If you’re choosing bread for a pupil with coeliac disease, don’t opt for ordinary tiger bread. Instead, look for bread labelled ‘gluten-free’ or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol. For a school lunch, check for other allergens too and avoid contact with crumbs from ordinary bread. Then compare the bread’s shape, storage instructions and nutritional information.
For their lunch, it’s important to choose bread labelled gluten-free and avoid contact with crumbs from ordinary bread. The Dutch Coeliac Society also highlights the importance of a strict gluten-free diet in educational settings.
A packaged bread alternative lets you check the ingredients, allergens and storage instructions at home before making the sandwich and packing it to take along.
As well as checking that bread is gluten-free, you can compare the fibre and salt content of each product. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread made with iodised baker’s salt is an important source of iodine in the Netherlands, but bakers aren’t required to use it.
If a pupil needs to follow a strict gluten-free diet, check the labelling first and avoid contact with crumbs. Then consider the bread’s shape, convenience and nutritional information.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free and protected from crumbs | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on the packaging. Use clean utensils when preparing the lunch and avoid crumbs from ordinary bread. | If ordinary bread is also being prepared at home, I want to make sure the pupil’s lunch doesn’t come into contact with it. Around 36% of consumers put this gluten-free safety first. |
| Portion size and portability | Check the quantity in each pack and the storage and usage instructions, especially after opening. | When lunch needs to be prepared in advance, I look for bread that’s suitable for one lunch and can be stored as directed on the packaging. For around 29% of consumers, convenience is their main concern. |
| Shape and texture | Compare gluten-free white bread, multigrain bread or rolls by shape and portion size; don’t expect a tiger-bread crust. | If you enjoy tiger bread, you may want to find a bread shape that the pupil will also be happy to take for lunch. Around 14% of consumers put this preference first, once the gluten-free requirement has been met. |
| Nutritional information and allergens | Compare the fibre content per 100 g or per portion, read the allergen information and check the ingredients list to see what type of salt has been used. | If gluten-free bread is a regular part of your meals, I also want to be able to compare its nutritional information and other allergens. For around 21% of consumers, this comparison is their main focus. |
The name doesn’t mean the bread is suitable for a gluten-free diet. Ordinary tiger bread isn’t an alternative for a pupil with coeliac disease.
Check the current packaging: look for the ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain symbol.
Gluten-free bread may contain other ingredients that are relevant to the pupil. For example, some bread options list soya or carry warnings about other allergens.
Always read the full ingredients and allergen information on the packaging for that pupil.
According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, cross-contamination can also be a problem for people with coeliac disease.
Use a clean chopping board and a clean knife. Keep the bread, filling and lunch box away from crumbs from ordinary bread.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt, so its presence can vary from one loaf to another.
When comparing types of bread, check the ingredients list for iodised salt or baker’s salt.
Albert Heijn has an online gluten-free bread category, which includes Consenza Vezelrijk zadenbrood chia glutenvrij bio.
Jumbo has a category featuring several types of gluten-free bread and lists Schär Meesterbakker Classic as gluten-free bread.
Lidl offers a gluten-free range alongside its standard range.
ALDI lists regular Boeren tijger wit and also mentions gluten-free rolls in its bakery range.
PLUS lists PLUS Bruin glutenvrij and Schär Meesterbakker Mehrkorn as separate bread options.
Dirk lists Schär Meisterbackers Classic glutenvrij 300 g in its online product range.
These mini baguettes are an option if you want to prepare a gluten-free school lunch at home. They aren’t tiger bread; check the packaging before buying and remember that they need to be baked before serving.
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For a school lunch prepared at home: the product description says these mini baguettes are gluten-free and need to be baked before serving. Before choosing them, check the gluten-free label, allergens, number of pieces and weight on the current packaging.
No, ordinary tiger bread isn’t a suitable gluten-free school lunch for a pupil with coeliac disease. Choose bread labelled ‘gluten-free’ or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol, and avoid contact with crumbs from ordinary bread when preparing the lunch.
Prepare and wrap the gluten-free bread separately, using a clean chopping board and a clean knife. Check for crumbs in the butter or filling and in the lunch box too; the Dutch Coeliac Society warns that cross-contamination can have consequences for people with coeliac disease.
No, it varies from product to product. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt isn’t compulsory, so check the ingredients list to see whether iodised salt or baker’s salt has been used.
