For weekday breakfasts, wholemeal multigrain bread is a sensible place to start if fibre is your main priority. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘multigrain’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘wholemeal’. Choose a sourdough or artisan-style loaf if it suits what you like to eat during the working week, and check the size, nutritional information and allergens for each loaf.
You eat bread on many working days and don’t want to rely on the word ‘multigrain’ alone. Check whether the bread is wholemeal, then compare the fibre per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre distinguishes between multigrain bread and wholemeal bread.
You’d also like to enjoy sourdough or an artisan-style loaf during the working week. Albert Heijn and PLUS stock multigrain options like these; check the ingredients separately if wholemeal bread is a must for you.
Half a loaf may be a better choice if you won’t get through a whole one. If you also need to check salt or allergens, look at the information for the specific product rather than relying on the type of bread alone.
Start by deciding whether you want wholemeal bread. Then choose a size and style that suits your mornings; when it comes to salt and allergens, the label on the loaf you choose is what matters.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal bread and fibre | Look for the word ‘wholemeal’ and compare the fibre per 100 g in the nutritional information. A dark colour or seeds don’t prove that bread is wholemeal. | If I eat bread on many working days, I want to know whether it’s wholemeal. Wholemeal bread and fibre are top priorities for around 33% of consumers. |
| Size and convenience | Choose a whole or half loaf based on how much you’ll use, and check whether it’s sliced if you’re short on time in the morning. | On busy mornings, I want bread that’s ready quickly and suits how much I eat; convenience matters most to around 27% of consumers. |
| Type of bread and flavour | Decide whether you’re looking for sourdough or an artisan-style loaf. Check whether it’s wholemeal and review the nutritional information separately. | I want to make my everyday breakfast feel a little more special, without making assumptions about what the bread contains. For around 20% of consumers, the type of bread they want is the deciding factor. |
| Salt and allergens | Compare the salt per 100 g and read the current ingredients and allergen information for the loaf you choose. | If I need to watch salt or allergens, I need to be able to check the label for the specific product. For around 20% of consumers, product details like these are the main priority. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread contains at least three types of grain; it doesn’t automatically mean that the whole grain has been used. So the name of the bread alone won’t tell you whether it’s wholemeal.
Look for the wholemeal description and read the ingredients list. Don’t use colour, seeds or an artisan-style name as a substitute for checking.
Sourdough, artisan-style loaves and premium ranges describe the style of bread, but don’t tell you how much fibre or salt a particular loaf contains.
First compare the labels of loaves that meet your main requirement. Then choose the style you’d enjoy eating for breakfast.
If you won’t get through a whole loaf, half a loaf may be more practical. Dirk and ALDI list half-size multigrain loaves as an option.
Choose a size that suits the number of breakfasts you’ll actually use the bread for.
The Dutch 2008 agreement on baker’s salt describes an incentive to use iodised salt when making bread. It doesn’t tell you what is in any particular loaf.
If the type of salt used matters to you, check the ingredients list for the loaf you choose.
Albert Heijn stocks regular multigrain loaves alongside artisan-style loaves and the Liefde & Passie Meergranen range.
Jumbo publishes product information for multigrain bread, including the nutritional values and allergens of individual loaves.
Lidl provides an overview of ingredients and allergens for its freshly baked bread range.
ALDI describes Boeren volkoren meergranen as a sliced, half-size loaf.
PLUS stocks multigrain bread, including a Korenlanders sourdough option and a packaged alternative.
Dirk lists Bakker van der Akker Bakkers meergranen in a half-loaf size.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘multigrain’ means that bread contains at least three types of grain; it doesn’t automatically mean that the whole grain has been used. Look for the wholemeal description and check the ingredients.
Sourdough or an artisan-style loaf is a good choice if that’s what you enjoy eating during the working week. Check separately whether the size is practical and whether the ingredients and nutritional information meet your requirements; a fancy name won’t answer those questions.
No, ‘multigrain’ doesn’t mean gluten-free. For example, a Jumbo multigrain loaf listed cereals containing gluten, while Schär Mehrkorn is listed separately by PLUS as gluten-free multigrain bread. Check the description and allergen information for the product you choose.
Don’t assume so without checking the label. The 2008 Dutch agreement describes an incentive to use iodised salt when making bread, but the ingredients list is where you can check which type of salt is used in the loaf you choose.
