Standard rye bread contains gluten, so it isn’t suitable for a gluten-free school lunch if you have coeliac disease. Choose bread, rolls, flatbreads or crackers labelled ‘gluten-free’, and check the ingredients, filling and school’s arrangements too. Then compare the different formats to find one your child is happy to carry and eat.
Standard rye bread isn’t suitable for a gluten-free school lunch: rye contains gluten, as reflected in the European rules for using the term ‘gluten-free’. A packaged gluten-free alternative makes it easier to check the label and ingredients.
Parents and carers can check the bread and filling together, and take cross-contact into account when packing lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the risk of gluten-free grains coming into contact with gluten during processing. Also ask what arrangements are in place at your child’s school.
If you’re preparing several school lunches, compare pack sizes and product formats. Albert Heijn and Jumbo stock a range that includes gluten-free bread and smaller lunch options, but it’s important to choose a pack that suits your child.
Start by checking the gluten-free label and allergen information. Then choose a lunch format your child can carry and eat, and pick a pack that suits how you’ll use it.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Suitable for coeliac disease | Look for the ‘gluten-free’ label and read the ingredients and allergen information for both the bread and the filling. | If my child has coeliac disease, I want to be able to see that their packed lunch meets gluten-free requirements. For around 42% of consumers, this is the top priority. |
| Lunch format | Compare slices of bread, rolls, flatbreads and crackers for suitable portions and ease of packing. | Lunch needs to fit in a lunchbox and be something your child enjoys eating. For around 33% of consumers, a practical format matters most. |
| Pack size and where you shop | Check how many lunch portions are in the pack and whether the product you want is available where you shop. | If you’re preparing several school lunches, you’ll want a pack that suits how you use it at home. For around 25% of consumers, this practical consideration takes priority. |
The colour or product description doesn’t change the type of grain: rye contains gluten.
For a school lunch if you have coeliac disease, choose a product labelled ‘gluten-free’ and check the ingredients list.
A gluten-free label doesn’t tell you about other allergens or the filling. For example, Jumbo lists soya in Lekker Vrij van Gluten Wit and says it may contain eggs, milk and nuts.
If you change products, check the information for both the bread and the filling, and take the school’s arrangements into account.
Jumbo’s ingredients list for Lekker Vrij van Gluten Wit includes iodised salt. This doesn’t mean that other gluten-free breads contain it.
If it matters to your choice, check the ingredients list for the specific bread.
Albert Heijn’s range includes gluten-free bread, rolls and crackers.
Jumbo’s range includes 500 g loaves of gluten-free white and brown bread.
Albert Heijn and Jumbo stock Schär gluten-free bread products, including Meesterbakker loaves and other lunch formats.
The supermarket ranges mentioned include Consenza products such as seeded and brown bread.
The Albert Heijn and Jumbo ranges mentioned include Nairn's gluten-free flatbreads.
No, rye contains gluten. For a gluten-free school lunch if you have coeliac disease, choose a product labelled ‘gluten-free’ instead of standard rye bread.
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, the term may be used for food sold to the final consumer if it contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg. Also check the product’s current ingredients and allergen information.
Yes. ‘Gluten-free’ doesn’t mean that bread is free from other allergens. For example, Jumbo lists soya in Lekker Vrij van Gluten Wit and says it may contain eggs, milk and nuts. Check the filling too.
Check that the product and filling are gluten-free, and avoid letting the lunch come into contact with food containing gluten while you prepare it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the risk of contact with gluten during processing. Also ask about the arrangements at your child’s school.
No, that isn’t guaranteed by the ‘gluten-free’ label. Jumbo lists iodised salt in Lekker Vrij van Gluten Wit. For other bread, check the ingredients list for that specific product.
