If wholegrain is a priority for your weekday breakfasts, choose a multigrain sourdough loaf explicitly labelled as wholegrain, and check the ingredients and nutritional information. A whole, sliced loaf can work for several breakfasts if you use it according to the storage instructions or freeze it; rolls may be better suited to smaller portions. Don’t assume that ‘sourdough’ means no yeast has been used, and check the allergens and whether the salt is iodised on the exact product.
You’re looking for a regular loaf for weekdays and want to know whether ‘multigrain’ also means wholegrain. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholegrain bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour, so check the product description and ingredients.
You’re choosing bread for its flavour or how it’s made, and want to know what else it contains besides sourdough. The ingredient lists for the Albert Heijn and Jumbo products reviewed also include yeast.
You need to avoid certain ingredients or want to know what kind of salt has been used. Read the allergen and ingredient information for the exact variant; for unpackaged bread, ask for the product information.
If you need to avoid an allergen, check for it before comparing other features. Then look at the wholegrain description and ingredients, and consider which portions and storage requirements fit your morning routine.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholegrain and fibre | Look for an explicit wholegrain description and compare the fibre per 100 g in the nutritional information for the exact variant. | If I eat a slice of bread every working day, I want to know whether it’s genuinely wholegrain and how much fibre it contains. Around 42% of consumers prioritise this. |
| Sourdough and ingredients | Check whether the ingredients list includes yeast as well as sourdough; you may also want to check for seeds and flour improvers. | What matters to me is which ingredients and raising agents are in my breakfast bread, not just the name on the packaging. This is the first thing around 33% of consumers consider. |
| Portions and storage | Compare the weight, number of portions, whether it’s sliced or unsliced, and the product’s storage instructions. | On a busy morning, I want bread in portions my household can use in time. Around 25% of consumers prioritise this convenience. |
Using several types of grain doesn’t, by itself, mean that bread is made from wholemeal flour. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholegrain bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour.
If wholegrain is a must for you, look for an explicit wholegrain description and then read the ingredients list.
The ingredient lists for the Albert Heijn and Jumbo multigrain sourdough products reviewed mention both sourdough and yeast. So the product name alone doesn’t tell you which raising agents have been used.
If the raising agents used matter to you, check the ingredients for the exact variant.
The words ‘multigrain’ and ‘sourdough’ don’t tell you which salt has been used or which allergens a particular variant contains.
Look for iodised salt in the ingredients list and check the latest allergen information; for unpackaged bread, ask for this information.
A whole loaf is only practical for several breakfasts if you use the portions within the stated shelf life or can freeze the bread according to the product instructions.
Check that the pack size suits how much bread you eat. For AH OerDesem donker meergranen heel gesneden, Albert Heijn states that it can be frozen on the day of purchase.
Albert Heijn describes AH OerDesem donker meergranen as an 800 g whole, sliced multigrain wholemeal loaf. This format may suit you if you have bread for breakfast several times a week.
Jumbo Desem Broodjes Meergranen is an alternative if you’d rather buy rolls than a whole sliced loaf.
Lidl describes its Bio rustiek meergranen desembrood as a 600 g organic brown loaf with seeds and kernels.
No. ‘Multigrain’ describes the types of grain used; it doesn’t automatically mean the bread is wholegrain. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholegrain bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour, so look for an explicit wholegrain description if that matters to you.
No, you can’t tell from the name alone. The ingredient lists for the Albert Heijn and Jumbo products reviewed include yeast as well as sourdough. If this affects your choice, read the ingredients for the variant you want to buy.
Look for ‘iodised salt’ in the ingredients list for the exact loaf, or ask about it if the bread is unpackaged. The descriptions ‘multigrain’, ‘sourdough’ and ‘organic’ don’t tell you this on their own.
For packaged bread, read the ingredients and allergen information for the exact variant. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that allergens which must be declared have to be clearly listed in the ingredients. For unpackaged bread, ask for the relevant product information.
A whole, sliced loaf works for several breakfasts if you use the portions in time or freeze it according to the product instructions. If you want to use less bread at a time, compare rolls with a smaller loaf and always check the storage instructions.
