If you need a gluten-free lunch, choose bread labelled ‘gluten-free’ and avoid contact with ordinary bread while preparing and packing it. Then compare the fibre content on the nutrition label, the serving size and a format your child will be happy to take to school. Ordinary wholemeal bread made with wheat, rye or barley is not gluten-free. If your child has a wheat allergy, you’ll also need to check specifically for wheat in the allergen information.
For coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity, choosing lunch starts with checking that the bread is labelled gluten-free and preparing it in a way that prevents contact with crumbs from ordinary bread. If your child has a wheat allergy, the wheat allergen information matters too.
If you want to compare the fibre content of gluten-free bread, check the nutrition information per 100 g and per serving. A dark colour or a name that includes ‘multiseed’ doesn’t, by itself, tell you how much fibre the bread contains.
Half loaves, slices, rolls and flatbreads can all work differently in a lunchbox and affect how many lunches you get from a pack. The portion size and format you want can help you decide.
First, decide whether the lunch needs to be gluten-free. Then compare the nutrition information and formats of suitable products to find what works for the school day.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten and allergens | Check for a ‘gluten-free’ label and read the ingredients and allergen information. Keep the bread separate from ordinary bread when packing it. | If gluten needs to be avoided, I don’t want crumbs from ordinary bread in the lunch; around 36% of consumers put gluten safety first. |
| Fibre and nutrition information | Compare fibre per 100 g and per serving on the nutrition label, and check the weight of a slice or roll. | When choosing between gluten-free breads, I want to know how much fibre is in my usual serving. For around 29% of consumers, this comparison matters most. |
| Format and lunchbox convenience | Compare slices, half loaves, rolls and flatbreads by size and the number of servings in each pack. | If lunch needs to fit in a lunchbox, I’m looking for a format the student will enjoy; around 21% of consumers give this the highest priority. |
| Availability and packaging | Check the pack size, how many useful lunch portions it contains and whether you can get the product where you usually shop. | For regular school lunches, I want to be able to keep buying a pack that suits my needs. This is the main consideration for around 14% of consumers. |
Wholemeal bread made with wheat, rye or barley contains gluten. So if someone needs to eat gluten-free, the word ‘wholemeal’ alone isn’t enough to guide your choice.
Check for a gluten-free label and, if you have other allergies, read the allergen information for the specific product too.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, even a stray bread crumb can cause symptoms for someone with coeliac disease. So how you prepare and pack the lunch matters just as much as the bread you choose.
Use clean hands, a clean knife and a clean work surface, and keep ordinary bread separate. Check the school’s arrangements too before packing or sharing food.
A larger slice may contain more fibre per slice even if the bread doesn’t contain more fibre per 100 g. That makes it difficult to compare breads by looking only at the number of slices.
Compare the nutrition information per 100 g, then consider how much of the product will go in a lunchbox.
A pack that looks large enough won’t necessarily provide the number of school lunches you need.
Check the net weight, the number of portions per pack and how you plan to use the bread once opened.
Albert Heijn’s gluten-free bread range includes its own-brand multiseed bread and lighter bread options.
Jumbo lists its own-brand Brown and White 500 g options in its gluten-free bread range.
Dutch supermarket ranges stock Schär in several formats, including sliced bread, ciabatta and mini baguettes.
Jumbo lists Céréal Gluten Free Lactose Free Wholemeal Bread 240 g.
Albert Heijn lists Consenza Fibre-Rich Chia Seed Bread Gluten-Free Organic 275 g in its gluten-free bread range.
No, ordinary wholemeal bread made with wheat, rye or barley contains gluten. If a student needs to eat gluten-free, choose bread by checking the gluten-free label on the pack, not just the word ‘wholemeal’.
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the term ‘gluten-free’ may be used for foods containing no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. ‘Very low gluten’ is a different claim, with a limit of no more than 100 mg/kg. Don’t confuse the two when choosing bread for a gluten-free lunch.
Yes, read the ingredients and allergen information for the product you’re buying. This is also important if you need to avoid another allergen as well as gluten, such as wheat.
No, the gluten-free label doesn’t tell you how much fibre the bread contains. Compare the nutrition information for each bread per 100 g, then consider the portion that will go to school.
