Choose a half loaf that suits how much bread your household eats. If you won’t get through it quickly, freeze the rest in portions after buying it. If you want a wholemeal base, the word ‘multigrain’ on its own isn’t enough: compare the ingredients and fibre per 100 g. Also check the allergens and, if it matters to your choice, whether the label mentions baker’s salt or iodised salt.
If you have breakfast on your own or with someone else, you can choose a half loaf that matches how much you actually eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises freezing bread in portions after buying it if you won’t get through it quickly.
If you want to pair sweet toppings with wholemeal bread, look beyond the word ‘multigrain’. The wholemeal description, ingredients and fibre per 100 g can help you compare different loaves.
Flavour and texture matter with sweet toppings, but grains, allergens and whether baker’s salt is listed can also influence your choice. Check the label on the loaf you buy.
Start with the loaf size and how you can store it. Then compare the grain base and the label information that matters for your breakfast.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Loaf size and storage | Check the pack size or weight, and think about what portion you’d like to freeze after buying it. | If I’m having breakfast in a small household, I don’t want to buy bread that gets left uneaten; for around 45% of consumers, loaf size and storage would be their main concern. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for a wholemeal description, read the ingredients and compare fibre on the same basis: per 100 g. | When I’m having sweet toppings, I want to know whether the bread is genuinely wholemeal, rather than judging by its colour; around 33% of consumers would put wholemeal and fibre first. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information; if you wish, also check for baker’s salt or iodised salt. | I want bread with ingredients and a texture that suit my breakfast, and I want to be able to check its allergens; for around 22% of consumers, how well the label matches their needs would matter most. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain means that different types of grain are used. It doesn’t necessarily mean the bread is made entirely from wholemeal flour; Albert Heijn lists both wholemeal wheat flour and wheat flour as ingredients in AH Vloerbrood meergranen half.
Check the wholemeal description and ingredients, and compare the fibre per 100 g if you’re choosing between products.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt when baking isn’t compulsory. So the name of the bread alone won’t tell you whether the loaf you buy contains baker’s salt.
Check the label for ‘baker’s salt’ or ‘iodised salt’ if that information matters to your purchase.
A smaller pack won’t stop the remaining slices going stale if they’re left uneaten.
If you won’t eat the bread quickly, freeze it in portions after buying it, as advised by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
Ingredients and allergen information can change, and the range may vary from shop to shop.
Check the current packaging when you buy, and see whether your chosen loaf is available at your shop.
AH Vloerbrood meergranen half is a half brown multigrain loaf with sunflower seeds.
Jumbo Boeren Donker Volkoren Meergranen Half is a half wholemeal multigrain loaf.
Lidl describes Halfje donker meergranenbrood as a 400 g half loaf made with ingredients including wheat, barley and buckwheat.
ALDI lists Boeren volkoren meergranen Half as a half loaf available to buy in store.
PLUS stocks a rustic half brown multigrain floor-baked loaf.
Dirk lists Bakker van der Akker Bakkers meergranen half as a half multigrain loaf.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread contains different types of grain, but it can also contain flour. If you want wholemeal bread, look for an explicit wholemeal description and read the ingredients.
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that using baker’s salt when baking isn’t compulsory. Check whether the label on the loaf you choose mentions baker’s salt or iodised salt.
If you won’t eat the slices quickly, freeze them in portions after buying the loaf and take out only what you need. Also follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
The examples from Albert Heijn and Jumbo contain gluten-containing grains, so they aren’t gluten-free. Check other loaves individually using their current allergen information and any explicit gluten-free labelling.
