For sandwiches with toppings, first look for white bread whose packaging or retailer confirms that it is medium-sliced. Then choose a half or whole loaf to suit the number of holiday lunches you’re planning, and check the ingredients and storage instructions for the variety you select. If white bread is often on the menu, it’s also worth following the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s advice to vary it as much as possible with brown or wholemeal bread.
For a school-holiday lunch, you’ll want slices that work with your chosen fillings and fit easily into a lunchbox. Check the slice thickness separately: the name ‘white bread’ doesn’t tell you whether it’s medium-sliced.
If the number of people eating varies from day to day, loaf size and storage instructions can make a difference. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises dividing bread you want to freeze into portions as soon as you buy it.
If you want to compare ingredients, allergens or nutritional values, you’ll need the information for the exact loaf. Compare fibre and salt on the same basis, such as per 100 g, and check the allergen information again even if it’s a familiar brand.
Start with the slice thickness you want, then work out how much bread you’ll need for your planned lunches and finally check the label on the variety you’ve chosen.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Slice thickness and ease of handling | Look for an explicit medium-sliced label on the packaging, or ask in store. Also check that the loaf shape suits the fillings you’re planning. | When I make sandwiches, I want slices that are easy to fill and take with me. Ease of handling is a priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Storage and stocking up | Read the storage instructions for the bread. If you want to freeze some, divide it into lunch-sized portions as soon as you buy it, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises. | When we eat bread over several days, I want to be able to store the slices left over. Around 27% of consumers prioritise storage and stocking up. |
| Loaf size and portions | Check whether you’re buying a half or whole loaf and how many slices or portions the pack contains. | If we won’t eat all the slices on the same day, I want to choose a loaf size that suits how much we eat for lunch. This is the main concern for around 20% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and nutritional value | Read the allergen information and compare fibre and salt per 100 g across the loaves you’re considering. Check the ingredients list if iodised salt is relevant to your choice. | When I compare labels, I want to know which ingredients and allergens apply to the loaf I’ve chosen. This information matters most to around 20% of consumers. |
‘Casino’, toast and white bread don’t automatically tell you how thick the slices are. So you can’t assume the bread will suit the sandwiches you want to make.
Check the slice thickness on the packaging or ask in store before choosing a variety.
If your lunch plans vary, you may have slices left over. A half loaf might be a better fit, although you can also spread a whole loaf across several meals.
Count the lunches you’re planning and check the storage instructions for the bread. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises dividing bread for the freezer into portions as soon as you buy it.
A whole loaf takes extra space and time to store the leftover slices in lunch-sized portions.
If you make the same lunches often, the type of bread is a separate consideration from slice thickness and fillings. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises replacing white bread with brown or wholemeal bread as much as possible.
Decide which type of bread you want for everyday lunches and check the nutritional information for the specific varieties.
The label ‘white bread’ doesn’t tell you which type of salt is listed in that product’s ingredients.
Read the ingredients list if iodised salt is relevant to your choice; don’t rely on the type of bread alone.
Loaf shape and size vary between products from these brands. For each specific variety, check separately whether the slices are medium-sliced.
Worth considering if you want to assess a white casino-style loaf by its portions, nutritional information and storage instructions.
Worth considering if you want to compare white bread and half a loaf of white toast bread as separate products.
Worth considering if you want to check the packaging and label of a white loaf in store.
Worth considering if you need a half or whole fresh white loaf to suit the number of lunches you’re planning.
Worth considering if you want to choose a loaf shape and size from its range of white bread.
Worth considering if you want to compare white loaves in half and whole sizes.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises replacing white bread with brown or wholemeal bread as much as possible, even if you often make sandwiches for lunch. If you choose white bread for its flavour or texture, check the slice thickness and the label for that particular loaf separately.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging of the bread you’ve chosen. If you want to freeze slices for later lunches, divide the bread into portions as soon as you buy it, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises.
Read the allergen information for the exact loaf, even if you’ve bought a product from the same brand before. For example, Jumbo lists wheat for its white bread; that product information doesn’t automatically apply to other varieties. For unpackaged bread, ask the retailer for the allergen information.
