Choose half a loaf if you expect to eat just a few slices of bread alongside rusks topped with sugared aniseed sprinkles during visits to meet the new baby. If you’ll continue eating bread regularly afterwards and have space in your freezer, you can freeze a whole loaf after buying it and take out only the slices you need each time, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
If rusks with sugared aniseed sprinkles temporarily replace some of your usual bread meals, half a loaf may better suit the number of slices you expect to eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says you can also freeze bread and take out what you need each time.
If you’ll still be eating bread alongside visits to meet the new baby, check the type of bread and the nutritional information on the packaging. The term ‘wholemeal’ tells you more about the grains used than the colour of the crust alone.
If you want to pick up bread along with rusks and sugared aniseed sprinkles, check which half loaves your shop stocks. Lidl, for example, lists its Halfje extra volkorenbrood as an in-store product.
A good choice when: you’ll only need a few slices of bread over the next few days alongside rusks with sugared aniseed sprinkles.
Consider: you may still have some bread left over, even with half a loaf, so work out how many slices you’ll use in advance.
A good choice when: you’ll want to eat bread later too and have room to freeze it after buying it.
Consider: you’ll need freezer space and will have to take out the slices you need each time.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is it important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size and storage | Count the slices you expect to eat, then check the loaf size and storage advice. | If rusks with sugared aniseed sprinkles are temporarily replacing my usual bread meal, I don’t want to buy more slices than I can use. Around 46% of consumers prioritise having portions that suit their needs. |
| Type of bread and label | Check whether it is labelled wholemeal, the nutritional information per 100 g and the ingredients. | For my everyday sandwiches, I want to know what type of bread I’m buying and what it contains. Around 36% of consumers prioritise this product information. |
| Shopping convenience | Check whether the half loaf you want is available at the shop where you’re also buying rusks and sugared aniseed sprinkles. | I don’t want to have to visit a second shop for these items. For around 18% of consumers, that convenience is the most important consideration. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘multigrain’ means that at least three types of grain have been used. The name alone doesn’t tell you how much wholemeal flour the bread contains.
Look for the term ‘wholemeal’ if that’s what you specifically want, then check the ingredients.
You may still have some slices left over, even with half a loaf, if you mainly serve rusks during visits to meet the new baby.
Estimate how many slices you’ll need in advance. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread and taking out what you’ll use each time.
According to Albert Heijn, AH Vloerbrood volkoren half contains wheat and sesame; PLUS lists, among other things, cereals containing gluten and soya for Boeren volkoren half.
Check the latest ingredients and allergen information on the packaging of the bread you’re buying.
AH Vloerbrood volkoren half is a half loaf of wholemeal wheat bread; Albert Heijn lists 11 portions of 35 g.
Jumbo’s bread range includes several half loaves, including Jumbo Fijn Volkoren - Half.
Lidl lists Halfje extra volkorenbrood, weighing 400 g, as an in-store product.
ALDI lists Boeren volkoren meergranen Half as sliced bread.
PLUS Boeren volkoren half is a half loaf of wholemeal wheat bread, and the product page includes freezing advice.
Bakker van der Akker Boeren volkoren half is listed by Dirk as fresh half wholemeal bread.
No. Half a loaf can still be too much if you eat few slices while people are visiting to meet the new baby. Choose an amount that suits your plans; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says you can freeze bread and take out what you need each time.
For your everyday sandwiches, check the type of bread and the label, separately from what you serve during visits to meet the new baby. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as much as possible; check the ingredients and nutritional information for the specific product.
Don’t assume that every loaf does: check the ingredients list for the product you’re buying. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in AH Vloerbrood volkoren half.
It varies by loaf. Albert Heijn lists wheat and sesame for AH Vloerbrood volkoren half; PLUS lists, among other things, cereals containing gluten and soya for PLUS Boeren volkoren half. Read the latest allergen information on the packaging of the bread you’re buying.
