For lunches at home, choose half a loaf if you’re unlikely to finish a whole loaf before it goes stale. A whole loaf can also work if you freeze it in portions and take out only what you need. If you’re looking for wholemeal bread, check the product description and the label rather than relying on its colour alone.
If you only have lunch at home on a few days of the week, half a loaf can help you buy an amount that suits how much you eat. Freezing a whole loaf in portions is another option; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum) advises taking out only what you need each time.
If bread is often the basis of your lunch, check the ‘wholemeal’ description and the ingredients. A dark colour alone doesn’t tell you whether bread is wholemeal.
If you want to pick up bread during your regular food shop or order it online, check whether the specific half loaf is available. Not every retailer offers the same ordering or collection options.
Work out how many slices you’ll need before your next food shop and whether you want to freeze your bread. Then compare the type of bread and what the label says about the specific product.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity and storage | Count your lunches and see whether you can freeze any leftover bread. | If I don’t have lunch at home every day, I don’t want bread left over to go stale. Around 36% of consumers prioritise choosing the right amount. |
| Wholemeal and nutritional information | Check for the ‘wholemeal’ description and, if you wish, compare the fibre per 100 g on the packaging. | If you regularly eat bread for lunch and are looking for wholemeal, you won’t want to rely on a dark colour. For around 29% of consumers, the type of bread is their main concern. |
| Lunch-time convenience | Check whether the bread is sliced and ready to eat or needs to be baked first. | If I want to keep lunch prep to a minimum, the way I buy my bread makes a difference. Around 21% of consumers prioritise this convenience. |
| Availability | Check whether your chosen bread can be ordered online from your retailer or is only available in store. | If you want to pick up bread during your regular shopping trip, you need a convenient way to buy it. Availability is the most important factor for around 14% of consumers. |
The colour and a multigrain name don’t prove that a loaf is wholemeal. You could end up buying a different type of bread from the one you had in mind for lunch.
Look for an explicit ‘wholemeal’ description and read the ingredients for the specific loaf.
In a smaller household, bread may be left over if the number of slices doesn’t match how often you have lunch at home. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum) advises freezing bread and taking out only what you need each time.
Choose half a loaf if it better suits how much you eat, or divide a whole loaf into portions to freeze.
The name of a loaf doesn’t tell you which ingredients or allergens the specific product contains. You’ll also need to check each loaf for iodised salt.
Read the current label; if the bread is unwrapped, ask which ingredients and allergens it contains.
How you can buy a product varies by retailer. For example, Lidl says its Halfje extra volkorenbrood is only available in store.
Check availability with your retailer before planning an order or a visit to the shop.
Albert Heijn lists products including AH Extra lang lekker Zaans volkoren half, a half loaf of wholemeal wheat bread.
Jumbo lists half loaves, including Fijn Volkoren - Half and Waldkorn - Volkoren Brood - Half.
Lidl lists a 400 g Halfje extra volkorenbrood.
ALDI lists products including Boeren volkoren meergranen Half, a sliced loaf.
PLUS lists half loaves of wholemeal bread, including PLUS Boeren volkoren half and Korenlanders Extra donker volkoren vloer half.
Dirk lists Bakker van der Akker Boeren volkoren half.
No, a whole loaf can work too if you freeze it in portions. If you eat only a few slices and don’t want to freeze any, half a loaf will generally be a better match for the amount you need.
Follow the storage advice on the packaging and freeze portions if you won’t finish the bread in time. The Albert Heijn and PLUS products we looked at advise freezing on the day of purchase; don’t automatically apply a use-by period for one product to a different loaf.
You can’t tell from the name of the bread. Check the ingredients for a mention such as ‘iodised salt’, or ask which salt has been used if the bread is unwrapped. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt for the Zaans volkoren half we looked at.
No, ordering options vary by product and retailer. Lidl says its Halfje extra volkorenbrood is only sold in store; check the buying options for the loaf you want.
