For everyday sandwiches, a sliced loaf labelled wholemeal is a practical choice: you can also compare fibre, salt and allergens on the label. If you only eat a little bread at a time, a bake-at-home baguette may better suit your portions, as long as you allow time to defrost and bake it. The words ‘multigrain’, ‘sourdough’ and ‘organic’ do not, by themselves, tell you whether a loaf is wholemeal or contains iodised salt.
You’re looking for bread for breakfast and lunch, and want to check on the packaging whether it’s wholemeal, what nutritional values are given per 100 g and which allergens it contains. If you want to make sandwiches straight away, whether the loaf is sliced also matters.
You’re choosing between a smaller bake-at-home product and a whole sliced loaf that you can freeze in portions. The portion size and preparation required determine what you’ll actually use in time.
You look for the sourdough, seeds, kernels or organic label shown on the packaging, but also check separately whether it’s labelled wholemeal, along with the ingredients and the type of salt used.
First decide whether you mainly need bread for everyday sandwiches or smaller bake-at-home portions. Then compare the descriptions and nutritional information on the packaging of breads that suit how you plan to use them.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and nutritional value | Look for the word ‘wholemeal’ and compare fibre and salt per 100 g. | For everyday sandwiches, I want to see whether the bread is wholemeal rather than relying on the word ‘multigrain’. Around 36% of consumers prioritise this wholemeal base. |
| Portions and storage | Check the weight, whether the loaf is sliced, and the storage and baking instructions. | If I don’t eat much bread, I want to be able to choose between a few bake-at-home portions and a loaf I can freeze slice by slice. For around 29% of consumers, this convenience is the deciding factor. |
| Sourdough and ingredients | Check which sourdough, grains, seeds and any yeast are listed in the ingredients. | I’m mainly looking for bread with ingredients that suit my preference for sourdough, seeds or organic ingredients. This is the top priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Salt and allergens | Check whether iodised salt or baker’s salt is listed, and read the allergen information. | When the ingredients in bread are important to me, I want to know which salt and allergens are listed for the product. For around 14% of consumers, this check comes first. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread is made with at least three types of grain. That doesn’t necessarily mean the bread is wholemeal.
Look for ‘wholemeal’ if you want wholemeal bread, and check the ingredients list too.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So the name of a sourdough or organic loaf doesn’t tell you which salt it contains.
Check the ingredients list for ‘iodised salt’ or ‘baker’s salt’ on each loaf, particularly if bread is an important source of iodine for you.
A large loaf can go uneaten if you only have a few slices at a time. A bake-at-home product, on the other hand, takes time to prepare.
Choose a size that suits how much bread you eat, or freeze a sliced loaf in portions. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against storing bread in the fridge, as it dries out there.
Multigrain sourdough bread can contain several gluten-containing grains and other allergens. The ingredients and warnings vary from product to product.
Check the current packaging of the bread you’re buying, even if you’re already familiar with a similar loaf.
Offers both a sliced multigrain sourdough loaf labelled wholemeal and an organic brown multigrain sourdough option.
Offers, among other things, a multigrain sourdough baguette to bake at home.
Offers a 600 g organic brown multigrain sourdough loaf with seeds and kernels.
Offers, among other things, a half-size version of its Farmers’ Wholemeal Multigrain Bread.
Offers Korenlanders Desem Meergranen Boekweit and multigrain products to bake at home.
Lists multigrain bread and sourdough as bread types; its whole multigrain hearth loaf is a separate multigrain option.
These bake-at-home baguettes are a good option if you want smaller portions alongside a whole sliced loaf. Bear in mind that you’ll need to defrost and bake them in an oven.
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A good choice if you want to bake bread in individual portions. The product instructions say to defrost the baguettes first, then bake them in an oven.
Four baguettes, each weighing 135 g. Check the current packaging if whether it’s labelled wholemeal, its nutritional values per 100 g, the salt used or allergens will affect your choice.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. Check the ingredients list for each loaf to see whether iodised salt or baker’s salt is listed.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘multigrain’ means that at least three types of grain have been used, not that the bread is wholemeal. If you specifically want wholemeal bread, look for the word ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging.
Not always. Albert Heijn’s product information lists yeast as well as sourdough for AH OerDesem donker meergranen. If added yeast matters to you, check the ingredients list of the loaf you want to buy.
Freeze a sliced loaf in portions if you won’t eat it in time. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against storing bread in the fridge, as it dries out there. For bake-at-home rolls, it recommends storing them in the freezer for 1 to 3 months; freezing them for longer may make them drier.
