If you have coeliac disease, first choose bread explicitly labelled ‘gluten-free’ and check the allergen information on the packaging when you buy it; ‘wheat-free’ alone isn’t enough. For a holiday, decide between ready-to-eat bread and something you can bake yourself, depending on your storage space and the kitchen at your destination. If iodised salt in bread is relevant to your diet, check the ingredients too: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, baker’s salt is not compulsory.
You need bread that is explicitly labelled gluten-free. How you store and prepare it at your holiday accommodation matters too: the Dutch Coeliac Society recommends keeping gluten-free products well wrapped and separate to prevent cross-contamination.
You want to plan breakfast or lunch for the first few days of your trip without relying entirely on finding a shop at your destination. So, before you leave, check the use-by date and storage instructions for anything you’re taking with you.
If there’s a suitable oven, you could also consider part-baked rolls. Check that you can use clean baking equipment, knives and work surfaces, especially if regular bread is prepared in the same kitchen.
First, check the gluten-free label and any other relevant allergens. Then let shelf life, preparation options and your shopping plans guide your choice of bread.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Look for the ‘gluten-free’ label and check the packaging for warnings about cereals containing gluten. | If I have coeliac disease, I don’t want to rely on ‘wheat-free’ alone, and I need to be able to assess any cross-contamination warning too. This is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Storage and preparation | Check the use-by date and storage instructions, and whether you have a suitable oven for part-baked products. | When travelling, I want to take bread that I can store and prepare at my destination too. This peace of mind is the top priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Nutrition information and allergens | Check the ingredients, other allergens and nutrition information, including fibre and salt per 100 g. | When comparing bread products, I want to know whether they contain iodised salt and any other allergens that matter to me. For around 21% of consumers, checking this information on the label comes first. |
| Shop availability | Check shortly before you leave that your chosen product is available, and decide on a back-up option. | I don’t want to find out only once I arrive that the bread I’d planned to buy isn’t available. After checking it’s gluten-free, availability matters most to around 14% of consumers. |
A list of ingredients that doesn’t include wheat doesn’t, by itself, tell you whether other cereals containing gluten or cross-contamination are an issue. The European ‘gluten-free’ label means the product contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg.
If you have coeliac disease, check the explicit gluten-free label and allergen information on the packaging every time you buy.
Even bread bought as gluten-free can come into contact with crumbs from regular bread when you prepare it.
Keep the bread well wrapped and separate. Use clean or separate utensils and a clean work surface, as recommended by the Dutch Coeliac Society.
Your planned purchase may not work out if the range at your destination is different. For example, Lidl says that its additional gluten-free products are not available.
Arrange bread for the first few days of your trip, check your chosen shop shortly before you leave and have a second place in mind where you could buy it.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt is not compulsory. Ingredients and nutrition information can also vary from one loaf to another.
Check the packaging for iodised salt or baker’s salt. If they matter to your choice, compare fibre and salt per 100 g too.
These examples can help you decide which type of product and label information you want to compare. Always check the specific product you’re buying again.
Albert Heijn lists AH Glutenvrij Wit brood half as pre-packed white bread.
Jumbo lists Lekker Vrij van Gluten Wit in a 500 g pack.
PLUS lists PLUS Wit glutenvrij as its own-brand bread.
Dirk lists Schär Mini baguette glutenvrij, 150 g, as an option for baking at your holiday accommodation.
ALDI lists gluten-free options among its part-baked products.
Lidl has an information page about its gluten-free range.
These Joybuy products suit holidaymakers who can bake for themselves: mini baguettes to bake in the oven and a bread mix for making a loaf. They are not ready-to-eat slices of white bread, so check the kitchen facilities you’ll need and the packaging in advance.
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Worth considering if you can bake the mini baguettes at your holiday accommodation. You’ll need a suitable oven and clean or separate bread utensils.
Before you leave, check the use-by date and storage instructions. When buying, read the latest packaging, especially if soya, lupin or mustard matters to you.
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This gluten-free bread mix is only suitable if you can prepare the dough and bake bread yourself at your destination. It isn’t ready-made bread.
Check the preparation instructions, use-by date and allergen information on the packaging. If iodised salt matters to your comparison, check the ingredients too.
No. ‘Wheat-free’ alone doesn’t confirm that bread is gluten-free. The European ‘gluten-free’ label means the product contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kg; you should also check the allergen information on the packaging.
Don’t take this warning as confirmation that the bread is suitable for someone with coeliac disease. According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, the warning indicates a real risk that the product contains more than 20 mg of gluten per kg.
Keep it well wrapped and separate from regular bread. When preparing it, use clean hands, a clean work surface and clean or separate bread utensils, so crumbs from regular bread don’t get onto the gluten-free bread.
No, you can’t assume that every loaf does. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, baker’s salt is not compulsory. Check the ingredients list of the product you’re buying to see whether iodised salt or baker’s salt is listed.
Use online product information to plan your purchase, but check the packaging you receive too. Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS note that product and allergen information can change.
