Regular rye bread isn’t gluten-free: rye contains gluten, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains. If you need to eat strictly gluten-free, first choose a product labelled gluten-free or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol, and check the current label. Then choose between bread, crackers or another crisp product based on when you’ll eat it, the pack size and availability. None of these is automatically a like-for-like substitute for rye bread.
You’re looking for an alternative to rye bread for breakfast or lunch, but can’t choose ordinary rye products. Rye contains gluten, according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, so the gluten-free label and current product packaging are your starting point.
You need to choose gluten-free and want to know how much is in a pack, how many portions you’ll use and whether the product will be available when you shop.
You want something for lunch and are considering crackers or crispbread. Bear in mind that these have a different texture and may have different nutritional values from dense rye bread.
If you need to eat strictly gluten-free, rule out regular rye bread and rye crackers. Then choose the product type and pack size that suit when you’ll eat it and how you plan your food shop.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free options | Look for a gluten-free label or the Crossed Grain symbol, and read the current ingredients and allergen information. | If I need to eat strictly gluten-free, I don’t want to mistake a regular rye product for a suitable alternative. Around 50% of consumers put this check first. |
| Pack size and availability | Compare the pack size and the number of usable portions; also check whether the product is available where you shop. | When I’m planning lunches for several days, I want to know whether one pack will be enough and whether I can get hold of it. Around 30% of consumers prioritise this planning. |
| Type of product and when you’ll eat it | Choose between bread, a bake-at-home product and a crisp alternative; compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion if needed. | If I’m mainly looking for a base for lunch, it matters whether I want a slice of bread or something crisp. This is the first consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
Rye contains gluten. A dark colour, a wholegrain claim or information about fibre doesn’t make a regular rye product a gluten-free alternative.
If you need to eat strictly gluten-free, avoid regular rye bread and rye crackers. Start with a product labelled gluten-free or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol.
Jumbo listed some gluten-free bread varieties as temporarily unavailable, while Lidl said that additional gluten-free products were temporarily out of stock. So an online range doesn’t necessarily tell you what you can pick up in your local shop.
Check current availability shortly before you shop, and decide in advance which other type of gluten-free product would work for you.
If your chosen product isn’t available, you may need to make an extra trip to another shop.
Ingredients and allergen information can change, as PLUS notes in its product information. What you remember from a previous pack is no substitute for checking the product you’re buying now.
Check the gluten-free label and the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging every time you buy the product.
Albert Heijn’s online range includes gluten-free bread, crackers and crispbread.
Jumbo’s Lekker Vrij van Gluten range includes bread and crackers, among other products.
PLUS’s online range includes gluten-free bread, rolls and light, crisp crackers.
Dirk’s online range includes Schär gluten-free bread products, such as Meisterbackers classic and Mini baguette.
ALDI lists gluten-free rolls as an option in its bake-at-home roll range.
Lidl describes a gluten-free range and directs customers to its standard range.
These options offer different alternatives for anyone who needs to avoid regular rye bread: mini baguettes to bake at home, a bread mix for making your own bread and crisp lentil wafers. Check the current gluten-free label, packaging and allergen information for each product.
No image available
A bread-like option for breakfast or lunch if you’d like to bake the mini baguettes at home.
The product name states that the pack contains 7 pieces. Check the actual contents and weight on the packaging before choosing this product.
Check the current gluten-free label and allergen information, including details about soya and possible traces of lupin and mustard.
No image available
For anyone who wants to make a bread-like alternative at home and has time to prepare and bake the dough.
According to the product name, this is a 1 kg bread mix, not a ready-made loaf.
Check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging, including details about soya.
No image available
A crisp option for anyone who isn’t necessarily looking for a bread-like alternative; lentil wafers are a different type of product from dense rye bread.
The product name states 54 g. Check the packaging for the current gluten-free label and allergen information, including details about milk and soya.
No. Rye contains gluten, according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Regular rye bread and rye crackers are therefore not suitable for anyone who needs to eat strictly gluten-free.
Look for a gluten-free label or the Crossed Grain symbol, then read the label on the pack you’re buying. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that prepacked products must include allergen information. Check this information even if you’ve bought the product before.
Keep gluten-free products separate from crumbs from regular bread, and use clean utensils and a clean work surface. This is especially important if you need to eat strictly gluten-free.
Not necessarily. Crackers differ from dense rye bread in shape and may also differ in portion size, fibre and salt. First check that the crackers are suitable for your gluten-free diet, then compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion on the packaging.
