Who is this choice relevant to?

Parents of a baby who is just learning to eat bread

You’re looking for a first type of bread and want to know which texture is right for your baby. After 6 months, Voedingscentrum suggests starting with brown or wheat bread without kernels or seeds.

Families who want to share a special loaf

You’re choosing a rustic sourdough or multigrain loaf for a family meal, but want to check separately whether its crust, kernels, seeds and ingredients are suitable for what your baby can eat at this stage.

Parents who need to check allergens

You check the current ingredients and allergen information for every loaf, perhaps because you need to avoid gluten-containing grains, sesame or soya. The product name alone isn’t enough.

What should you look for when choosing?

Start with what your baby can already eat, then decide whether a premium loaf is right for the meal. The points below will help you assess the texture, ingredients and nutritional information separately.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Bread texture Check whether the bread contains kernels or seeds, and whether you can remove the crust for your baby’s first taste of bread. If my baby is just starting to eat bread, I want to choose a simple texture that’s right for this stage. Around 33% of consumers put this first bread texture first.
Allergens Read the current ingredients and allergen information, even for bread labelled gluten-free. If I need to watch out for gluten, sesame or soya, I want to know what’s in this particular loaf. Checking allergens is the main concern for around 27% of consumers.
Nutritional information Compare the wholemeal flour content, fibre and salt per 100 g on the packaging. I want to compare loaves using the same nutritional information, rather than relying on the word ‘multigrain’. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this comparison.
Family meal Check the ingredients and texture of a rustic or sourdough multigrain loaf before sharing it with your baby. For a special meal, I want to serve one loaf without losing sight of what stage my baby is at. Around 20% of consumers give this family occasion top priority.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming premium or sourdough means it’s suitable as a first bread

    The rustic multigrain loaves described by Albert Heijn, Lidl and PLUS contain kernels and/or seeds. That doesn’t match the first bread Voedingscentrum recommends after 6 months: brown or wheat bread without kernels or seeds.

    Choose your baby’s first bread based on their stage of eating. Assess a premium loaf separately at a later stage, looking at its texture and ingredients.

  • Only reading the front of the packaging

    Loaves with similar names can contain different grains, seeds and allergens. Salt levels are also only useful to compare when you’re looking at the same quantity of bread.

    Read the current ingredients and allergen information, and compare the salt per 100 g.

  • Thinking you need to add a topping to your baby’s first bread

    Choosing a suitable bread and choosing a topping are two separate decisions. According to Voedingscentrum, toppings aren’t needed during the first tastes stage.

    Keep your baby’s first bread simple and stay with them while they eat, as Voedingscentrum advises.

Brands to consider

Albert Heijn

Albert Heijn lists products including AH Liefde & Passie Meergranen and AH Vloerbrood meergranen heel.

  • The product information lists the ingredients, so you can assess each loaf individually.
  • AH Liefde & Passie Meergranen contains sunflower kernels and sesame seeds; sunflower kernels are listed as an ingredient in AH Vloerbrood meergranen heel. Neither is suitable for the suggested starting choice without kernels or seeds.

Lidl

Lidl describes Bio rustiek meergranen desembrood as an organic brown sourdough multigrain loaf with seeds and kernels.

  • The product description makes it clear what kind of loaf you’re considering for a family meal.
  • Because it contains seeds and kernels, this isn’t the type of bread Voedingscentrum recommends starting with. Check the packaging for the full ingredients list; Lidl itself refers customers to the label.

PLUS

For Korenlanders Meergranen stokbrood met desem, PLUS lists ingredients including 35% wholemeal wheat flour.

  • The product information also lists sunflower kernels and linseed, so you can take these ingredients into account when choosing.
  • The kernels and seeds mean this baguette doesn’t match the starting advice to choose bread without kernels or seeds.

Related Joybuy products

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

When can my baby start eating bread?

After 6 months, Voedingscentrum suggests starting with brown or wheat bread without kernels or seeds. Check that your baby is also used to tasting foods and coarser textures, and stay with them while they eat.

Is premium multigrain bread with kernels suitable as a first bread?

Bread with kernels or seeds doesn’t match the starting advice from Voedingscentrum. Check the ingredients even if the bread is described as organic, sourdough or premium.

Is multigrain bread automatically wholemeal?

No. According to Voedingscentrum, multigrain means bread made with at least three different types of grain; the name doesn’t tell you how much wholemeal flour it contains. Check the ingredients and product description for details.

How do I check for gluten and other allergens?

Read the allergen information and ingredients on the current packaging for the loaf you’ve chosen. Multigrain products can vary in the gluten-containing grains and ingredients such as sesame or soya they contain. Even with gluten-free bread, you should check separately for any other relevant ingredients.

How can I tell whether bread contains iodised salt?

Check the ingredients list for the particular loaf for terms such as ‘iodised salt’ or ‘baker’s salt’. Don’t rely on the type of bread or the word ‘multigrain’ in the name.