Half a loaf of multigrain bread can suit a large family if not everyone eats the same type of bread or a whole loaf is often left over. If you know a whole loaf will be eaten, that can be a good choice too; you can freeze it in portions straight away. For either size, check whether the bread is wholemeal and read the ingredients and allergen information on the label.
If family members are not at home for lunch every day or eat different types of bread, a half loaf may be a better fit for how much you actually get through. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists bread among the food groups most often wasted in Dutch households.
A half loaf of multigrain bread is not necessarily wholemeal. Check the product name and compare the nutritional information per 100 g when looking at different breads side by side.
Product ranges can vary from one shop to another. Check whether the half loaf you want is available and whether the current pack size suits how much your family eats.
First, work out how much bread your family usually eats before it is no longer wanted. Then compare the type of bread and the current label.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Freshness and waste | Compare how much you use over a few days with the loaf size, and consider whether you can freeze portions. | If not everyone at home eats the same bread, I want to avoid leaving an opened loaf uneaten. For around 42% of consumers, reducing waste would be the main consideration. |
| Wholemeal and ingredients | Check the wholemeal wording, the nutritional information per 100 g and the allergens on the current label. | If I’m specifically looking for wholemeal bread, I don’t want to assume it is wholemeal just because the word multigrain appears on the pack. Around 33% of consumers would prioritise the type of bread and its ingredients. |
| Getting the right amount | Check the loaf’s weight and estimate whether you will get through a whole loaf or can freeze portions straight away. | If our family eats a lot of the same bread, I don’t want to have to open a small loaf more often. For around 25% of consumers, the amount needed would be the most important factor. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread is made from at least three types of grain. That does not, by itself, mean it is wholemeal.
If you want wholemeal bread, look for an explicit wholemeal description and read the ingredients list.
A half loaf is mainly suited to low or variable demand for that type of bread. If you know you will get through a lot of it, a whole loaf may be a better fit.
Estimate how much bread your family eats over a few days. If you want to keep a whole loaf for later, freeze portions straight away. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against keeping bread in the fridge, as it dries out more quickly there.
Ingredients and allergens vary between breads, and can change if the recipe is updated.
Read the label on your chosen loaf every time you buy it, especially if someone needs to avoid certain ingredients.
These examples show some of the half or small loaves you can compare. The features of one loaf do not necessarily apply to the rest of that brand’s range.
AH Vloerbrood meergranen half is a half-sized brown multigrain loaf with sunflower seeds. Albert Heijn lists it as available in store only.
Jumbo Boeren Donker Volkoren Meergranen Half is described as a half-sized wholemeal multigrain loaf with kernels and seeds.
Lidl Halfje donker meergranenbrood is a 400 g loaf that Lidl lists as a store product.
ALDI Boeren volkoren meergranen Half is a sliced half loaf sold as wholemeal multigrain bread.
Korenlanders Rond licht meerzaden half is a 400 g loaf. The term ‘multi-seed’ is not interchangeable with a product name that explicitly says ‘multigrain’.
Bakker van der Akker is a bread brand sold at Dirk; Bakkers meergranen half is a half loaf of multigrain bread.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread is made from at least three different types of grain, but that does not automatically make it wholemeal. Check the product name and ingredients list if you’re looking for wholemeal bread.
Yes, if your family does not eat much of the same type of bread or regularly switches between varieties. If you know you will get through a whole loaf, that size can work too; you can freeze portions straight away for later.
It’s best not to keep ordinary bread in the fridge: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, it dries out more quickly there. Freeze portions if you are not going to eat the loaf within a few days.
No. Don’t assume it does without checking the label. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may be present in bread through the addition of baker’s salt, with a maximum iodine content of 65 mg per kg of salt. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in the ingredients for the floor-baked loaf mentioned above; check the ingredients of the bread you buy.
Check the current label for your chosen variety, as ingredients differ from one loaf to another. For Boeren Donker Volkoren Meergranen Half, Jumbo lists cereals containing gluten and possible traces of, among other things, milk, sesame and soya. This information does not necessarily apply to other multigrain breads.
