If you want thick slices of multigrain bread with generous toppings for a school holiday lunch, check the slicing thickness before you choose. ‘Sliced’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘thickly sliced’. Also check the label if wholemeal flour, fibre, allergens or iodised salt matter to you: the name ‘multigrain’ doesn’t tell you enough about these.
If you’re making lunches with generous fillings for the school holidays, the actual slice thickness matters more than simply seeing the word ‘sliced’. Ask at the bakery counter or your baker for thick slices, or check whether you can buy a whole loaf and slice it yourself.
To find out what’s in the bread, compare the product name, ingredients and fibre per 100 g. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘multigrain’ tells you which types of grain have been used, but the name alone doesn’t confirm that the bread is wholemeal.
If the bread’s ingredients are a deciding factor for your lunch, read the packaging of the product you’re buying. Check the allergens and whether baker’s salt or iodised salt is listed as an ingredient.
Start with the shape and slice thickness you want for lunch. Then compare the ingredients and nutritional information of the breads that fit the bill.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Slice thickness | Look for ‘thickly sliced’ or ask whether the bread can be sliced thickly. ‘Sliced’ on its own doesn’t confirm the thickness. | For a lunch with generous fillings, I want slices in the thickness I have in mind; around 40% of consumers therefore put slice thickness first. |
| Wholemeal flour and fibre | Check whether it’s labelled wholemeal, which flours are listed in the ingredients, and the fibre per 100 g. | If I want to compare wholemeal breads, the name ‘multigrain’ doesn’t tell me enough about the flour or fibre; this information matters most to around 30% of consumers. |
| Allergens and baker’s salt | Read the current allergen and ingredient information on the packaging, including any mention of baker’s salt or iodised salt. | For a lunch where allergens or iodised salt matter, I want to know what’s in the bread I’m buying. This is the top buying priority for around 30% of consumers. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread is bread made with at least three different types of grain. The term alone doesn’t tell you whether the bread is wholemeal or how much fibre it contains.
If you’re looking for wholemeal bread, compare the product name and ingredients. Use the nutritional information per 100 g to compare the fibre content of individual loaves.
Pre-sliced multigrain bread won’t necessarily have the thick slices you’re looking for when making lunch with generous fillings. A whole loaf doesn’t tell you what slice thickness is available either.
Ask about the slice thickness or whether a whole loaf can be sliced thickly. If you want to slice it yourself, check that you’ll receive the loaf whole.
Ingredients and allergens vary by product and can change. A list for a different multigrain bread, or a product page you looked at previously, isn’t a substitute for checking the packaging of the loaf you’re taking home.
Check the current packaging every time you buy the bread if allergens are relevant to your choice.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt when baking isn’t compulsory. So you can’t assume that iodised salt has been used just from the type of bread.
Check the ingredients for baker’s salt or iodised salt, or ask the baker which type of salt was used in that particular loaf.
These Dutch supermarket chains offer a range of multigrain breads. A description such as ‘sliced’ or ‘hearty’ doesn’t confirm how thick the slices are.
Albert Heijn provides online product information for items including AH Liefde & Passie Multigrain Sliced.
Jumbo offers multigrain options including Hearty Multigrain and wholemeal multigrain bread.
PLUS offers products including Korenlanders Sourdough Multigrain Buckwheat, a par-baked bread.
Dirk offers whole and half multigrain loaves, as well as other types of bread.
Lidl describes a multigrain bread made with ingredients including wheat, barley and buckwheat.
ALDI offers products including Luxury Multigrain Floor Bread and Farmer’s Wholemeal Multigrain.
These options include round multigrain loaves and multigrain baguettes for anyone who wants to decide how their lunch bread is sliced. Before buying, check that the shape and preparation suit your lunch; none of these product names confirms that the bread comes in thick, pre-sliced pieces.
Image unavailable
A round multigrain loaf to consider if you want to slice your own bread for lunch. Check that you’ll receive the loaf whole and read the preparation instructions on the packaging; the product name doesn’t confirm the slice thickness.
Image unavailable
This round multigrain loaf suits a lunch where you want to choose the slice thickness yourself, provided you receive it whole. Check the preparation instructions on the packaging before planning your lunch; thick slices aren’t confirmed.
Image unavailable
These multigrain baguettes are a different shape from a round loaf for lunch. Check that they’re suitable for the slices you want to make, and confirm the pack size; the product name lists 4 x 135 g x 2.
Image unavailable
These multigrain baguettes are an option if you’d like to cut baguette slices for lunch instead of making sandwiches with a round loaf. Check the slice thickness you want and follow the preparation instructions on the packaging.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread contains at least three different types of grain, but the name alone doesn’t confirm that the bread is wholemeal. Check the product name and ingredients if wholemeal flour is essential to you.
Look for an explicit ‘thickly sliced’ description, or ask at the bakery counter or your baker about the slice thickness. A product name that only says ‘sliced’ doesn’t confirm that the slices are right for the lunch you want to make.
Read the allergen information for the bread you’re actually buying; the grains and other ingredients vary from product to product. For example, PLUS lists wheat, rye, barley and spelt for Korenlanders Sourdough Multigrain Buckwheat. That list doesn’t automatically apply to another multigrain bread.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt isn’t compulsory. Check the ingredients for baker’s salt or iodised salt on the specific loaf, or ask the baker.
Follow the storage advice for the specific bread. Albert Heijn says AH Liefde & Passie Multigrain Sliced can be frozen at home on the day of purchase and should be used within a month; don’t assume the same advice applies to another product.
