Choose a half wholemeal loaf if you’re having lunch on your own or with one other person and don’t get through a whole loaf quickly. If fibre and salt matter to you, compare the amounts per 100 g. Always check the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging if you have an allergy. Even half a loaf can leave you with slices to spare, so freeze any you won’t use within a few days on the day you buy it.
If you don’t have lunch at home every day and you’re eating with one other person or on your own, a half loaf may be a better fit for what you actually get through. If you still have slices left after a few days, you can freeze them in portions.
If wholemeal is your priority, check the product description and ingredients for the half loaf. The nutritional information lists the fibre per 100 g, so you can compare different varieties on a like-for-like basis.
If you need to avoid certain ingredients or want to know the salt content, check the exact variety. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority highlights the importance of allergen information on labels. A general bread name won’t tell you which allergens are listed on the packaging.
First, work out how many slices you’ll use for lunch while working from home and when you’ll eat the rest. Then compare the ingredients and check whether the half-size variety you’ve chosen is available in the way you usually shop.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Freshness and food waste | Compare the loaf size with how much bread you eat for lunch and read the storage instructions. Decide which slices you can freeze on the day you buy it. | If I don’t have lunch at home every day, I want to avoid leaving unused slices for too long. For around 36% of consumers, keeping the bread fresh is the most important factor when choosing a half loaf. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for the term ‘wholemeal’ in the product description and compare the fibre per 100 g for the exact varieties. | For my regular working-from-home lunch, I want to know whether the bread is wholemeal rather than judging by its colour. Around 29% of consumers prioritise this type of bread and its fibre information. |
| Ingredients, salt and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information. Compare the salt per 100 g if it’s relevant to your choice. | If I need to avoid an ingredient, I can’t rely solely on a claim such as ‘reduced salt’. For around 21% of consumers, checking the ingredients is their top priority. |
| Availability | Check whether your chosen half-size variety is available at your shop and whether you can have it delivered or need to collect it. | If I’m planning my shopping around a day working from home, I want to know whether I can get this particular loaf. Practical availability is the deciding factor for around 14% of consumers. |
Multigrain tells you which types of grain have been used, but it doesn’t by itself confirm that a loaf is wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread contains at least three types of grain.
Look for ‘wholemeal’ in the product description on the packaging and read the ingredients for the exact variety.
You can still have slices left over from a half loaf. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months. Freezing it for longer may affect its quality.
Divide the loaf into lunch portions on the day you buy it and freeze any slices you won’t use within a few days.
A claim about salt or fibre doesn’t tell you which allergens the bread contains. For example, Jumbo lists wheat and barley in Fijn Volkoren - Half, and says it may also contain milk, nuts, sesame and soya.
Before buying, check the current ingredients and allergen information for the specific loaf.
Lidl states that its Halfje extra volkorenbrood is only available in store. Dirk says it doesn’t offer a delivery service.
Check whether the variety you want is available at a shop you can get to, and what ordering options that shop offers.
Albert Heijn describes AH Extra lang lekker Zaans volkoren half as a half wholemeal wheat loaf, with around 11 servings of 35 g.
Jumbo offers Fijn Volkoren - Half, among other varieties, with around 11 servings according to the product information.
PLUS lists Boeren volkoren half in a 400 g pack.
Lidl describes Halfje extra volkorenbrood as a 400 g pack with reduced salt.
Dirk lists Bakker van der Akker Boeren volkoren half in its bread range.
Not always: even a half loaf can leave you with bread to spare if you don’t have lunch at home very often. Choose a size that suits how much you eat, and freeze any slices you won’t use within a few days on the day you buy it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months.
Check that ‘wholemeal’ appears in the product description for the exact loaf, and read the ingredients. To compare varieties, use the fibre values per 100 g in the nutritional information. The colour or the term ‘multigrain’ alone doesn’t confirm that a loaf is wholemeal.
For packaged bread, read the current label. For unpackaged bread, ask the seller for allergen information before you buy. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, designated allergens must be listed on the label of pre-packed foods. The ingredients and possible traces listed vary from loaf to loaf.
Check the ingredients list on the specific packaging. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt for AH Extra lang lekker Zaans volkoren half, but that doesn’t tell you anything about the ingredients in other half loaves.
