Don’t choose multigrain bread based on its name alone. If wholemeal bread and fibre matter to you, check the product description, ingredients and nutritional information per 100 g. Then choose a half or whole loaf to suit how much you’ll use. The word ‘sliced’ doesn’t tell you whether the slices are medium-thick, so check the loaf itself or ask in store.
You want to know whether multigrain bread is also wholemeal. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre distinguishes between bread made with several types of grain and bread made using the whole grain. When comparing specific loaves, check the fibre per 100 g too.
You want to choose a loaf you can finish in time. Compare half and whole loaves, and check whether the packaging gives freezing instructions if you opt for a whole loaf.
Check the specific loaf for its ingredients, cereals containing gluten and any other relevant allergens. Read the current label, even if you’ve bought a product with the same name before.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for the word ‘wholemeal’ and compare the fibre per 100 g of specific loaves. | If I eat multigrain bread every day and pay attention to the grains it contains, I want to know whether it’s wholemeal too. This is a top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Loaf size and storage | Check whether the loaf is half or whole, and read the storage or freezing instructions if needed. | In a smaller household, I don’t want a whole loaf to go stale before I finish it. Around 29% of consumers prioritise loaf size and freshness. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current label, including the listed allergens and any warnings about cross-contamination. | If I have a food allergy, I need to be able to check the ingredients and allergens listed for each loaf. For around 21% of consumers, this is their main concern. |
| In-store availability | Check whether your preferred variety and loaf size are available at your chosen store. | If I shop at the same store regularly, I want to be able to pick up the variety I’ve chosen. Availability is the most important factor for around 14% of consumers. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread contains at least three types of grain. The name doesn’t mean the whole grain has been used.
If wholemeal is one of your criteria, look for the word ‘wholemeal’ and consider comparing the fibre per 100 g too.
For the loaves shown by retailers including Jumbo, ALDI and Dirk, ‘half’ refers to the loaf size, not the thickness of the slices.
Check the loaf size and slice thickness separately on the packaging or in store.
Ingredients vary from loaf to loaf. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority highlights the allergen information in the ingredients list; a familiar product name is no substitute for checking it.
Read the label on your chosen variety every time you buy it, and look out for any relevant cross-contamination warnings too.
A multigrain loaf shown online won’t necessarily be available at every branch. For example, Albert Heijn marks one of its half multigrain loaves as available in store only.
Check whether the specific variety is available at your chosen store before planning your shopping around it.
Albert Heijn offers, among other options, an organic half-sized, sliced multigrain sourdough loaf.
Jumbo’s multigrain range includes half and whole farmhouse dark wholemeal multigrain loaves.
Lidl offers a multigrain loaf and lists wheat, barley and buckwheat among its ingredients.
ALDI offers farmhouse wholemeal multigrain bread in half and whole sizes.
PLUS offers a whole, sliced Korenlanders dark multigrain loaf; the ingredients list states that it contains 50% wholemeal wheat flour.
Dirk’s search results include Bakkers Multigrain and Multikorn Wholemeal in half and whole sizes.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread contains at least three different types of grain; that doesn’t tell you whether the whole grain has been used. Check the product description if you’re looking for wholemeal bread.
Check the slices on the specific loaf’s packaging or ask in store. ‘Sliced’ confirms that the loaf has been pre-sliced, but doesn’t in itself indicate a particular medium slice thickness; ‘half’ refers to the size of the loaf.
It depends on the instructions for the loaf you’ve chosen. PLUS says you can freeze its whole, sliced Korenlanders dark multigrain loaf at home on the day you buy it. For other loaves, follow the instructions on their packaging.
Before buying, read the ingredients list and the allergens highlighted on the current packaging. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens are listed in the ingredients list; also check for cross-contamination warnings if they’re relevant to you.
You can’t tell from the name ‘multigrain bread’. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in its organic Oerdesem multigrain half loaf, sliced; for any other loaf, check its own ingredients list.
