If you’re hosting a dinner party with fussy eaters, multigrain bread made with both white flour and wholemeal flour can be a good compromise. If you specifically want a wholemeal base, check the product description and ingredients of the bread you choose. Also decide whether you want bread that’s ready to serve or needs defrosting or baking, and check the allergen information before serving it to your guests.
Would you rather avoid choosing a distinctly wholemeal loaf, but still want bread made partly with wholemeal flour? Compare the ingredients and stated percentages. According to the Voedingscentrum, the term ‘multigrain’ on its own doesn’t mean that bread is wholemeal.
If you want to serve bread made with wholemeal flour at dinner, check the product description and ingredients. A brown colour or visible seeds are no substitute for this.
Ask in advance which ingredients your guests need to avoid. For packaged bread, read the current label; for unpackaged bread, ask for the allergen information before buying.
First, decide which type of bread your guests enjoy and whether a wholemeal base matters to you. Then check what the bread needs before it can be served and which allergens are listed.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| A mix of white flour and wholemeal flour | Check the ingredients and the stated proportions of white flour and wholemeal flour. | If the people at my table would rather not eat distinctly wholemeal bread, I look for a loaf with a flour base that suits their preferences. Around 40% of consumers would put this compromise first. |
| Wholemeal base | Look for ‘wholemeal’ in the product description and check the ingredients; compare fibre per 100 g too if you’re also checking the nutritional information. | I want to be able to see that the bread really has a wholemeal base, rather than relying on the word ‘multigrain’ in its name. For around 40% of consumers, this would be the main priority. |
| Allergens | Read the current label or ask for the allergen information for unpackaged bread, including any warnings about traces. | When I serve bread to guests, I want to know in advance whether the listed ingredients and warnings are suitable for them. For around 20% of consumers, this would be their first priority. |
According to the Voedingscentrum, ‘multigrain’ refers to the different types of grain used; it doesn’t automatically mean that wholemeal flour is used. For example, PLUS lists both 23% wholemeal wheat flour and 21% wheat flour in its brown multigrain triangle loaf.
If the proportions of white flour and wholemeal flour matter to your choice, read the product description and ingredients.
The term ‘multigrain’ doesn’t tell you which salt was used in a particular loaf.
Check the ingredients if it’s important to you that the bread contains iodised salt.
Multigrain bread may also contain other gluten-containing grains or, for example, sesame. Products may also carry a warning about the possible presence of other allergens.
For packaged bread, read the full, current allergen information. For unpackaged bread, ask before buying for the information that’s relevant to your guests.
Bake-at-home bread needs another preparation step and may also need defrosting. This can coincide with getting the rest of dinner ready.
Choose bread that’s ready to serve if you don’t want to bake just before eating; otherwise, follow the preparation instructions for the product you choose.
Albert Heijn offers products including AH Liefde & Passie Meergranen gesneden, a sliced brown multigrain loaf.
At PLUS, you can compare products including a brown multigrain triangle loaf and wholemeal multigrain baguettes.
Lidl lists a white multigrain sourdough loaf with seeds as an in-store product.
Dirk lists products including a multigrain artisan loaf and a rustic multigrain bake-at-home baguette.
These Joybuy options are multigrain breads in a range of shapes: small baguettes, rolls and a round loaf. Check whether the preparation needed for each product fits your dinner plans; don’t assume it has a wholemeal base based on its name alone.
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The small baguette shape could be a good fit if you want to serve bread with dinner and have time to prepare it.
Allow time for defrosting and baking, following the instructions on the pack. Before serving, check the current allergen information and, if wholemeal flour matters to you, the product description and ingredients.
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Four individual multigrain rolls are worth considering if you want to serve bread portions to each person.
Check the pack to see whether the rolls need cooking. Also read the current allergen information, paying particular attention to sesame, and check the ingredients if you’re looking for a wholemeal base.
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This 550 g round multigrain loaf is an option if you’d like to put one loaf on the table for everyone to slice themselves.
Allow time to defrost, bake and cool the loaf. Follow the baking time on the current pack and check the allergen information and ingredients before serving.
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, multigrain means that bread is made from at least three different types of grain; it doesn’t mean that only wholemeal flour has been used. Check the product description and ingredients if you want a wholemeal base.
Before buying, ask for the allergen information at the bread counter or speak to a member of staff. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that information about relevant allergens must also be available for unpackaged foods. Tell staff which ingredients matter to your guests.
Check the ingredients of the specific bread for a mention of iodised salt, such as baker’s salt or iodised salt. Don’t assume based on the word ‘multigrain’ or where you buy the bread.
Yes, as long as you can fit the preparation for the bread you choose into your plans. Some products also need time to defrost, so read the full instructions on the pack before buying rather than checking only the baking time.
