For a student dinner with generously topped bread or toasted sandwiches, an unsliced multigrain loaf lets you cut thicker slices yourself. With pre-sliced bread, check the actual thickness of the slices. If you want wholemeal bread, look specifically for the wholemeal label: multigrain does not automatically mean wholemeal. Choose an amount you can eat, or freeze some in good time.
Whether you’re having hummus, egg or cheese, or making a toasted sandwich to go with soup, you’ll want a slice that suits your meal. An unsliced loaf lets you choose the thickness; with pre-sliced bread, check the slices in the shop.
If wholemeal matters to you, look beyond the word multigrain. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the name alone doesn’t mean the whole grain has been used to make the bread.
Half a loaf or freezing portions may suit your mealtimes better than a whole loaf that gets left uneaten. When choosing, consider how much freezer space you have.
First, check the bread’s description and ingredients. Then decide which slicing option and quantity suit the toppings and mealtimes you have in mind.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and nutritional value | Look for the wholemeal label and, if nutritional information is available, compare the fibre per 100 g in similar breads. | If I want to choose wholemeal, the word multigrain isn’t enough for me. Around 36% of consumers would make wholemeal their main selection criterion. |
| Slicing and sturdiness | Check whether the loaf is unsliced, or look at the actual thickness of the pre-sliced pieces. | For a generously topped sandwich or a toasted sandwich, I want a slice that I consider thick enough. Being able to slice it myself would be the main consideration for around 29% of consumers. |
| Quantity and storage | Choose a whole or half loaf to suit your mealtimes, or freeze some in portions. | If I live alone, I don’t want to be left with part of a loaf. This would be the deciding factor for around 21% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients list and allergen information on the packaging of the loaf you choose. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, the label determines which bread is suitable for me. For around 14% of consumers, checking this would come first. |
Bread made with several types of grain isn’t automatically wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread can also be made with refined flour.
Look for the wholemeal label on the specific product and read the ingredients list if that matters to your choice.
‘Sturdy’ is a product description, not a measurement of slice thickness. The name ‘hearth loaf’ doesn’t tell you whether the bread has been pre-sliced either.
Check the slicing and the slices themselves. Choose an unsliced loaf if you want to decide the thickness at home.
If you don’t use all the slices in time, some may dry out or go mouldy.
Choose an amount to suit your mealtimes, consider buying half a loaf, or freeze portions in good time.
Multigrain breads can contain different grains, seeds and other allergens; ingredients vary from product to product.
Check the current ingredients list and allergen information for the bread you actually choose.
Albert Heijn offers, among other options, sliced and unsliced versions of AH Liefde & Passie Multigrain, as well as a whole multigrain hearth loaf.
Jumbo offers multigrain breads in various sizes, including a product called Stevig Meergranen (Sturdy Multigrain).
Lidl describes its multigrain bread as sturdy and publishes ingredient information for bread baked fresh in store.
ALDI offers freshly baked multigrain bread, including a luxury multigrain hearth loaf.
PLUS offers, among other options, multigrain sourdough, hearth loaves and bake-at-home varieties.
Dirk offers multigrain bread as both whole and half loaves, as well as a whole multigrain hearth loaf.
These multigrain breads and baguettes are designed to be sliced after baking at home. Check whether their shape suits your toppings, and look for the wholemeal label and baking instructions on the product you choose.
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For anyone who wants to slice their own bread after baking it at home for a meal with toppings.
The pack contains two round loaves of 550 g. Allow time to defrost and bake; check the instructions on the packaging.
Check whether the bread is wholemeal, and look at the slices before relying on a particular thickness or sturdiness.
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For anyone looking for a round multigrain loaf to slice themselves after baking at home.
This is the 550 g version. Check the current packaging for baking instructions and see whether this variety is labelled wholemeal.
Being able to slice it yourself doesn’t confirm how well a slice will hold up under generous toppings.
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For anyone who would rather slice a multigrain baguette after baking it at home than use pre-sliced bread.
This variety contains two packs of four 135 g baguettes. Allow time to defrost and bake them.
A baguette is shaped differently from a loaf for everyday sandwiches, so check that the slices will suit your planned toppings.
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For anyone who wants to bake four multigrain baguettes and slice them afterwards.
The pack contains four baguettes of 135 g. Allow time to defrost and bake them.
Check the current ingredients if you’re looking for wholemeal bread, and consider whether the baguette shape suits your toppings.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread can also be made with refined flour. Look for the wholemeal label on the bread you choose and check the ingredients list.
Choose an unsliced loaf if you want to decide the slice thickness yourself. With pre-sliced bread, you can check the actual slices; words such as ‘sturdy’ and ‘hearth loaf’ don’t specify a thickness.
Don’t assume so. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread is a source of iodine when it’s made with iodised baker’s salt. Check the ingredients of the bread you choose, or ask the baker what salt they use.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s storage guide, you can keep wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months. Freeze portions in good time; bread dries out more quickly in the fridge. Throw away any mouldy bread.
Read the current allergen information for the specific loaf. Ingredients vary from product to product; the word multigrain doesn’t tell you which grains, seeds or other allergens it contains.
