For the school lunch of a child with coeliac disease, choose multigrain bread only if the label says ‘gluten-free’; the name ‘multigrain’ alone isn’t enough. Check the allergen information every time you buy it, and prevent contact with gluten crumbs. Then choose rolls or a larger loaf based on the preparation and storage instructions that suit your school morning.
The school lunch needs to stay gluten-free from the kitchen to the lunchbox. So check the current packaging, look out for other allergens and avoid contact with crumbs from ordinary bread. The Dutch Coeliac Society highlights the importance of preventing cross-contamination.
Bake-at-home rolls need to be prepared before you leave. Compare this with the storage and use instructions for packaged rolls or a larger loaf if you’re planning several school lunches.
A gluten-free label doesn’t tell you whether a product is suitable for other allergies or preferences. Check the ingredients and allergens for each product, even if you’ve bought the same bread before.
For a school lunch for a child with coeliac disease, the gluten-free label matters more than whether you choose rolls or a loaf. Then check how it needs to be prepared and stored, and whether it contains any other allergens.
| What to consider | What to check | Especially useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping it gluten-free | Check for a gluten-free label and keep the bread away from gluten crumbs while preparing it. | If my child has coeliac disease, I want their lunch to stay gluten-free after it’s been spread and packed. This is the top priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Preparation and storage | Check whether the bread needs baking, and follow the instructions for storing it once opened or freezing it at home. | On a busy school morning, I want to know how much preparation the bread needs and whether I can keep it for future lunches. Around 30% of consumers prioritise this convenience. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Check for other allergens and, if you wish, compare fibre and salt per 100 g, as well as whether iodised salt is listed. | If another food allergy or dietary preference is a factor, I need more than just a gluten-free label. This is the first consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
Multigrain bread may contain wheat, rye, barley or spelt. For a child with coeliac disease, the type of grain alone doesn’t make the bread suitable.
Choose a product labelled gluten-free, then decide which type of bread you’d like to take along.
Gluten-free bread may contain other allergens or carry warnings about possible traces. The information on the packaging can also change, even for a product you know well.
Check the current ingredients and allergen information every time you buy it.
Gluten-free bread can come into contact with gluten while being sliced, spread or packed. The Dutch Coeliac Society highlights the importance of preventing cross-contamination.
Use clean hands and utensils, keep the bread wrapped for as long as possible, and ask the school or after-school club how food and shared equipment are handled.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes bread made with iodised baker’s salt as a source of iodine in the Netherlands, but the type of salt used varies from one loaf to another.
If this matters to you, check whether iodised salt is listed in the ingredients.
Albert Heijn stocks both Schär Multigrain Rolls Gluten Free and AH Gluten-Free Multiseed Rolls. This lets you compare branded and own-brand rolls using their product information.
Jumbo has a product page for Schär Multigrain Rolls Gluten Free, 210 g. You can use it to check the information about these bake-at-home rolls in advance.
PLUS stocks its own 500 g Gluten-Free Multiseed Bread and Schär Meisterbäcker Mehrkorn, 300 g. This makes it possible to compare a larger own-brand loaf with a branded loaf.
Dirk has a product page for Schär Multigrain Rolls Gluten Free, 210 g. This lets you include this particular roll in your comparison.
This selection features mini rolls described as gluten-free. Check the packaging to see whether they’re also multigrain and what preparation they need before choosing them for a school morning.
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An option to consider for a gluten-free school lunch. Check the current packaging for a gluten-free label, whether these are multigrain rolls and how to prepare them: product descriptions give differing instructions.
If other allergens are a concern, check the information about soya and possible traces of lupin and mustard. Prepare and pack the rolls for a child with coeliac disease without contact with gluten crumbs.
No. ‘Multigrain’ doesn’t mean that bread is gluten-free. It may contain wheat, rye, barley or spelt, for example. If you’re choosing bread for someone with coeliac disease, pick a product labelled gluten-free and check the current packaging.
Prepare the bread with clean hands, on a clean work surface and with clean utensils, and keep it wrapped for as long as possible. Avoid contact with ordinary bread, and agree with the school or after-school club how food and shared equipment will be handled.
Yes. Gluten-free doesn’t mean a product is free from other allergens or possible traces of them. Check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging every time you buy it, especially if soya, sesame, milk, eggs or nuts are relevant to the child.
No. The type of salt used varies from one loaf to another. Check the ingredients list to see whether iodised salt is listed; don’t assume it from the words ‘gluten-free’ or ‘multigrain’.
Check the gluten-free label and the ingredient information for the specific bread. Oats can come into contact with gluten-containing grains; if your child has coeliac disease, also follow their individual dietary guidance.
