If you’re having coffee with just a few people, half a loaf of wholemeal bread is a sensible choice if you don’t have a particular preference for seeds or fewer carbohydrates. A smaller loaf only helps reduce waste if you buy what you’ll use and store or freeze the rest according to the packaging. If you have specific dietary requirements, compare the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for the variety you’re considering.
If you don’t get through a whole loaf over a few coffee breaks or light lunches, half a loaf may better suit how much bread you eat. According to the Voedingscentrum, bread is among the foods that Dutch households waste a lot of. That’s why it’s important to follow storage advice and freeze bread in good time.
You want sliced bread to serve with coffee and would prefer a wholemeal option. The Voedingscentrum recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as often as possible. If fibre content is important to your choice, check the nutritional information for the loaf you’re buying.
You may be looking for half a loaf with seeds, extra fibre or fewer carbohydrates. These varieties have different ingredients and allergens, so compare the packaging with that of a standard half loaf of wholemeal bread.
Work out how many slices you’ll need for your coffee break, then choose your bread. If you have a specific dietary requirement, always check the packaging for the exact variety.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Size and storage | Check that it’s half a loaf, how much you need and what the packaging says about storing or freezing it. | If I only use a few slices, I don’t want to be left with bread that goes stale. For around 46% of consumers, buying the right amount and wasting less matters most. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Check the type of bread and compare the fibre content per 100 g in the nutritional information. | For coffee breaks and light lunches, I’m looking for a familiar half loaf of wholemeal bread without any special ingredients. Around 36% of consumers give this wholemeal option top priority. |
| Specific ingredients | Compare the ingredients, allergens and relevant nutritional values per 100 g. If you’re interested in iodine or baker’s salt, check whether iodised salt is listed. | For me, a preference for seeds, extra fibre or fewer carbohydrates is the deciding factor, so I want to know what’s in the variety I choose. This specific requirement comes first for around 18% of consumers. |
Ingredients vary from product to product. Jumbo lists 7.6 g of fibre per 100 g for Fijn Volkoren Half and 8.2 g per 100 g for Waldkorn Volkoren Brood Half; these figures don’t apply to every half loaf.
Compare the ingredients list and nutritional information per 100 g for the varieties you’re considering.
A claim about carbohydrates doesn’t tell you whether the other ingredients suit your needs. The reduced-carbohydrate half loaf from Jumbo included in this review contains, among other things, soya and egg.
Choose this type of loaf only if carbohydrate content is relevant to you, and check the allergen information too.
Not all bread is made with iodised baker’s salt, so you can’t tell whether it’s included just from the type of bread.
Check the ingredients list for baker’s salt or iodised salt, or ask the baker if the label doesn’t make it clear.
Even a smaller quantity can go stale if you don’t use it in time. The Voedingscentrum lists bread among the foods commonly wasted by Dutch households.
Buy an amount that suits your plans, store the bread according to the packaging and freeze any slices you won’t use in good time, if the product instructions allow it.
These supermarket ranges offer examples for comparing types of bread and packaging. Information about one variety doesn’t necessarily apply to other loaves from the same retailer.
Albert Heijn lists several half loaves of wholemeal bread in its online range.
Jumbo lists half loaves of wholemeal bread in a standard version, as well as varieties with seeds or fewer carbohydrates.
Lidl lists a Halfje extra volkorenbrood.
ALDI lists an Extra vezelrijk volkorenbrood half with seeds and grains.
PLUS lists half loaves of wholemeal bread, including Boeren Volkoren Half and Korenlanders Extra Donker Volkoren Vloer Half.
Dirk lists half loaves of wholemeal bread from Bakker van der Akker, including a reduced-carbohydrate variety.
No. Half a loaf may be a better fit if you don’t eat much bread, but you should still only buy what you expect to use. Store it according to the packaging and freeze the rest in good time if the product is suitable for freezing.
Not for every coffee break. However, the Voedingscentrum recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as often as possible. When choosing, also consider taste, toppings, allergens and how much bread you’ll use.
Check the ingredients list for baker’s salt or iodised salt. If it isn’t mentioned and this matters to your choice, ask the baker. Don’t assume it’s included based on the type of bread.
Read the allergen information on the packaging for the exact variety. The Jumbo half loaves of wholemeal bread included in this review have different ingredients; depending on the product, these include wheat, barley, soya, egg or sesame.
Yes, if the product instructions allow it. For Korenlanders Extra Donker Volkoren Vloer Half, PLUS recommends freezing it on the day of purchase and using it within one month of freezing. Check the storage advice for any other loaf.
