If you’re planning a snack night and want to choose bread with fibre in mind, don’t rely on its dark colour or the word ‘multigrain’ alone. First look for the word ‘wholemeal’, then compare the nutrition information per 100 g. Sliced bread is ready to top straight away; part-baked baguettes are a good choice if you want to serve warm bread and have time to prepare them. For both types, check the latest ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.
You want to serve bread with your snacks and make sure it’s wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘multigrain’ on its own doesn’t tell you whether bread is wholemeal; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority links the term ‘wholemeal’ to the grain ingredient in the product.
You’d rather serve part-baked bread with your snack platter and can set aside time to prepare it beforehand. PLUS provides oven instructions for its wholemeal multigrain baguettes.
You want to know which grains and allergens a loaf contains, and how much salt is listed in its nutrition information, before you buy it. Check each product individually and compare values per 100 g, even when both breads are called ‘wholemeal multigrain’.
Start by checking for the wholemeal label. Then choose a type of bread that suits when you’ll be serving it, and read the nutrition information and ingredients for that specific product.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal or just multigrain | Look for ‘wholemeal’ in the product name, then compare the fibre per 100 g. A dark colour and visible seeds don’t prove that bread is wholemeal. | If I want to serve wholemeal bread with my snacks, I want to be able to recognise it by its name rather than judging by its appearance. This is the top priority for roughly 50% of consumers. |
| Type of bread and preparation | Decide whether you want bread that’s ready to top straight away or part-baked bread that needs to be prepared according to the instructions. | I want to serve the snacks on time: I can top sliced bread straight away, but I need to allow time for warm, part-baked bread. Around 30% of consumers give serving style the highest priority. |
| Ingredients and nutrition information | Read the latest ingredients and allergen information, including any mention of baker’s salt, and compare the salt per 100 g. | If ingredients matter in my household, I want to be able to check the packaging for the specific loaf I’m buying. Ingredients or nutrition information are the top priority for an estimated 20% of consumers. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘multigrain’ refers to different types of grain. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority has a separate requirement for the grain ingredient in products labelled ‘wholemeal’.
Use the wholemeal label as your first check, then consider which flavour, seeds and type of bread appeal to you.
A slice and a baguette aren’t like-for-like portions. Jumbo and PLUS list fibre per 100 g for the bread varieties mentioned.
Compare fibre and salt per 100 g first, then think about how much bread you actually want to serve.
The packaging for PLUS wholemeal multigrain baguettes gives an oven cooking time of 8–10 minutes at 220 °C. As with sliced bread, it’s important to check the ingredients and allergens.
Check the preparation instructions and label before choosing part-baked bread for snack night.
The ingredients and nutrition information you see online may not match the packaging of the product you receive.
Use the product page to compare options, then read the label on the actual loaf before eating it.
A useful reference if you want to compare wholemeal bread with other types of bread from one supermarket.
A useful reference for sliced wholemeal multigrain bread, with product information for each variety.
A useful reference if you want to compare different types of bread in store by their name and fibre content.
A useful reference if you’re specifically looking for a wholemeal multigrain loaf.
A useful reference when part-baked baguettes suit your serving plans better than sliced bread.
A useful reference if you’re looking for bread with both ‘multigrain’ and ‘wholemeal’ in its name.
No, ‘multigrain’ and ‘wholemeal’ don’t mean the same thing. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain refers to the use of different types of grain; the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that, to be labelled ‘wholemeal’, the grain ingredient must consist entirely of wholemeal flour.
Choose sliced wholemeal multigrain bread if you want to top it straight away; choose part-baked baguettes if you’d like warm bread and have time to prepare it. According to the product instructions, PLUS wholemeal multigrain baguettes need 8–10 minutes in an oven at 220 °C. For another product, follow the instructions on its packaging.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the latest packaging for the bread you’ve chosen. The Jumbo and PLUS varieties described contain several cereals with gluten; other allergens that may be present vary by product.
No, the bread’s name won’t tell you for certain. Check the ingredients list for the specific product to see whether it mentions baker’s salt or iodised salt.
Follow the storage instructions for the specific bread. PLUS says that its Korenlanders volkoren-meergranenbollen can be frozen on the day of purchase and should be used within one month; don’t assume the same instructions apply to other breads.
