When choosing bread for your everyday lunch, don’t rely on the name multigrain alone. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, it tells you which types of grain have been used, while wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour. Next, check the ingredients, nutritional information and allergens for the bread you want to buy. A half loaf or portions frozen straight after purchase may suit your plans better if you’d otherwise have bread left over.
You’re looking for multigrain bread for your everyday lunch, but want to know whether your chosen variety is wholemeal too. The name, ingredients and nutritional information give you a better guide than the colour of the bread.
You don’t get through a whole loaf quickly. Buying half a loaf or freezing portions after purchase can help you avoid throwing away slices you haven’t used.
You need to know which grains or other allergens are in a loaf. Even when a product is labelled gluten-free, it’s still important to check the full ingredients and allergen information for the variety you choose.
Start with the type of bread and its ingredients. Then check whether the pack size suits the number of lunches you want to make, and review the information for any dietary requirements.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for the wholemeal label and compare the fibre per 100 g in the nutritional information. Check the salt per 100 g too. | If wholemeal is my priority, I don’t want to assume that every multigrain loaf fits the bill. This is the most important consideration for around 50% of shoppers. |
| Pack size and food waste | Think about how much bread you’ll actually use and whether half a loaf or freezing it in portions would suit you. | If I often have slices left over, I want to choose an amount I can use in time. For around 30% of shoppers, reducing food waste is the top priority. |
| Practicality | Read the allergen information and, for bake-at-home bread, the preparation instructions. Check how to store the bread. | I want bread that suits both my dietary needs and my lunch plans. For around 20% of shoppers, practicality is the most important consideration. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the term multigrain refers to the different types of grain used. It doesn’t tell you whether the bread is made entirely from wholemeal flour.
If you want wholemeal bread, look specifically for the wholemeal label on the pack, then check the ingredients and nutritional information.
A whole loaf doesn’t suit everyone’s lunch plans. Slices left uneaten won’t give you any extra lunches.
If needed, choose half a loaf. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread in portions straight after purchase if you want to keep it.
Regular multigrain bread may contain several gluten-containing grains. Even a product labelled gluten-free needs to be checked for any other allergens listed.
Read the full ingredients and allergen information on the specific pack before choosing a loaf.
You can compare the names and product information for individual types of bread at these retailers. The features of one loaf don’t automatically apply to other breads sold by the same retailer.
Albert Heijn has a category page for multigrain bread. Use the information for each individual variety to help you choose.
Jumbo provides ingredients and nutritional information for individual wholemeal multigrain varieties.
Lidl describes a multigrain loaf containing ingredients such as wheat, barley and buckwheat.
Aldi is a retailer where you can compare individual multigrain and wholemeal multigrain loaves against your criteria.
PLUS describes both a wholemeal multigrain bake-at-home product and a separate gluten-free multigrain variety.
Dirk describes Bakker van der Akker Bakkers multigrain half loaf as a half loaf.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain means bread made with different types of grain; wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour. So if wholemeal is what you’re looking for, check for the wholemeal label.
No, the colour and seeds don’t tell you whether the bread is entirely wholemeal. Check the product name and ingredients, and compare the information per 100 g on the pack for specific nutritional values.
Choose a size that suits how much you use, or freeze the bread in portions straight after purchase. That way, you can take out what you need for each lunch, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends when storing bread.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers don’t always use baker’s salt. Check the ingredients list on packaged bread, or ask your baker which salt they used in the loaf you’re buying.
Yes. The gluten-free label doesn’t tell you which other ingredients or allergens the bread contains. So even with a gluten-free variety, read all the information on the pack you’ve chosen.
