Choose a standard half wholemeal loaf if you need bread for a few days and don’t have a specific nutritional priority. Check that the packaging says ‘wholemeal’, and freeze any slices you won’t use soon in portions straight away. If you’re considering a specialist variety, compare its ingredients and nutritional information too.
If you buy bread to tide you over for a day or a few, a half loaf helps keep the amount you have on hand to a minimum. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises freezing bread in portions straight after buying it if you won’t be using it straight away.
For breakfast or lunch, the main thing is to know whether the bread is actually wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread labelled ‘wholemeal’ is made from 100% wholemeal flour.
A variety with a particular claim on the packaging is mainly relevant if that feature is a deciding factor for you. Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for the loaf you choose too.
Before your top-up shop, work out how much bread you’ll use before your next one. Then check that it’s wholemeal, and compare only the product features that matter to you.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity and storage | Check the weight or number of slices, and think about how much you’ll use before your next top-up shop. If needed, freeze the rest in portions straight away. | If I only need bread for a few days, I don’t want to be left with unused slices. For around 46% of shoppers, keeping a small supply of bread is the top priority. |
| Wholemeal as your everyday choice | Look for the word ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging. Then compare the nutritional information per 100 g, including fibre and salt. | For my everyday sandwiches, I’m mainly looking for a straightforward half wholemeal loaf, without needing a specialist variety. Around 36% of shoppers give this simple wholemeal option top priority. |
| A specific product feature | For a variety with a claim about salt, fibre or carbohydrates, check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional values per 100 g too. | If a particular feature is a deciding factor for me, I want to know what else is in the bread. This specific nutritional priority matters most to around 18% of shoppers. |
The colour and name of a loaf don’t tell you on their own whether it’s made from wholemeal flour. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the relevant thing to check is whether it’s labelled ‘wholemeal’.
Look for that label on the packaging before comparing the ingredients and nutritional values.
You can still have slices left over from a half loaf if you don’t eat bread regularly.
Follow the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s advice to freeze bread in portions straight after buying it, and take out only what you need.
A specialist half loaf may have different ingredients from a standard wholemeal variety. For example, Jumbo lists soya and egg among the ingredients in its lower-carbohydrate half loaf.
Check the full ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging before you choose.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use bakers’ salt. So you can’t assume every loaf contains the same ingredient.
For packaged bread, check the ingredients list for ‘bakers’ salt’ or ‘iodised salt’. For unpackaged bread, ask the staff.
One option if you’re looking for a half wholemeal loaf is AH Bakkersbrood swirl volkoren half.
Jumbo offers a standard half wholemeal loaf and a separate lower-carbohydrate half loaf.
Lidl lists a 400 g Halfje extra volkorenbrood with the claim ‘reduced in salt’.
ALDI lists both Boeren volkoren meergranen Half and Extra vezelrijk volkorenbrood half.
PLUS lists Boeren volkoren half and Korenlanders Extra donker volkoren vloer half as different styles of bread.
Dirk lists Bakker van der Akker Boeren volkoren half and Casino volkoren half.
No. Check the packaging for the word ‘wholemeal’. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour; its colour or the term ‘multigrain’ doesn’t confirm this.
Freeze the bread in portions straight after buying it, and take out only what you need. This follows the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s storage advice and helps you match the amount of bread to how much you use.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use bakers’ salt. For packaged bread, check the ingredients list for ‘bakers’ salt’ or ‘iodised salt’. For unpackaged bread, ask which salt has been used.
