If you have coeliac disease, choose bread labelled ‘gluten-free’ or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol. Then make sure crumbs from ordinary bread don’t end up on your breakfast at the table. For classic sandwiches, you can compare gluten-free white breads from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS; if you’d rather serve rolls, you’ll need a different type of bread. Check the current label on every product, especially if other allergens, fibre or iodised salt are important to your choice.
You need gluten-free bread, while others may be eating ordinary bread and using the same toaster, knives or jars of spread. The Dutch Coeliac Association explains that crumbs containing gluten can end up on gluten-free food. So pay attention not just to the bread, but also to how it is prepared.
If you’re making sandwiches, the shape of the bread is just as practical a consideration as the brand. Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS each list a gluten-free white bread; compare the current packaging, shape, ingredients and allergens before making your choice.
If you often replace ordinary bread, you can compare the fibre per 100 g and check whether iodised salt or baker’s salt is listed on the label. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that bakers are not required to use baker’s salt. So don’t assume that all gluten-free bread has the same ingredients.
Start with the gluten-free label and a breakfast free from cross-contamination. Then choose between sliced bread and rolls, and compare the nutritional information that matters to you.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free food without cross-contamination | Look for ‘gluten-free’ or the Crossed Grain symbol on the packaging. At home, use clean or separate utensils and spreads that haven’t been contaminated with crumbs containing gluten. | When others eat ordinary bread, I want to prevent their crumbs from getting onto my breakfast; this gluten-free precaution is the top priority for around 50% of consumers. |
| Bread shape for Sunday | Choose between sliced white bread and individual rolls; check the contents and the storage or preparation instructions for the specific product. | For a breakfast with several types of spread, I want to know whether I’ll be serving slices or rolls. Around 30% of consumers give bread shape top priority. |
| Fibre and iodine | Compare the fibre per 100 g and check whether iodised salt or baker’s salt is listed among the ingredients. | If I often replace ordinary bread, I want to be able to assess the nutritional information for my alternative; this is the most important factor in the choice for around 20% of consumers. |
A statement about wheat alone doesn’t mean that bread is also free from gluten from other sources. For someone with coeliac disease, this distinction is crucial when choosing a product.
Use the ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain symbol as your first filter, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises, then read the current label.
The Dutch Coeliac Association explains that crumbs containing gluten can get onto gluten-free food via a knife, toaster, chopping board or jar of spread.
Use separate or thoroughly clean utensils, and make sure crumbs don’t get into shared jars of spread.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that using baker’s salt is not compulsory. So you can’t tell whether bread contains iodised salt simply from the type of bread.
Read the ingredients list. If you regularly eat very little bread, consider iodine in the context of your overall diet.
A product you looked at previously may have a different recipe or allergen information. A shop’s range can also change.
Before Sunday breakfast, check the packaging of the product you’re actually buying and find out in good time whether it’s available.
The examples below can help you narrow down your search for bread or rolls. A brand or shop name is no substitute for checking the specific product.
Albert Heijn lists AH Glutenvrij Wit brood half as gluten-free white bread.
Jumbo lists a 500 g gluten-free white loaf in its Lekker Vrij van Gluten range.
PLUS lists PLUS Wit glutenvrij as sliced white bread.
Schär Meesterbakker Classic is a packaged gluten-free bread listed on the PLUS product page.
Jumbo lists Consenza gluten-free white rolls in a pack of 2, weighing 180 g.
ALDI lists gluten-free options among its bake-at-home rolls.
Lidl has a page for an additional gluten-free range.
Dirk shows Schär Meisterbackers Classic and Vital among its search results for gluten-free bread.
This product is suited to a breakfast with gluten-free rolls, rather than a classic sliced white loaf. Check the packaging before deciding how to serve it at breakfast.
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The product description identifies this as gluten-free; the name suggests mini baguettes for anyone who would rather have rolls than slices of bread for Sunday breakfast.
Before serving, check the current packaging for the exact contents, ingredients, allergens and preparation instructions.
No. Those words alone don’t confirm that bread is gluten-free. Choose a product labelled ‘gluten-free’ or bearing the Crossed Grain symbol, and read the current label, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises.
Not if crumbs containing gluten could get onto the bread. The Dutch Coeliac Association explains that cross-contamination can also happen via knives, chopping boards and shared jars of spread, so use separate or thoroughly clean utensils.
No. Check whether iodised salt or baker’s salt is listed among the ingredients. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bakers are not required to use baker’s salt. If you regularly eat very little bread, consider your iodine intake in the context of your overall diet.
Only count on a product once you’ve checked the current range and its packaging. ALDI lists gluten-free bake-at-home options but doesn’t specify a particular white loaf for your breakfast; Lidl says its additional gluten-free range is temporarily unavailable.
