If you have coeliac disease, replace ordinary wholemeal bread with bread explicitly labelled gluten-free or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol. For a quick breakfast on the go, also consider portion size, fibre, preparation and storage instructions. Keep the bread separate from ordinary bread when slicing and adding toppings. Gluten-free does not, by itself, tell you anything about fibre content or whether iodised salt has been used.
Ordinary wholemeal bread made from wheat, rye, barley or spelt isn’t suitable for you, according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Look for a bread alternative labelled gluten-free, and avoid contact with crumbs, knives and spreads used with ordinary bread.
You want to know what a bread alternative adds to your breakfast. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g with the portion you’ll actually take with you. The name or dark colour of a loaf won’t tell you how much fibre it contains.
You’re looking for bread that’s ready to pack in time. Check whether it needs baking, how many portions are in the pack and what the storage instructions are once it’s opened.
With coeliac disease, checking that bread is labelled gluten-free comes before choosing based on fibre or convenience. Then consider the portion size and what you’ll need to prepare the night before or in the morning.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and cross-contamination | Look for the gluten-free label or Crossed Grain symbol. When preparing your food, keep knives, boards and spreads free from crumbs from ordinary bread. | If I have coeliac disease and ordinary bread is also eaten at home, I want to be able to prepare breakfast without coming into contact with those crumbs. This gluten safety is the top priority for around 39% of consumers. |
| Fibre and portion size | Compare fibre and other nutritional values per 100 g and for the portion you eat. | When replacing wholemeal bread, I want to know how much fibre is in my own breakfast portion, rather than relying on the name of the bread. This is the top priority for around 23% of consumers. |
| Preparation and taking it with you | Check whether baking or defrosting is required, and look at the portion size and storage instructions. | If I have to leave early, I want to know in advance whether my bread is ready to take with me. Around 23% of consumers put this convenience first. |
| Being able to buy it again | Check what your shop currently stocks and have a second suitably labelled product in mind. | For a regular breakfast routine, I don’t want to depend on a single product that might not be available next time. Availability is the main concern for around 15% of consumers. |
Ordinary bread made from wheat, rye, barley or spelt contains gluten. Its colour and seeds don’t change that; for someone with coeliac disease, the gluten-free label is what matters.
Check the label again if you buy a different variety or the packaging changes.
Crumbs from ordinary bread can get onto a gluten-free breakfast via a bread knife, chopping board or jar of spread.
Use separate or thoroughly cleaned utensils, and pack a portion with toppings for the journey separately from ordinary bread.
The nutritional information per 100 g doesn’t tell you how much you’ll get from one slice or roll. The actual portion size and other nutritional values are particularly relevant for dense seeded breads.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per breakfast portion, and check how many slices or rolls are in the pack.
Jumbo says that the Céréal wholemeal bread is no longer available. So a product page you found earlier isn’t a reliable basis for a regular breakfast routine.
Check what your shop currently stocks and, if necessary, choose a second bread with a suitable gluten-free label.
Céréal offers a wholemeal bread made with rice and buckwheat that is labelled gluten-free, as described by Albert Heijn.
Schär offers several types of bread for anyone looking for a suitable option in the gluten-free range.
Consenza offers, among other things, an organic chia seed bread that Albert Heijn describes as gluten-free.
This Jumbo own-brand range includes brown and white gluten-free bread varieties in its online category.
PLUS lists brown and multiseed gluten-free breads under its own brand.
This selection features Gv Baguette Mini for a gluten-free breakfast that needs to be baked in advance. If you want to take breakfast with you in a hurry, check whether the current pack contains rolls or a baking mix.
No image available
The product information labels this variety gluten-free, but also says it needs to be baked before you can take it with you.
Check the packaging to see whether it contains part-baked rolls or a mix, and what the storage instructions are once prepared.
No. Ordinary wholemeal bread made from wheat, rye, barley or spelt contains gluten and, according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, isn’t suitable for people with coeliac disease. Choose bread explicitly labelled gluten-free and avoid contact with ordinary bread when preparing it.
According to the Dutch Coeliac Association, gluten-free means that the product contains less than 20 mg of gluten per kg. Check the label on the pack you’re buying; a dark colour or the word ‘wholemeal’ isn’t a substitute for checking.
If you have coeliac disease, make sure crumbs from ordinary bread don’t get onto gluten-free bread via a knife, chopping board or jar of spread. Use separate or thoroughly cleaned utensils, and pack breakfast for the journey separately.
No. The gluten-free label alone tells you nothing about the fibre content or whether wholemeal ingredients have been used. Read the nutritional information per 100 g and compare it with the portion you actually eat.
Don’t assume so: gluten-free doesn’t tell you what type of salt has been used. If this matters to you, check the ingredients list for iodised salt.
