Choose a half multigrain loaf for your work lunch based on how many slices you’ll use. If you don’t eat bread regularly, freeze any portions you won’t use soon. If wholemeal flour and fibre are important to you, compare the ingredients and nutritional information per 100 g for the exact variant you’re considering. Also check the label for allergens, salt and whether it contains bakers’ salt or iodised salt.
A half loaf may suit you if you don’t eat much bread, but a smaller loaf won’t automatically prevent waste. The Voedingscentrum advises keeping opened bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days. Ideally, freeze any slices you’ll need later in individual portions as soon as you open the loaf.
The term multigrain doesn’t tell you how much wholemeal flour or fibre a loaf contains. Check the ingredients and fibre per 100 g for the half loaves you’re considering.
If you need to avoid certain allergens, check the label for the exact variant. The same applies if you want to know whether the bread contains bakers’ salt or iodised salt: according to the Voedingscentrum, not all bread is baked with bakers’ salt.
First, work out how many slices you’ll need for your lunches. Then compare the grain base, nutritional information and ingredients of the half loaves that suit your needs.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Size and storage | Count the slices or portions you’ll need and read the storage and freezing advice on the packaging. | If I’m only planning a few lunches, I don’t want slices left over until they’re no longer usable. Reducing waste is a top priority for around 45% of consumers. |
| Wholemeal flour and fibre | Check which types of flour are listed and compare the fibre per 100 g for the exact variants. | For my lunch, I want to know whether the bread contains wholemeal flour and how much fibre it has. Around 33% of consumers give this nutritional information the highest priority. |
| Ingredients and salt | Check the allergens and any cross-contamination warnings, salt per 100 g, and the ingredients list for bakers’ salt or iodised salt. | If I need to avoid an ingredient or want to pay attention to the type of salt used, the variant I choose needs to meet my requirements. Checking ingredients is the main consideration for around 22% of consumers. |
According to the Voedingscentrum, multigrain bread is made with at least three types of grain. The name alone doesn’t tell you whether the flours used are wholemeal or how much fibre the bread contains.
Check the ingredients list and compare the fibre per 100 g of the exact half-loaf variants.
You can still have bread left over if you eat fewer lunches than planned or store the slices for too long.
Choose a quantity that suits your lunch plans and freeze any slices you won’t use straight away in individual portions.
According to the Voedingscentrum, using bakers’ salt when baking bread isn’t compulsory. So the type of bread or supermarket name won’t confirm which salt is used in a particular variant.
If it matters to your choice, check the current label for bakers’ salt or iodised salt.
AH Zaans meergranen half is one example where you can compare portion size and nutritional information for the specific variant.
Jumbo Boeren Donker Volkoren Meergranen Half is a half loaf with information listed about its grain base.
PLUS Korenlanders Donker Meergranen Rond 1/2 is a 400 g half loaf with a wholemeal base listed in the product information.
ALDI lists Boeren volkoren meergranen as a half-loaf option.
Dirk lists Bakker van der Akker Bakkers meergranen half as a half-loaf option.
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, multigrain bread contains at least three types of grain, but the name doesn’t mean that the bread is wholemeal. Check the product description and ingredients of the half loaf you want to buy.
Freeze any slices you won’t use within a few days in individual portions as soon as you can. The Voedingscentrum advises keeping opened bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days. Also follow the date and storage instructions on your loaf’s packaging.
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, using bakers’ salt when baking bread isn’t compulsory. Check the ingredients list for the variant you choose to see whether bakers’ salt or iodised salt has been used.
Only choose a loaf after checking the ingredients and any cross-contamination warnings for the exact variant. The half loaves reviewed list cereals containing gluten. Some variants also list soya or sesame, or state that traces may be present, in the product information.
