Choose half a multigrain loaf if only a few slices are eaten after school and a whole loaf would be around for too long. If you want wholemeal bread, check the product name and ingredients: ‘multigrain’ does not automatically mean ‘wholemeal’. Check the allergen information before packing it, too. Freeze portions if even half a loaf won’t be eaten quickly enough.
If bread is only eaten now and then after school, a half loaf means you have less in stock at once. You can also freeze slices in portions, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises, to help reduce waste.
The name ‘multigrain’ doesn’t tell you whether the bread is wholemeal. Check the product name, ingredients and nutritional information if wholemeal bread and fibre are important to your choice.
If you’re buying bread for a child with coeliac disease or an allergy, the current allergen information is essential. Standard multigrain loaves may contain cereals containing gluten; check for other allergens even on products clearly labelled gluten-free.
First, work out how many slices you usually need. Then check the label for wholemeal ingredients and allergen information, especially if the bread is going in a school lunchbox.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size and storage | Count the expected snack times and check whether you can freeze slices in portions. | If bread is only eaten now and then, I don’t want an opened loaf to be left uneaten. Getting the right quantity is the biggest consideration for around 37% of consumers. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for ‘wholemeal’ in the product name, read the ingredients and compare the fibre per 100 g in similar loaves. | When wholemeal is my priority, I want to be able to recognise it on the label rather than judging by the dark colour. This certainty is the main concern for around 36% of consumers. |
| Gluten and other allergens | Read the current allergen information and any ‘may contain’ statement; check the school’s requirements, too. | If a child has an allergy or coeliac disease, I need to know which bread is suitable before packing it. This check is a priority for around 27% of consumers. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread is made with at least three types of grain. The name alone doesn’t mean the bread is made from wholemeal flour.
Look for ‘wholemeal’ in the product name and check the ingredients. You could also compare the fibre per 100 g in similar loaves.
The bread’s appearance and name don’t tell you which allergens it contains. For example, Albert Heijn lists cereals containing gluten for AH Vloerbrood meergranen half.
Always read the current packaging, including any ‘may contain’ statements. If your child follows a medical diet, also discuss with the school what arrangements apply to food brought from home.
Even half a loaf can be left uneaten if after-school snack times change.
Choose a quantity that works with what you already have at home. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread and taking out only what you need each time.
‘Multigrain’ doesn’t tell you whether the bread was baked with baker’s salt. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt isn’t compulsory.
If baker’s salt matters to your choice of bread, check the label or ask about the ingredients when buying unpackaged bread.
Compare the specific type of loaf, not just the brand: ‘half’, ‘wholemeal’ and ‘gluten-free’ describe different features.
AH Vloerbrood meergranen half is a half-size multigrain loaf.
Jumbo Boeren Donker Volkoren Meergranen Half is a half-size variety explicitly labelled wholemeal.
Lidl lists a 400 g Halfje donker meergranenbrood.
Aldi describes its Boeren volkoren meergranen Half as both wholemeal and half-size.
Plus lists a half-size multiseed loaf, as well as a separate gluten-free multigrain loaf from Schär.
Dirk lists half-size multigrain loaves from Bakker van der Akker, including a separate wholemeal multigrain variety.
No, multigrain and wholemeal don’t mean the same thing. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread contains at least three types of grain. If you’re looking for wholemeal bread for an after-school snack, check the product name and ingredients.
No, a half loaf is useful if that amount matches what your household eats. You can also freeze a whole loaf in portions and take out only the slices you need for each snack time.
Standard multigrain loaves containing cereals with gluten are not gluten-free. For a gluten-free diet, check that the specific product is clearly labelled gluten-free, read the information about other allergens and follow the school’s arrangements for food brought from home.
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bread doesn’t have to be baked with baker’s salt. Check the label to see whether it has been used, or ask about the ingredients when buying unpackaged bread.
