Choose a half loaf if you live in a small household and are unlikely to get through a whole loaf quickly. Look for a half wholemeal loaf if wholemeal is your first choice; choose brown or white mainly according to the type of bread you’d like for breakfast. A smaller pack won’t automatically prevent waste: Together Against Food Waste recommends freezing any slices you won’t use straight away in portions.
If you’re buying bread for one or two people, a whole loaf may still be around after the weekend. A half loaf is better suited to a few breakfasts. Freeze any slices you won’t use soon in portions, as recommended by Together Against Food Waste.
You want wholemeal bread for your sandwiches, but don’t need a whole loaf. Check that the half loaf is labelled wholemeal and, if you like, compare the fibre information on the label.
You’re choosing bread for a planned breakfast based on its type, texture or crust, and want to buy a smaller amount. Check whether that particular variety is available as a half loaf.
For a weekend breakfast in a small household, first work out how much bread you expect to use. Then choose the type that best suits what matters most to you: quantity, wholemeal or taste.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| The right amount | Count how many breakfasts and lunches you expect to have; check whether you can freeze any unused slices in portions. | If I only need a few slices, I want to avoid leaving the rest uneaten. Getting the right amount is the top priority for around 42% of consumers. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for a wholemeal label and, if in doubt, compare the ingredients and fibre per 100 g for the variety you’ve chosen. | I mainly want wholemeal bread, but don’t want to buy more slices than I’ll use. Wholemeal is the top purchase priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Type of bread and crust | Check whether your preferred type of bread is available as a half loaf, and read the product description for details of its texture and crust. | For my planned breakfast, the taste or crust I want matters more than the type of bread I’d choose for other days. That choice takes priority for around 25% of consumers. |
A dark colour or the word ‘multigrain’ doesn’t automatically mean that bread is entirely wholemeal. This distinction matters if wholemeal is your main reason for buying it.
Look for an explicit wholemeal label and, if in doubt, compare the ingredients and fibre information for the exact half loaf.
Slices from a half loaf can still go stale before you eat them; buying less doesn’t solve the problem of how to store it.
Store bread somewhere cool, dry and dark, not in the fridge. Freeze any slices you won’t use within a few days straight away in portions.
You can’t tell which salt a specific loaf contains from its type or from Dutch rules on the sale of bread. According to NBC / Brood.net, using iodised baker’s salt is not a legal requirement.
Check the ingredients list of the loaf you’ve chosen if the type of salt used matters to you.
A half loaf shown online may not be available at your chosen shop at all times; PLUS, for example, also shows a variety that isn’t available locally.
Check availability for your shop or delivery location, and read the packaging of the variety you choose when you buy it.
Albert Heijn lists a half wholemeal tin loaf in its range.
Jumbo lists several types of half loaf in its online range, including fine wholemeal and multigrain.
Lidl lists a 400 g half loaf of extra wholemeal bread.
Aldi lists a half wholemeal loaf with seeds and grains.
PLUS lists half loaves in brown and white, among other varieties.
Dirk lists half loaves, including a farmhouse wholemeal half loaf.
No. A half loaf suits a smaller number of sandwiches, but a whole loaf can work just as well if you freeze any unused slices in portions straight away. Don’t store bread in the fridge: it goes stale more quickly there.
According to Together Against Food Waste, bread keeps well in the freezer for at least one month. Freeze it as soon as you buy it, in portions if you prefer; after that, its taste and quality may deteriorate.
No, not always. If you’re looking for wholemeal bread, choose a loaf with an explicit wholemeal label and check the ingredients of the half loaf if you’re unsure. A dark colour or a multigrain label isn’t enough on its own.
No. The agreement on baker’s salt published in the Government Gazette in 2008 encourages the use of iodised salt; according to NBC / Brood.net, iodised baker’s salt is not a legal requirement. Check the ingredients list if you want to know which salt was used in a particular loaf.
Read the allergen information on the packaging of the exact loaf you’re buying. Ingredients can vary between loaves, even when they’re sold under the same type of bread.
