Half a multigrain loaf is a good choice for a small weekend breakfast if you’re unlikely to finish a whole loaf. If you eat bread on other days too, you can freeze a whole loaf in portions; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises taking out only what you need each time. Whichever you choose, check the ingredients and allergens, and look at the proportion of wholemeal flour and the type of salt used if these matter to you.
If you mainly buy bread for one or two breakfasts, how much you need is the first thing to consider. Half a loaf may be just right; you can freeze any leftovers in portions, as advised by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
The term ‘multigrain’ doesn’t tell you how much wholemeal flour the bread contains. Check the ingredients and compare the fibre per 100 g shown on the label when choosing between products.
If you need to avoid gluten or other allergens, check the current packaging of the loaf you’ve chosen. If you want to know whether iodised salt or bakers’ salt has been used, check the ingredients list for that too.
If you’re considering half a multigrain loaf for a weekend breakfast, start by thinking about how much you’ll get through. Then consider the ingredients, the label and whether you can buy the bread at your local shop.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Right amount | Check that it’s half a loaf and estimate how many slices you’ll eat. Consider whether you can freeze the rest straight away. | If I only have bread for breakfast at the weekend, I don’t want to open a whole loaf that will be left over. Around 36% of consumers prioritise getting the right amount. |
| Wholemeal flour and fibre | Check which flour is listed in the ingredients and compare the fibre per 100 g shown on the label. | The name ‘multigrain’ doesn’t help if I’m specifically looking for a wholemeal base. For around 29% of consumers, the ingredients are the deciding factor. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current allergen information. Also check whether iodised salt or bakers’ salt is listed if that’s relevant to your choice. | If I need to avoid gluten or another allergen, I want to be able to check the label for the exact loaf I’m buying. Around 21% of consumers prioritise checking the label. |
| Availability | Check whether the half loaf you want is available at your local branch or through your chosen ordering method. | When doing the weekend shop, I want to know I can actually pick up the half loaf I’ve chosen. For around 14% of consumers, where to shop is the first consideration. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘multigrain’ refers to bread made with at least three types of grain. The term doesn’t tell you how much of the flour is wholemeal.
If you prefer wholemeal, check the ingredients list and compare the fibre per 100 g if you wish.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bakers aren’t required to use bakers’ salt, so the type of salt can vary from loaf to loaf.
Check the packaging for bakers’ salt or iodised salt. If you’re buying unpackaged bread, ask about the ingredients.
The standard loaves described by Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS contain gluten-containing grains. Choosing a half-size loaf doesn’t change the ingredients.
If you follow a gluten-free diet, check that the specific product is explicitly labelled gluten-free and read its current allergen information.
You may have bread left over after a small weekend breakfast, even if you can’t find the half-loaf option you want.
Freeze the slices you don’t expect to eat over the weekend in portions. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre then advises taking out only what you need each time.
Compare the specific loaf and its packaging, not just the brand name: a half wholemeal multigrain loaf, a brown multigrain loaf and a multiseed loaf are different products.
AH Vloerbrood meergranen half is a half brown multigrain loaf.
Boeren Donker Volkoren Meergranen Half is a half wholemeal multigrain loaf.
Halfje donker meergranenbrood is a 400 g half multigrain loaf.
Boeren volkoren meergranen Half is a half wholemeal multigrain loaf.
Korenlanders Rond licht meerzaden half is a half multiseed loaf; it isn’t in the same product category as half a multigrain loaf.
Bakker van der Akker Bakkers meergranen half is a multigrain loaf sold as a half loaf.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread contains at least three different types of grain, but the name doesn’t tell you how much wholemeal flour it contains. Check the ingredients list for the specific loaf.
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bakers aren’t required to use bakers’ salt. If you want to know what’s been used in the loaf you’ve chosen, check the ingredients list for bakers’ salt or iodised salt.
Freeze the slices you don’t expect to eat in portions. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises freezing bread and taking out only what you need each time.
Don’t assume so: the standard multigrain loaves described contain gluten-containing grains. If you follow a gluten-free diet, check that the specific product is explicitly labelled gluten-free and read the current allergen information. Also look out for cross-contamination.
