If the breakfast is for someone with coeliac disease, choose bread clearly labelled gluten-free and keep it away from crumbs from regular bread. If you need to leave straight away, choose bread that’s ready to eat rather than something that needs preparing. Also compare the nutritional information and check whether your shop stocks the option you’ve chosen.
If you’re buying breakfast for someone with coeliac disease, first check the labelling and take care to avoid cross-contamination when preparing and packing the food. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that even crumbs from regular bread can be a problem.
If you don’t have time to prepare bread before you leave, look for sliced bread or rolls that are ready to eat according to the packaging. Part-baked bread calls for a different morning routine.
If you want to keep an eye on fibre and iodine as part of your usual diet, compare the nutritional information for different types of bread. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers don’t always use bakers’ salt, so don’t assume every loaf provides iodine in the same way.
Start by checking for a gluten-free label and making sure the preparation fits your morning routine. Then compare types of bread by their nutritional information and availability, without assuming every shop stocks each product.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling and cross-contamination | Check the gluten-free label, ingredients and allergen information. Keep the bread away from crumbs from regular bread when preparing it. | If I’m taking bread for someone with coeliac disease, I want to prevent crumbs from regular bread getting onto it while it’s being prepared. Gluten-free assurance would be the first concern for around 36% of consumers. |
| Ready to eat | Check whether the type of bread you’ve chosen is ready to eat or needs an oven and preparation time. | If I have to leave straight away, I need bread I can fill and take with me without baking. Convenience and being ready to eat would be the top priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Fibre and iodine | Compare fibre on the same basis, for example per 100 g, and check the ingredients for iodised salt or bakers’ salt. | When choosing between gluten-free breads, I also want to know how the nutritional information fits with what else I eat. Around 21% of consumers would focus mainly on these nutritional aspects. |
| Availability | Check the current product range and availability at the shop where you do your food shopping. | If I buy breakfast from the same supermarket, I want to know whether I can get the same type of bread there. Availability would be the main concern for around 14% of consumers. |
Wheat-free products may still contain other gluten-containing grains. That distinction matters for anyone with coeliac disease.
Choose a product with a clear gluten-free label and check the ingredients and allergen information every time you buy it. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority sets out the conditions for using this label.
Gluten-free bread can come into contact with regular bread or kitchen utensils while you’re preparing it.
Clean the work surface, use a clean knife and keep the gluten-free bread separate. The Dutch Coeliac Society advises opening gluten-free products last.
Part-baked bread isn’t ready to take with you. PLUS says its Schär mini baguette takes five to seven minutes in the oven at 200 °C.
If you want to leave without using the oven, choose bread that’s ready to eat according to the packaging. Save part-baked bread for a morning when you can prepare it at home.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use bakers’ salt. This means the source of iodine can vary from one loaf to another.
If iodine from bread is something you need to consider in your diet, check the ingredients for iodised salt or bakers’ salt.
Schär offers a range of gluten-free breads. Dutch supermarkets stock options including sliced bread and mini baguettes.
Consenza also offers fresh gluten-free bread through specialist retailers.
Jumbo lists its own-brand gluten-free white and brown bread in 500 g packs.
Albert Heijn’s own-brand range includes gluten-free bread and white rolls.
This product may suit a breakfast when you have time to check the preparation instructions at home. If you need to leave straight away without preparing anything, choose bread that’s ready to eat according to the packaging.
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Consider this product only if you have time to prepare it before you leave. Check the packaging to see whether these are part-baked rolls or a mix, what you’ll need to prepare them, and whether the current gluten-free label and allergen information are suitable for the person you’re making breakfast for.
Not on the basis of a wheat-free label alone: gluten can also come from other grains. For a strictly gluten-free option, check the gluten-free label and the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.
Keep the bread sealed until you have a clean work surface and clean utensils ready. Wash your hands and keep it away from crumbs from regular bread. The Dutch Coeliac Society advises opening gluten-free products last.
Only if you have time and the right equipment to prepare it before you leave. For example, PLUS says its Schär mini baguette takes five to seven minutes in an oven at 200 °C. Always check the instructions for the variety you have.
No, don’t assume it does. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use bakers’ salt. If this matters for your diet, check the ingredients list for the variety you’ve chosen.
No. Check the current range and availability at your local shop. An online range page shows the options listed by a supermarket chain, but it doesn’t mean the same bread is available at every branch.
