For a school lunch when you have coeliac disease, choose toast or crackers labelled gluten-free on the packaging. Then check the allergens in the specific product you’ve chosen and avoid contact with ordinary bread crumbs while preparing and packing it. Individual portions can be handy when you’re out and about; for fragile toast pieces, how you pack them and what you serve with them also matters.
For them, choosing a product labelled gluten-free and avoiding cross-contamination are essential. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes a gluten-free diet as necessary for people with coeliac disease; the Dutch Coeliac Society points out that gluten can also accidentally get onto gluten-free food.
If you’re putting toast or crackers in a school bag, consider the portion size, packaging and space for any toppings packed separately. A pack divided into several portions can make it easier to portion out lunch.
Gluten-free doesn’t automatically mean free from soya or other allergens. So check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact product going to school.
Start by checking that it’s labelled gluten-free and can be prepared without bread crumbs. Then consider how well it travels and whether the ingredients and nutritional information are right for the pupil.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free status and cross-contamination | Look for the gluten-free label on the product you’ve chosen and use clean equipment when preparing it. | If I have coeliac disease, my lunch must remain gluten-free after spreading and packing, too. This safety consideration comes first for around 45% of consumers. |
| Portability and portioning | Check the portion packaging and protect fragile toast pieces from getting crushed in the bag; pack moist toppings separately if needed. | A dry lunch needs to be easy to take to school and ready to eat when you arrive. Around 33% of consumers give this practical convenience top priority. |
| Other allergens and nutritional information | Read the ingredients and allergen information; compare the salt content per 100 g and for the portion you’re packing. | If I need to avoid an allergen as well as gluten, or regularly eat the same toast, I want to know what’s in my portion. For around 22% of consumers, this is the first consideration once gluten-free status has been confirmed. |
The product name or the absence of visible wheat doesn’t tell you whether toast is suitable for someone with coeliac disease. Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, a product may be labelled gluten-free if it contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten for the final consumer.
Choose a product labelled gluten-free and check the label on that particular pack.
The Dutch Coeliac Society explains that gluten can accidentally get onto gluten-free food. A used knife, chopping board or lunchbox with crumbs on it can therefore contaminate lunch.
Prepare lunch with clean equipment and pack it separately from ordinary bread.
A gluten-free product may contain other allergens. For example, Albert Heijn lists soya and chickpea flour in Laurieri Scrocchi Sea Salt Gluten-Free. Nutritional values also vary between products: Jumbo lists 6.6 g of salt per 100 g for Gluten Free Bakery Holland Italian Seasoned Toasts.
Check the allergens in the product you’ve chosen and, if you eat it regularly, compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So don’t assume a gluten-free bread substitute has a particular iodine content.
Check the label or ask the manufacturer or baker which salt has been used if this affects your choice.
Always compare the specific product: items from the same brand can have different ingredients, allergens and nutritional values.
Jumbo lists its 100 g Italian Seasoned Toasts as a gluten-free toast option.
Jumbo offers gluten-free Schär Crackers, among other products, in a pack of 6 × 35 g.
Albert Heijn lists gluten-free Laurieri Scrocchi in flavours including sea salt, rosemary and garlic and parsley.
These products suit two different types of lunch: rice toast for anyone who wants to take toast pieces along, and a mini baguette for anyone who’d prefer a bread-like base. For both, check the gluten-free label on the packaging and take care to avoid cross-contamination when preparing them.
No image available
A toast option for a dry school lunch; pack toppings separately if you want the toast to stay crisp.
The product name states 65 g. Before buying, check the allergen information on the exact packaging, especially if soya or sesame needs to be avoided, and protect the toast pieces from getting crushed in the bag.
No image available
A bread-like base for a pupil who’d rather not take individual toast pieces or crackers.
The product name states 7 pieces. Before buying, check the exact product format and preparation instructions, the gluten-free label and the allergen information on the packaging; also look out for soya, lupin and mustard.
Under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014, published on EUR-Lex, a food may be labelled gluten-free if it contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten for the final consumer. If you have coeliac disease, don’t rely solely on a name such as rice toast or wheat-free; look for the gluten-free label on the packaging.
Yes. Gluten can get onto a gluten-free lunch while you’re preparing it. The Dutch Coeliac Society calls this cross-contamination. Use a clean knife, worktop and lunchbox, and keep ordinary bread and crumbs away.
Not necessarily. Albert Heijn lists soya in the ingredients of Laurieri Scrocchi Sea Salt Gluten-Free. If you have a soya allergy, read the allergen information on the exact pack you’re planning to buy; a gluten-free label doesn’t tell you whether it contains soya.
No, you can’t assume that. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. Check the packaging or ask the manufacturer or baker which salt was used in the bread substitute you’ve chosen if this matters for the pupil.
