If you have coeliac disease, don’t choose toast based on its shape or brand name. Check that the exact packaging explicitly says ‘gluten-free’ or carries the Crossed Grain symbol, and avoid contact with crumbs from bread containing gluten. Ready-made gluten-free toast is ideal for a short lunch break; crackers and rolls offer a different base for your lunch. Whichever you choose, check the allergens and nutritional information too.
You’re looking for a lunch base whose gluten-free label you can check on the exact packaging. According to the Voedingscentrum, even a crumb of bread containing gluten matters, so make sure your utensils and worktop are clean at home.
You want toast or crackers that you can top straight away. The pack size and storage instructions can help determine whether a pack suits lunches across several working days; checking for a gluten-free label comes first.
You alternate between bread and gluten-free toast, crackers or rolls, and want to compare nutritional information per 100 g and per portion you actually eat. The Voedingscentrum also points out that bread can be a source of iodine in the Netherlands when it is made with iodised baker’s salt, although its use is not compulsory.
If you have coeliac disease, start by checking the gluten-free label on the exact product. Then choose between small pieces of toast, crackers, bread or rolls based on your lunch break, and compare the nutritional information for the products that meet your needs.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing gluten-free | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on the exact packaging, and check the current ingredients and allergen list. At home, prepare food away from crumbs containing gluten. | If I have coeliac disease, I don’t want to rely on a familiar type of toast when ordinary bread is also being used in the same kitchen. This check comes first for around 42% of consumers. |
| Convenience at lunchtime | Decide whether you want small pieces of toast, crackers or rolls, and check the pack size and storage instructions. | Between two work meetings, I want a lunch base I can top without any preparation. This convenience matters most to around 33% of consumers. |
| Nutritional information | Compare salt and fibre per 100 g and per portion you eat. For bread products, check whether iodised baker’s salt is listed in the ingredients. | If I regularly replace bread, I want to know how my chosen portion compares with the rest of my lunch. Around 25% of consumers give this consideration top priority. |
The name or shape of a type of toast tells you nothing about whether that exact product is labelled gluten-free. Being listed in a general toast category isn’t enough either.
If you have coeliac disease, check the packaging for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol. Read the label again if you buy a different variety.
A gluten-free product may contain other allergens, and nutritional values vary between recipes. Jumbo lists egg, gluten-free oat flour and 6.6 g of salt per 100 g, among other things, for Gluten Free Bakery Holland Toastjes Italiaans Gekruid.
Read the allergen list and compare salt and fibre per 100 g as well as in the portion you eat.
According to the Voedingscentrum, bread provides some of the iodine in the Dutch diet, but bakers aren’t required to use iodised baker’s salt. This is also worth bearing in mind if you often choose bread alternatives.
Check the ingredients for baker’s salt; don’t assume a product is a source of iodine based on its shape or type.
Lidl said that its additional gluten-free products were unavailable at the time. So, seeing them in the range previously doesn’t tell you whether you’ll be able to buy a particular product on your next shop.
Check what’s currently available before planning your lunch around it, and keep an alternative with an explicit gluten-free label in reserve.
A brand or shop can help you find a type of product, but if you have coeliac disease, it never replaces checking the exact packaging.
Jumbo lists 100 g packs of Toastjes Italiaans Gekruid: a specific option if you’re looking for small gluten-free pieces of toast.
Albert Heijn lists gluten-free bread products from Schär, while Jumbo includes Schär Crackers Glutenvrij in its toast category.
Albert Heijn lists a range of gluten-free products, including its own bread, rolls and crackers.
Jumbo lists both Gluten Free Bakery Holland toast and Schär Crackers Glutenvrij.
Lidl has promoted additional gluten-free products, but said they were unavailable at the time mentioned.
Bolletje describes its Proteïn & Low Carb Crackers, but the product information provided doesn’t include a gluten-free label.
Jumbo lists Van der Meulen Melba Toast Naturel and Melba Volkoren Toast as regular toast products.
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, a product labelled ‘gluten-free’ must contain no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. If you have coeliac disease, check the label on the exact variety of toast; a brand name or the type of toast isn’t enough.
Yes. According to the Voedingscentrum, even a crumb of bread containing gluten can matter if you have coeliac disease. Use clean utensils and a clean worktop if you prepare products containing gluten in the same kitchen.
Not in terms of nutritional information: compare the fibre and salt in your chosen toast with your usual bread, per 100 g and per portion you eat. The Voedingscentrum points out that bread can be a source of iodine in the Netherlands when it is made with iodised baker’s salt. Check the ingredients list, as using this salt isn’t compulsory.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging. For Gluten Free Bakery Holland Toastjes Italiaans Gekruid, Jumbo says to store it in a cool, dry place in a sealed pack. Other varieties may have different instructions.
Don’t assume a specific toast product will always be in stock. Lidl said its additional gluten-free products were unavailable at the time, so check your shop’s current range before planning your lunch around them.
