Choose a thick slice for a generously filled after-school snack if your child finds it easy to eat and you can cut the sandwich into suitable portions. Regularly sliced bread may be more convenient for smaller portions. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread isn’t automatically wholemeal: check the wholemeal label if fibre is a priority. For bread to take to school or an after-school club, also check the latest allergen information and local rules.
For a generously filled sandwich, the slice needs to hold the filling and be comfortable to eat. Check the actual thickness and whether you can cut the sandwich into smaller pieces if needed; a description such as ‘hearty’ doesn’t confirm that the bread is thick-sliced.
The name ‘multigrain’ doesn’t tell you whether the bread is wholemeal. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that multigrain bread can also be made with refined flour. Look for an explicit wholemeal label, and compare the fibre per 100 g if you wish.
If you’re choosing bread because of coeliac disease, other allergens or rules at school or an after-school club, the name of the bread isn’t enough. Check the latest packaging, look at the other allergens as well when choosing gluten-free bread, and ask what rules apply at the childcare setting.
A thick slice can work well with generous fillings, but check its actual thickness and whether your child can eat the sandwich easily. Separately, look at the wholemeal label, allergens and how much bread you’ll use.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Slice thickness and texture | Look at a cut loaf or ask about the slice thickness. Check that the slice can be portioned to suit the filling you have in mind. | I want to make a generously filled sandwich that my child can eat comfortably. For around 36% of consumers, a firm slice is the top priority. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for an explicit wholemeal label and, if needed, compare the fibre per 100 g in the nutritional information. | If fibre is my main reason for choosing this bread, I want to know more than how many types of grain it contains. Around 29% of consumers prioritise choosing wholemeal bread. |
| Allergens and school rules | Check the latest ingredients and allergen information on the packaging. Ask about the school or after-school club’s rules for food brought from home. | For bread to take to school or an after-school club, I need to consider any allergens and the rules there. This check is the top priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Portions and freshness | Choose a whole or half loaf to suit how much you’ll use and follow the storage instructions; freeze portions if needed. | I don’t want to buy more bread than we can use before it goes stale. Around 14% of consumers put portion size and freshness first. |
Bread made with different grains or seeds isn’t necessarily wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread can also be made with refined flour.
Look for an explicit wholemeal label if that’s one of your buying criteria. If you’re comparing two loaves, compare the fibre per 100 g if needed.
A firm bread texture doesn’t tell you how thick the slices are. That matters when you want to make a generously filled sandwich or cut the bread into smaller snack portions.
Look at a slice in store or ask the bakery counter what slice thickness is available.
Gluten-free doesn’t mean free from all allergens. Schär Glutenvrije Meesterbakker Mehrkorn, listed by PLUS, contains soya and may also contain lupin, mustard and sesame.
Check the latest allergen information every time you buy it, and make sure the product is suitable for anyone who needs to avoid those ingredients.
A whole loaf may go stale before you’ve used all the slices for snacks.
Choose a whole or half loaf based on how much you expect to use, and freeze any slices you’ll need later in good time.
Albert Heijn’s bread range includes products such as AH Liefde & Passie Meergranen.
Jumbo lists products including Boeren Donker Volkoren Meergranen Half and Stevig Meergranen.
Lidl describes its multigrain bread as a hearty loaf containing grains such as wheat, barley and buckwheat.
ALDI lists Boeren volkoren meergranen as a whole loaf.
PLUS lists products including Korenlanders Desem Meergranen Boekweit and Brood van Soma Haverkorn multigrain bread. PLUS also lists a gluten-free multigrain option from Schär.
Dirk describes a whole multigrain hearth loaf from Bakker van der Akker as a hearty bread with grains and seeds.
No, multigrain bread isn’t automatically wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, it can also be made with refined flour. Look for an explicit wholemeal label if that distinction matters to your choice.
No, the name ‘multigrain’ tells you nothing about whether the bread is gluten-free. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists wheat, rye and barley as grains that naturally contain gluten. Check for an explicit gluten-free label and also read the other allergen information on the packaging.
Check the latest ingredients and allergen information on the packaging, and ask about the school or after-school club’s rules for food brought from home. Don’t rely solely on the name of the bread or on the rules at another setting.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s storage guide recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months. Ideally, freeze slices you’ll use later in portions while they’re still fresh, and follow the instructions on the packaging too.
No, according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread doesn’t have to be baked with baker’s salt. If it matters to your choice, check the label on packaged bread to see whether baker’s salt has been used.
