Choose half a loaf if your household won’t get through a whole loaf before it goes stale. A whole loaf can work too if you freeze it in portions straight away. When ordering online, check the type of bread, ingredients and allergens, and make sure that particular variety is available for your delivery slot.
If you live alone or with one other person, you can match the amount you buy to the slices you actually eat. Half a loaf means less bread is open at once. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says you can also freeze bread and take out what you need each time.
If you’re specifically looking for half a loaf of wholemeal bread, check the product name and the information about ingredients, fibre, allergens and salt. The colour of the bread is no substitute for checking the label.
If you want your bread delivered or collected with the rest of your shopping, the range isn’t the only thing that matters. Check whether the variety you’ve chosen can be ordered from your store, for your postcode and time slot.
First, work out how much bread you’ll use before your next order and whether you can freeze portions. Then check the exact variety and whether it can be ordered for your delivery slot.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who does this matter to? |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity and storage | Compare the quantity with how much you’ll use before your next order. Check whether you can freeze the bread in portions before it goes stale. | If I only eat a few slices, I don’t want an opened loaf to go stale before I finish it. Getting the right amount is the priority for around 42% of consumers. |
| Type of bread and label | Check that the product is described as ‘wholemeal’ and read the ingredients, nutritional information and allergen details for the variety you’ve chosen. | If I’m looking for half a loaf of wholemeal bread, I want to know which bread I’m ordering and what’s in it. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this label information. |
| Online availability | Select your store and delivery or collection slot, then confirm that the specific loaf can be added to your order. | If I’m having my bread delivered with my shopping, the variety I’ve chosen needs to be available to order at that time. For around 25% of consumers, availability is the most important consideration. |
A product page online doesn’t mean that variety can be delivered with every order. For example, Albert Heijn marked the AH Vloerbrood volkoren half included in the research as ‘In-store only’.
Select your store and delivery slot, then check that the bread is still in your order.
The colour doesn’t tell you whether bread is wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread labelled ‘wholemeal’ is made from 100% wholemeal flour.
Check the product name, then read the ingredients, nutritional information and allergen details for the variety you’ve chosen.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says baker’s salt is not compulsory. So you can’t tell which type of salt has been used just from the fact that a product is bread.
Check the current label to see whether baker’s salt or iodised salt is listed in the ingredients.
If you don’t eat much bread, a whole loaf means planning what to do with the slices you won’t eat straight away. Half a loaf can also go to waste if you buy more than you’ll use.
Choose an amount that fits your eating habits. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread and taking out what you need each time.
Albert Heijn lists several half-loaf varieties online and offers grocery delivery.
Jumbo lists half-loaf varieties online and offers grocery delivery or collection.
PLUS offers half loaves of wholemeal bread online and grocery delivery.
Dirk provides information online about half loaves, including Bakker van der Akker Boeren volkoren half.
Lidl is worth considering if you shop in person, but not for this delivery option.
Aldi provides product range information and a digital shopping list to help you plan a store visit.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt is not compulsory. Check the ingredients list for the specific loaf to see whether baker’s salt or iodised salt is listed.
Yes, you can freeze bread if you won’t eat it soon. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends taking out what you need each time. For PLUS Boeren volkoren half, PLUS says to freeze it on the day of purchase and use it within one month.
Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS offer online grocery delivery, with bread included in their ranges. Lidl Nederland says it doesn’t offer grocery delivery, and Dirk says it has no delivery service. If you’re ordering from a supermarket that delivers, check whether your specific half loaf can be ordered for your store, postcode and delivery slot.
Look for ‘wholemeal’ in the product name and check the description of the variety you’ve chosen. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread with this name is made from 100% wholemeal flour. Also read the ingredients and allergen information, and only compare nutritional values on a like-for-like basis, such as per 100 g.
