For a child with coeliac disease, regular tiger bread isn’t an obvious choice for lunch: the AH Tijger wit half variety described by Albert Heijn contains wheat and barley. Choose bread or rolls labelled ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging, check the latest allergen information and avoid crumbs coming into contact with the food when making the sandwich. Then compare the different types of bread to find one your child enjoys and can easily take to school.
They’re looking for bread with a verifiable gluten-free label, and a way to prepare it without crumbs from regular bread. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, even a stray bread crumb can cause symptoms in someone with coeliac disease.
If tiger bread is the usual choice for lunch, sliced gluten-free bread can serve the same purpose in a lunchbox. Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS also list different types of rolls; always check the packaging of the product you choose.
For lunches you make regularly, pack size, a practical portion and availability at your usual shop also matter. An online range doesn’t tell you which variety will be in stock on your next visit.
Start by checking for a gluten-free label and making sure the food is prepared without crumbs. Then choose between a slice of bread, a roll or another shape that fits in the lunchbox.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Look for ‘gluten-free’ and check the latest ingredient and allergen information on the packaging of the product you choose. | If my child has coeliac disease, I want to be able to check that this specific bread is suitable rather than relying on its name or crust. This is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Contact with crumbs | Check whether you can use a clean knife, a clean chopping board and fillings that haven’t been contaminated with crumbs from regular bread. | When making lunch in a shared kitchen, I want to stop crumbs from regular bread getting onto the gluten-free lunch. This is the main concern for around 29% of consumers. |
| Type of bread and portion size | Compare sliced bread and rolls by size, packaging and any preparation steps they require. | My child can take lunch more easily if the slice or roll fits neatly in the lunchbox and they enjoy eating it. This practical consideration comes first for around 21% of consumers. |
| Stock and packaging | Check the pack size and what’s currently available at the shop where you usually do your food shopping. | For several school days, I want to be able to buy the right amount without having to keep switching between types of bread. This kind of planning matters most to around 14% of consumers. |
The name describes the style of bread, not whether it’s suitable for someone with coeliac disease. According to Albert Heijn’s product information, AH Tijger wit half contains wheat and barley.
For this lunch, only choose a product labelled ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging, and check the ingredient and allergen information too.
According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, crumbs from regular bread can get onto gluten-free bread via a chopping board, knife or spread.
Use clean utensils and don’t put a knife covered in crumbs from regular bread into the spread jar.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. That means the information on a shop page you looked at earlier may not match the packaging of the product you buy now.
Check the packaging of the specific loaf or rolls each time you buy them, before packing them for lunch.
Bread made with baker’s salt can provide iodine, but according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use it. So don’t assume a gluten-free alternative has the same ingredients.
Check the label to see what type of salt has been used. If you’re making a lasting change to the type of bread you eat and have questions about your overall iodine intake, discuss them with a qualified healthcare professional.
Under this own-brand label, Albert Heijn offers sliced gluten-free bread and rolls for different types of lunch.
Jumbo offers sliced gluten-free white and brown bread in this own-brand range.
Schär describes a range of gluten-free bread types, including sliced bread and rolls.
PLUS offers gluten-free own-brand bread in several styles, alongside products from other brands.
Consenza is listed as a gluten-free bread brand in the online ranges at Albert Heijn and Jumbo.
Don’t assume it is: according to Albert Heijn, AH Tijger wit half contains wheat and barley. For a school lunch, check the packaging of the product you actually choose for the ‘gluten-free’ label.
Look for the ‘gluten-free’ label and check the latest ingredient and allergen information. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, a food may carry this label if it contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten as sold.
Make the sandwich using a clean chopping board and knife, and use fillings that haven’t come into contact with crumbs from regular bread. The Dutch Coeliac Society warns that shared kitchen utensils can transfer crumbs; also ask the school about its arrangements for food and allergens.
Check the packaging to see what type of salt has been used, especially if you regularly choose a different type of bread. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, baker’s salt can provide iodine, but its use isn’t compulsory, so the ingredients may vary from one loaf to another.
