For stocking up on bread, choose a whole, pre-sliced loaf that you can divide into portions and freeze as soon as you get home. If you want to eat wholemeal bread every day, check the label on the packaging. Don’t rely on the product name alone when it says ‘medium-sliced’—make sure the slices suit the way you plan to use them.
If you only need a few slices at a time, you can divide a whole sliced loaf into portions and freeze it as soon as you get home. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises taking only what you need from the freezer each day.
If wholemeal is your everyday choice, check the label on the exact loaf you’re buying. To compare fibre content, check the nutritional information for the varieties you’re considering.
If you’re considering several shops, you can compare whole and half loaves, sliced options, multipacks and availability at your local shop or in your delivery area.
First, decide how many slices you want to take out of the freezer at a time. Then compare the type of bread, the slices and the packaging of the exact variety.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Portioning and freezing | Choose a whole, pre-sliced loaf if you want to store individual portions. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises freezing bread in portions as soon as you get home. | If I only use a few slices a day, I don’t want to defrost a whole loaf each time. For around 42% of shoppers, storing bread in portions is the top priority. |
| Choosing wholemeal | Check that the packaging says ‘wholemeal’ and compare the ingredients and nutritional information for the exact varieties. | For my daily sandwich, the type of bread matters more than the packaging. Around 33% of shoppers put choosing wholemeal first. |
| Range and packaging | Compare the same type of bread in a whole or half loaf, and check that the variety you want is available at your local shop or in your delivery area. | I want to stock up on several loaves, but only if I can get and store the variety I want. Packaging and range come first for around 25% of shoppers. |
Labels such as fine wholemeal, whole sliced and casino don’t all describe the thickness of a slice. So it can be difficult to tell from the name alone whether a loaf will suit your preference.
Check the product information or packaging, and try one loaf before stocking up on more.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread can become drier the longer it stays in the freezer. So a large pack won’t necessarily suit how much bread you use each day.
As soon as you get home, divide the loaves into portions that you’d typically use at one time.
‘Multigrain’ refers to the types of grain used; it doesn’t, on its own, confirm that the bread is wholemeal.
If you’re looking for wholemeal bread, check that the packaging of the exact variety says ‘wholemeal’.
Albert Heijn lists whole sliced loaves and selected multipacks online.
Lidl lists an 800 g finely milled wholemeal loaf as an in-store product.
ALDI lists freshly baked whole loaves, including finely milled wholemeal.
PLUS lists a range of whole loaves online, including wholemeal varieties.
Dirk lists whole and half loaves, including wholemeal and multigrain varieties.
Freeze the bread in portions as soon as you get home, and take out what you need for the day, as advised by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Bear your usage in mind when stocking up: bread can become drier the longer it stays in the freezer.
No. ‘Multigrain’ refers to more than one type of grain. If you’re looking for wholemeal bread, check that the packaging of the loaf you’ve chosen says ‘wholemeal’.
Don’t assume this without checking the product you’ve chosen. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may be present in bread through baker’s salt. Check the ingredients list if the composition matters for your purchase.
