dutch Wheel of Five guidelines. So consider your choice of bread or Dutch rusks separately from how much chocolate sprinkles you use.
