If you’re hosting someone with coeliac disease, choose bread that is explicitly labelled gluten-free; ordinary wholemeal wheat or rye bread is not a substitute. Then choose a shape that suits the dish, such as pita for a filling or rolls to serve separately. When comparing gluten-free alternatives, check the ingredients and nutritional information if fibre or iodised salt matters to you. Keep the bread separate from ordinary bread and crumbs during the barbecue.
You want to offer bread without serving it alongside ordinary bread or shared serving utensils. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a gluten-free diet is essential for people with coeliac disease. Choose a product explicitly labelled gluten-free and keep it separate when serving.
You’re looking for a gluten-free alternative and also want to know which flours it contains and how much fibre it provides per 100 g. Check the ingredients list too if the presence of iodised salt matters to your choice.
You won’t need the same shape for a filled pita, a roll alongside your meal or bread to serve with a dip. Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS offer a range of gluten-free bread shapes. Decide how you’ll serve it before comparing individual packs.
Start with the gluten-free label and allergen information. Then compare the nutritional profile and the type of bread you need for your table.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should consider this? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free suitability | Look for the explicit ‘gluten-free’ label and read the ingredients and allergen information. Use separate utensils when serving. | If someone with coeliac disease is joining us, I want to prevent ordinary bread or crumbs from getting onto their food. Around 50% of consumers would put gluten-free suitability first as their main concern. |
| Fibre and salt | Compare the fibre content per 100 g and the types of flour used; check the ingredients list for iodised salt. | When I replace ordinary bread, I want to know how much fibre the gluten-free product contains and which salt has been used. For around 20% of consumers, this nutritional profile would be their first consideration. |
| Bread shape | Decide whether you need pita, rolls or bread to serve at the table, then check the packaging of your chosen product. | For filled barbecue dishes, I’m looking for a different shape than I would for bread to serve with a dip. Around 30% of consumers would prioritise choosing a practical shape, once gluten-free suitability has been confirmed. |
These words don’t tell you whether a bread is suitable for someone with coeliac disease. Dark bread can also contain gluten-containing grains.
Choose bread with an explicit ‘gluten-free’ label, then read the ingredients and allergen information.
Gluten-free breads are made to different recipes, so you can’t assume that a substitute provides the iodine found in ordinary bread.
Check the ingredients list of each product for iodised salt or baker’s salt, especially if you regularly replace ordinary bread.
A gluten-free product may also contain other allergens or carry a warning about possible traces. This needs a separate check if your guest has other allergies too.
Read the full allergen information on the current packaging, not just the name of the online product category.
Sharing a breadboard, tongs or a crumb-covered serving area makes it difficult to keep gluten-free bread separate.
Keep it separate until serving and use its own clean plate, knife, tongs and chopping board.
These examples can help you compare different bread shapes. Always check the gluten-free label, ingredients and nutritional information on the individual product.
Under this own-brand range, Albert Heijn offers gluten-free wholemeal pita breads for filled dishes.
Céréal offers a wholemeal loaf described as gluten- and lactose-free, for anyone looking for sliced bread.
Jumbo’s gluten-free bread range includes several products from Schär in different shapes.
Jumbo’s own-brand range includes gluten-free brown and white bread in 500 g packs.
PLUS’s gluten-free range includes brown bread, multiseed bread and bread rolls.
For your barbecue, these two options offer different ways to serve bread: mini baguettes as individual rolls, and a gluten-free bread mix for anyone who wants to bake their own. The mix isn’t a ready-made loaf, so bear preparation in mind for both options and check the current packaging.
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The mini baguette shape works well for rolls served individually at a barbecue. The product information gives conflicting preparation instructions, so check the current packaging before buying to see whether you need to make the rolls or simply bake them. Also read the allergen information if a guest has other allergies.
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This bread mix is for anyone who wants to make their own gluten-free bread for a barbecue; it isn’t a ready-to-serve loaf. The shape of the finished bread depends on what you bake. Check the latest ingredients and allergen information, and look at the packaging to see which salt is used if that matters to your choice.
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the label ‘gluten-free’ may only be used on a food for the final consumer if its gluten content is no more than 20 mg/kg. If you’re buying bread for a guest with coeliac disease, check the label on the product you choose and keep it separate from ordinary bread when serving.
No. ‘Wholemeal’ and ‘multiseed’ don’t tell you whether a bread contains gluten; ordinary wholemeal wheat or rye bread isn’t suitable as a gluten-free alternative. Look for the explicit gluten-free label and read the ingredients and allergen information for the individual loaf.
Compare the fibre content per 100 g in the nutritional information, and check the ingredients list for iodised salt. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, around 45% of iodine intake in the Netherlands comes from bread, but you’ll need to assess the ingredients of each gluten-free substitute individually.
Set the bread aside and use its own clean plate, knife, tongs and chopping board. Check sauces, marinades, burgers and other toppings separately too: serving gluten-free bread doesn’t automatically make the rest of the meal gluten-free.
