Choose half a multigrain loaf if little bread is likely to be eaten at dinner and you probably won’t get through a whole loaf in time. If you specifically want wholemeal bread, check the product name and ingredients rather than relying on the word ‘multigrain’. Also compare the nutritional information and allergen details of the loaf you buy.
If only a few slices are likely to be served at dinner, half a loaf makes it easier to match the amount you buy to what you expect to eat. If you still have some left, check the storage instructions. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months.
If you want to serve wholemeal bread with your meal, ‘multigrain’ on its own isn’t enough to tell you it’s wholemeal. Check which types of flour are used and compare the fibre per 100 g. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholegrain cereal products contain more fibre than white cereal products made with refined flour.
If you have an allergy or coeliac disease, the ingredients in the specific loaf matter. The product information for the Albert Heijn and Jumbo loaves mentioned here lists cereals containing gluten. Depending on the variety, other ingredients or possible traces may also be relevant. Always read the latest allergen information for the loaf you choose.
Start with how much bread you need for dinner, then compare the ingredients and check for any allergens that matter to the people you’re serving.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Amount and storage | Check that it’s half a loaf, how much it weighs, and the storage or freezing instructions. | If only a few slices will be eaten at dinner, I don’t want a whole loaf left over. For around 45% of consumers, getting the right amount is the top priority. |
| Wholemeal, fibre and salt | Check the bread’s name, the types of flour used, and the nutritional information for fibre and salt per 100 g. | I want to serve wholemeal bread with dinner and understand how its nutritional values compare with those of other loaves. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this information. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the latest ingredients and allergen information; check the type of salt if it affects your choice. | If someone at the table needs to avoid certain ingredients, I don’t want to rely on the bread’s name or picture. Ingredients and allergens are the main concern for around 22% of consumers. |
Multigrain bread can contain both wholemeal flour and refined flour. For example, AH Vloerbrood meergranen half lists both types of wheat flour.
If wholemeal is your main priority, look for ‘wholemeal’ in the product name and check the ingredients and fibre per 100 g.
Even half a loaf can go stale or mouldy before you finish it, especially if you eat less of it at dinner than you expected.
Choose a size that suits how much bread you eat and follow the storage and freezing instructions for your chosen loaf. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months.
Ingredients vary by product: the Albert Heijn loaves mentioned here list iodised salt, while Jumbo lists baker’s salt in its Boeren Donker Volkoren Meergranen Half.
If the type of salt matters to you, check the ingredients list on the packaging of the loaf you buy.
A name such as ‘multigrain’ doesn’t tell you which grains, seeds and other ingredients are in a particular variety.
Check the latest allergen information, and read it again if you buy a different variety or the ingredients have changed.
Albert Heijn offers both a half brown multigrain loaf and a half wholemeal multigrain loaf. This makes it possible to compare the types of flour and nutritional information across these two varieties.
Jumbo Boeren Donker Volkoren Meergranen Half is a half wholemeal multigrain loaf with kernels and seeds, for anyone who wants to compare this particular combination.
Lidl lists a freshly baked 400 g dark multigrain half loaf, for anyone mainly looking for a compact loaf in store.
At PLUS, you can browse multigrain bread and choose delivery or collection for your shopping. The 400 g half loaf listed is a light seeded loaf, so check the product name if you specifically want multigrain bread.
No. ‘Multigrain’ doesn’t automatically mean that a loaf is wholemeal. For example, AH Vloerbrood meergranen half contains both wholemeal wheat flour and refined wheat flour. Check the product name and ingredients if you’re specifically looking for wholemeal bread.
Follow the storage instructions for the loaf you buy. For wholemeal bread, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends 2–4 days in a kitchen cupboard and 1–3 months in the freezer. Albert Heijn also says you can freeze AH Zaans meergranen half at home on the day you buy it.
Read the ingredients list for the specific loaf. The product information for the Albert Heijn loaves mentioned here lists iodised salt; don’t assume that another loaf has the same ingredients.
Check all the ingredients and the allergen information for the variety you choose, including any cereals containing gluten that are listed. Other ingredients or possible traces may also matter, depending on the loaf, so don’t assume it has the same ingredients as another multigrain loaf.
