If you want to serve multigrain bread at Christmas dinner ready to top or in a bread basket, choose a pre-sliced loaf and check that the slices suit your toppings. If wholemeal matters to you, check for an explicit ‘wholemeal’ label: ‘multigrain’ does not mean the bread is wholemeal. If you’re also buying for guests with a food allergy or coeliac disease, check the information for the exact product before serving it.
You want to top the bread or put it in a bread basket without having to slice it first. Don’t just check that it says ‘sliced’; make sure the slices suit your toppings and the way you plan to serve the bread.
You want to choose wholemeal bread, so don’t rely on the name ‘multigrain’ alone. Check for a wholemeal label and, if necessary, compare the ingredients and nutritional information for the product you’ve chosen.
You need to be able to check which allergens the bread contains. If a guest has coeliac disease, you’ll also need to take care to avoid contact with crumbs from other bread while preparing it.
Start with how you’ll serve it: pre-sliced bread saves you a job, while part-baked bread still needs to be baked. Then check the wholemeal label and any information that matters to your guests separately.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Slice and serving | Check whether the exact product is pre-sliced. If slice thickness matters, check the packaging to make sure the slices suit your toppings. | If I want to top the bread and serve it straight away, I don’t want to have to slice it during Christmas dinner. An estimated 40% of consumers prioritise this convenience. |
| Wholemeal and nutritional information | Look for an explicit wholemeal label and compare the ingredients and nutritional information for the product you’ve chosen. | I want to serve wholemeal bread, and I can’t tell from the name ‘multigrain’ whether it is. Around 30% of consumers say this is their priority. |
| Allergens and ingredients | Read the allergen information; ask about the ingredients if the bread is unwrapped. Check for a ‘gluten-free’ label if a guest needs gluten-free bread. | When I’m buying bread for a guest with a food allergy or coeliac disease, I need to know what I can safely serve and how to prepare it. An estimated 30% of consumers prioritise this. |
According to the Voedingscentrum, multigrain bread is made with at least three types of grain. The name doesn’t tell you whether the bread is made from the whole grain.
If wholemeal is essential for you, look for an explicit wholemeal label on the bread you choose, and check the ingredients and nutritional information.
A label such as ‘sliced’ doesn’t confirm how thick the slices are. ‘Medium brown’ in a product description doesn’t tell you the slice thickness either.
Check the exact packaging or ask in store about the slices if you want to top or toast the bread in a particular way.
Baker’s salt contains added iodine, but according to the Voedingscentrum, bakers aren’t required to use it. So the name of the bread won’t tell you which salt has been used.
For packaged bread, check the ingredients list. For unwrapped bread, ask which salt it contains.
The name ‘multigrain’ doesn’t mean the bread is gluten-free. For someone with coeliac disease, contact with crumbs from other bread during preparation is also something to consider.
Check that the product you choose is explicitly labelled gluten-free, and keep crumbs from other bread away from your utensils, toaster and toppings while preparing it.
Albert Heijn’s range includes multigrain bread in pre-sliced varieties.
Jumbo offers several multigrain breads, including one described as wholemeal multigrain bread.
Under the Korenlanders brand, PLUS offers part-baked multigrain sourdough bread.
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, ‘multigrain’ means the bread contains at least three types of grain; ‘wholemeal’ is a separate characteristic. Look for both labels if you want to buy wholemeal multigrain bread.
No, the label alone doesn’t tell you the exact thickness. Check the bread you’ve chosen or ask in store if slice thickness matters for your toppings or presentation.
For prepacked bread, read the allergen information on the label; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says this information must be included. For unwrapped bread, ask about the ingredients and allergens before you buy it.
Don’t assume it is: ‘multigrain’ doesn’t mean ‘gluten-free’. Check that the bread you choose is explicitly labelled gluten-free, and avoid contact with crumbs from other bread while preparing it.
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. Check the ingredients list on packaged bread or ask about unwrapped bread if you want to know which salt has been used.
