Who is this choice for?

Parents of a baby just starting to eat bread

You’re looking for a type and texture that suit your baby’s eating skills. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends brown or wheat bread without seeds or kernels as a starting point from six months.

Families comparing wholemeal options

You want to be able to tell what you’re buying from the wholemeal description and ingredients, rather than relying on a croissant’s colour or seeds.

Parents packing a bread product for their child

As well as choosing a product, you’ll need to check its allergen information and find out what rules the school or nursery has about food brought from home.

What should you look for when choosing?

Brown or wheat bread without seeds or kernels

When: This is the type recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre when introducing bread from six months.

Consider: This isn’t the same as choosing wholemeal bread straight away. Let the next step depend on how your baby gets on with bread.

Wholemeal bread or a wholemeal roll

When: If your baby is already managing bread and you’re looking for a product with a wholemeal description you can check.

Consider: Even with a wholemeal product, the texture, any seeds and the ingredients of your chosen option still matter.

A plain or multiseed croissant

When: If you’re choosing a croissant for your household, rather than looking for a product that’s confirmed as wholemeal.

Consider: The name ‘multiseed’ doesn’t confirm that a croissant is wholemeal. Check the packaging and your baby’s eating skills before offering them one.

When comparing croissants and bread for baby-led weaning, it helps to ask three separate questions: does the texture suit your baby, is the product actually described as wholemeal, and what does the packaging say?

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Eating skills and texture Check whether the texture and any seeds, kernels or crust suit the way your baby currently eats bread. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends starting with bread without seeds or kernels. If my baby is just starting to try bread, I want to begin with a type that suits their eating skills. Around 42% of consumers put this first step with bread at the top of their list.
Wholemeal description Read the wholemeal description and ingredients list. Don’t assume a product is wholemeal because it’s called ‘multiseed’ or has a brown colour. I want to be able to identify a wholemeal option without confusing seeds with wholemeal flour. This is the main concern for around 33% of consumers.
Allergens, salt and taking food with you Check the allergens and salt per 100 g on the packaging of your chosen product. If you’re packing it for your child, ask about the school or nursery’s rules. When I pack something for my child, I want to know what’s in it and whether it’s allowed. Around 25% of consumers put these packaging and packing checks first.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming ‘multiseed’ means ‘wholemeal’

    The seeds in a croissant don’t tell you whether the flour used is wholemeal. Its brown colour doesn’t confirm this either.

    Look for the wholemeal description on the specific packaging and check which types of flour are listed in the ingredients.

  • Choosing a heavily seeded roll as your baby’s first bread

    For babies starting bread from six months, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends brown or wheat bread without seeds or kernels. A wholemeal description alone doesn’t tell you whether the texture will suit your baby.

    Choose a type of bread that matches your baby’s current eating skills, then gradually introduce other types.

  • Checking the salt and allergens only after you’ve bought it

    This information varies from one product to another. PLUS lists 0.93 g of salt per 100 g for its Korenlanders Wholemeal multigrain rolls; Joybuy lists 1.4 g per 100 g for Schoof Croissants, pack of 4. These figures apply to those two products, not to all rolls or croissants.

    Compare salt levels on the same basis and read the allergen statement for the exact option you’re buying.

  • Assuming every bread product contains baker’s salt

    Baker’s salt contains iodine, but the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers aren’t required to use it. So the type of product alone won’t tell you which salt has been added.

    Check the ingredients list for baker’s salt, or ask which salt has been used if you’re buying unpackaged bread.

Brands to consider

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn lists a range of products online, including fresh croissants, bake-at-home options and an AH Multiseed croissant.

  • There’s a clearly labelled multiseed option in its croissant range.
  • Check the label to see whether this option is wholemeal and which ingredients and allergens it contains.

Jumbo

Jumbo lists croissants as well as separate wholemeal bread and wholemeal rolls.

  • You can compare a croissant with a bread product that has a wholemeal description.
  • Don’t assume a croissant is wholemeal unless you’ve checked the product description and ingredients.

Lidl

Lidl describes its Multiseed Croissant as being made with several types of seed, and also lists a separate Wholemeal Roll.

  • The product names make it clear which is a multiseed croissant and which is a wholemeal roll.
  • Having several types of seed doesn’t confirm that the croissant is wholemeal; check the ingredients of the product you choose.

Aldi

Aldi includes wholemeal loaves and rolls in its fresh daily bread range.

  • Aldi says its wholemeal loaves are made with 100% wholemeal flour.
  • A wholemeal roll and a croissant are different products. Compare the packaging and texture of the option you’re considering.

Plus

For its Korenlanders Wholemeal multigrain rolls, Plus lists details including ingredients and nutritional values per 100 g.

  • The product information lists 45% wholemeal wheat flour, 7.8 g of fibre and 0.93 g of salt per 100 g.
  • Check the seeds, allergens and texture separately before choosing this roll for your baby.

Dirk

Dirk lists butter croissants and wholemeal rolls in its range of rolls and croissants.

  • Both types of product are listed separately, making them easy to compare.
  • Check the packaging of the product you choose for its ingredients, allergens and nutritional values.

Joybuy products to consider

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Is a croissant a sensible first bread choice for my baby?

A croissant isn’t the type of bread the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends introducing from six months. It recommends brown or wheat bread without seeds or kernels. Before deciding whether a croissant is right for your baby, check the texture, allergens and salt content of the specific option.

Is a multiseed croissant wholemeal too?

Not necessarily: ‘multiseed’ describes the seeds in the product, not the types of flour used. Check the croissant’s wholemeal description and ingredients list. Lidl’s description of its Multiseed Croissant as being made with several types of seed doesn’t confirm that it’s wholemeal.

When can I try wholemeal bread?

For babies from six months, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends starting with brown or wheat bread without seeds or kernels, then gradually moving towards wholemeal bread. As you make this change, check that the texture of your chosen bread suits the way your baby is eating now.

What should I check before packing a bread product for my child?

Read the allergen information on the current packaging for your chosen option, and ask about the rules at your child’s specific school or nursery. This is especially important if you want to pack a product containing wheat or other listed allergens. The setting’s rules are separate from the product information.

Does every bread product contain baker’s salt?

No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. Baker’s salt contains iodine. Check the ingredients list on packaged bread, or ask the baker which salt has been used for unpackaged bread.