Choose half a multigrain loaf if you live in a small household and want to buy an amount you’re likely to finish. Also check the ingredients and nutritional information: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘multigrain’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘wholemeal’. If you only eat bread occasionally, you could also freeze a whole loaf in portions straight away, as long as you have room in your freezer.
If you live alone or with someone else and don’t eat bread every day, a half loaf means you have less to get through at once. If even that is too much, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread in portions.
If you eat bread regularly and pay attention to what’s in it, check for the ‘wholemeal’ label separately. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains that ‘multigrain’ refers to different types of grain; it doesn’t automatically mean that the whole grain has been used.
If taste, kernels or seeds are what guide your choice, compare the ingredients in the specific half loaves you’re considering. Check the allergen information too, if it’s relevant to you; ingredients vary from one product to another.
Start by thinking about how much bread you get through at home. Then compare the ingredients in the half loaves you’re considering.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size and waste | Check that it’s a half loaf and whether you can freeze any leftover slices in portions. | If I don’t eat many slices of bread, I don’t want to have more open than I can finish. Around 36% of consumers put portion size first. |
| Wholemeal content and nutritional information | Look for the ‘wholemeal’ label and compare the ingredients and fibre per 100 g. | When I eat bread regularly, I want to know which types of grain and flour it contains. For around 29% of consumers, the ingredients are their main consideration. |
| Taste and texture | Check which grains, kernels or seeds are listed, and whether the loaf is sliced. | When I’m choosing bread mainly for a particular taste and bite, texture matters most. That’s the main reason for around 21% of consumers. |
| Allergens and dietary suitability | Read the latest allergen information; check for an explicit ‘gluten-free’ label if needed. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, the bread must meet my dietary needs first. Around 14% of consumers put this requirement first. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread contains at least three types of grain. That doesn’t tell you whether it’s made with wholemeal flour or also contains refined flour.
Check for the ‘wholemeal’ label separately on the packaging, then look at the ingredients and fibre per 100 g.
Even half a loaf can be too much if you only eat a slice of bread now and then.
Estimate how many slices you’ll eat over the next few days. If necessary, freeze the rest in small portions as soon as you buy it, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends.
Bread containing several grains or seeds may include ingredients you need to avoid. The name ‘multigrain’ doesn’t tell you which allergens are in a particular loaf.
Read the latest ingredients and allergen information on the packaging you’ve chosen. If you need gluten-free bread, check for an explicit gluten-free label and read the other ingredients too.
A half loaf shown online may no longer be available: product pages from Albert Heijn and Jumbo say that certain varieties have been discontinued.
Check which half loaf your shop currently stocks just before you buy, and read the information on the latest packaging.
Albert Heijn has listings for half multigrain loaves, including AH boeren meergranen maanzaad half.
Jumbo Boeren Donker Volkoren Meergranen Half is an option if you want to check the ingredients in a half wholemeal multigrain loaf.
Lidl describes a 400 g half loaf of dark multigrain bread containing, among other ingredients, wheat, barley and buckwheat.
Dirk lists Bakker van der Akker Bakkers meergranen half as a fresh half loaf of multigrain bread.
PLUS lists Korenlanders Rond licht meerzaden half, a 400 g loaf, with ingredients, allergens and nutritional values.
ALDI lists a half farmhouse wholemeal multigrain loaf.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘multigrain’ means that bread contains at least three types of grain; it may also contain refined flour. Check the wholemeal label and the ingredients in the bread you want to buy.
Ideally, freeze any slices you won’t use soon in portions as soon as you buy the loaf. For wholemeal bread, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends storing it in a kitchen cupboard for 2 to 4 days or in the freezer for 1 to 3 months. Also follow the storage advice on the specific packaging.
Check the allergen information for the specific loaf, as ‘multigrain’ doesn’t tell you which grains or other ingredients it contains. If you need gluten-free bread, don’t rely on the name: look for an explicit gluten-free label and check the other ingredients too.
You can’t tell from the type of bread alone. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority describes baker’s salt as a way of adding iodine compounds to bread, but that doesn’t confirm the ingredients in any particular loaf. Check the ingredients list and, if in doubt, ask the baker which salt they’ve used.
