Who might find these options useful?

Anyone making generously topped barbecue snacks

For grilled vegetables, burgers or a generous spread, you’ll want slices of a suitable size. Check whether the bread is already sliced before counting on being able to choose the thickness yourself.

Anyone who wants to bake bread just before serving

A multigrain baguette is an option if you have the time and a suitable oven or air fryer. Follow the cooking instructions for your chosen product; PLUS provides instructions for cooking its wholemeal multigrain baguettes in both appliances.

Anyone who needs to check ingredients and allergens

Ingredients and allergens vary from one multigrain product to another. Always read the latest packaging for the bread you choose, even if its shape and slicing style already suit your plans.

What should you look for?

If you want to choose the thickness yourself, look for a genuinely unsliced loaf. With pre-sliced round bread, check the existing slices; choose a bake-at-home baguette if a different type of bread suits your serving plans.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Slice size Check whether the loaf is unsliced, or look at the existing slices of a pre-sliced loaf. I want to cut my own slices for generous toppings rather than be limited to the slices provided. This is the main consideration for around 36% of consumers.
Ingredients and allergens Read the latest ingredients and allergen information for the exact loaf, especially if you’re keeping an eye on salt or iodine. If I need to avoid certain ingredients, the label matters more than the type of bread. This is the top priority for around 29% of consumers.
Baking and serving Check the cooking instructions and whether you’ll have access to the required equipment in time. I want to bake bread just before eating, so I need to fit it into my barbecue plans. This matters most to around 21% of consumers.
Quantity and storage Consider whether half a loaf will be enough, or whether you can divide a whole loaf into portions and freeze it as soon as you buy it. With other sides on the table, I don’t want to cut into more bread than I need. Quantity is the first consideration for around 14% of consumers.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming a bread name tells you how thick the slices are

    ‘Round loaf’, ‘hearty’ and ‘multigrain’ don’t tell you how thick the slices are. For example, ALDI says that its luxury multigrain hearth loaf is pre-sliced.

    If you want to cut thick slices yourself, choose a loaf that is genuinely unsliced, or check the existing slices before you buy.

  • Guessing the allergens from the word ‘multigrain’

    Ingredients vary from product to product. Jumbo, for example, lists wheat, barley, sesame and soya among the allergens in its Stevig Meergranen bread.

    Read the latest packaging for the exact loaf, even if you’ve bought it before.

  • Choosing bake-at-home bread without planning when to cook it

    A bake-at-home baguette needs time and the right equipment before you can serve it. That’s different from bread you can slice and serve straight away.

    Check the packaging instructions and make room in your oven or air fryer before the barbecue.

  • Slicing more of a whole loaf than you need

    A whole loaf may go to waste if you’re having a small barbecue or serving plenty of sides.

    Choose half a loaf if that’s enough. For wholemeal bread, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing a whole loaf in portions as soon as you buy it, if you wish.

Brands to consider

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn offers several whole multigrain loaves, including AH Boeren donker meergranen heel.

  • A whole loaf is worth considering if you’re looking for larger slices.
  • Check whether each product is already sliced. Albert Heijn recommends checking the latest packaging, as product information may change.

Jumbo

Jumbo describes Stevig Meergranen as a wholemeal multigrain loaf with seeds and kernels.

  • For this product, Jumbo lists 8,6 g of fibre per 100 g and provides ingredients and allergen information.
  • ‘Hearty’ doesn’t tell you how thick the slices are. Jumbo lists wheat, barley, sesame and soya among the allergens in this loaf.

Lidl

Lidl offers multigrain bread and publishes an ingredients and allergen overview for its fresh-from-the-oven bread range.

  • The fresh-from-the-oven overview helps you look up ingredients and allergens for individual products.
  • Check the slicing style and slice size of the bread you actually choose.

ALDI

ALDI offers products including luxury multigrain hearth loaves and multigrain baguettes to bake at home.

  • ALDI clearly states that its luxury hearth loaf is pre-sliced.
  • You can’t choose the slice thickness yourself, so check whether the existing slices suit your toppings.

PLUS

PLUS offers a whole, sliced dark multigrain loaf and part-baked wholemeal multigrain baguettes.

  • PLUS provides oven and air fryer cooking instructions for its baguettes.
  • The round loaf is already sliced. Check the latest ingredients and allergen information for both products.

Dirk

Dirk offers whole and half multigrain loaves, multigrain hearth bread and multigrain products to bake at home.

  • You can compare different types of bread with the quantity and serving style you have in mind.
  • For the product you choose, check the slicing style, ingredients and allergens separately.

Multigrain bread at Joybuy

These products show two ways to serve multigrain bread with barbecue snacks: a round loaf you slice yourself and baguettes to bake at home. If you’re adding generous toppings, check for yourself whether the size and slices are suitable.

Lekhaven Bakkerij Multigrain Country Bread Round 550 g

Lekhaven Bakkerij Multigrain Country Bread Round 550 g

For anyone who wants to choose the slice size themselves: allow time to defrost, bake and cool this round loaf before slicing it.

Weight: 550 g. Before buying, check whether the size is right for the snacks you want to make, and follow the packaging for the baking time.

View at Joybuy
Lekhaven Bakkerij Multigrain Rustic Baguette 4 x 135 g

Lekhaven Bakkerij Multigrain Rustic Baguette 4 x 135 g

A bake-at-home option if you’d rather serve baguettes than wide slices of bread; allow time to defrost them and make sure you have enough time in the oven.

Pack size: 4 x 135 g. Check whether the size is suitable for generous toppings, and follow the packaging for the baking time.

View at Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Can I tell from the word ‘multigrain’ whether the slices are thick?

No, the name doesn’t indicate a set slice thickness. If you want to cut thick slices yourself, check that the loaf is genuinely unsliced; ALDI, for example, says that its luxury multigrain hearth loaf is pre-sliced.

What should I check if I need to avoid certain allergens?

Read the latest ingredients and allergen information for the exact loaf. Jumbo lists wheat, barley, sesame and soya among the allergens in its Stevig Meergranen bread; the word ‘multigrain’ alone doesn’t tell you which ingredients another loaf contains.

How can I check whether multigrain bread contains iodised salt?

Check the ingredients list on the packaging of the bread you choose. PLUS, for example, lists iodised salt in its wholemeal multigrain baguettes; you can’t tell from the type of bread alone.

What should I do with bread left over after the barbecue?

You can freeze bread in portions; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends doing this with wholemeal bread as soon as you buy it. It recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months. Also follow the storage instructions on the packaging of your bread.