If you want to cut thick slices yourself for snacks on the go, choose a whole loaf that you can slice before setting off. Pre-sliced bread is more convenient if you want evenly sized portions quickly, but check the slice thickness if it matters for your toppings. If wholemeal matters more to you than slice thickness, check the product name and ingredients separately.
If you want to take a sandwich with toppings such as cheese, hummus or vegetables, a whole loaf lets you cut thicker slices at home. You can then decide whether a particular slice works well with your toppings.
If you’re preparing several snacks before setting off and don’t want to slice the bread yourself, pre-sliced bread makes it easy to get evenly sized portions. Check the thickness if standard slices seem too thin for your toppings.
If wholemeal status, fibre or ingredients matter more to you than a thick slice, compare the nutritional information for each loaf. Check the packaging if you also want to know whether baker’s salt has been used.
When choosing bread for a trip, first decide what matters most: choosing the slice thickness yourself, checking the ingredients or preparing your snacks quickly.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing the slice thickness yourself | Choose a whole loaf if you want to slice it yourself. Check the actual thickness of pre-sliced bread; words such as ‘hearty’ and ‘coarse’ don’t tell you how thick the slices are. | If I want to take generously topped snacks, I’d rather slice the bread at home to suit them. Around 42% of consumers prioritise being able to choose their own slice thickness. |
| Wholemeal and ingredients | Check the product name, ingredients and nutritional information; multigrain doesn’t automatically mean wholemeal. Check the current packaging for allergen information. | When I’m mainly concerned about the ingredients, I want to know which bread is wholemeal and what else is in it. Around 33% of consumers give this top priority. |
| Preparing and packing | Check whether the bread is pre-sliced and plan how many portions you’ll need. Follow the storage instructions on the packaging. | Before setting off, I want to prepare my snacks without any extra slicing and take only what I need. Around 25% of consumers prioritise this convenience. |
Terms such as ‘hearty’, ‘stone-baked’ and ‘coarse’ don’t automatically describe the thickness of pre-sliced bread. The difference matters when you want plenty of room for generous toppings.
Choose a whole loaf so you can decide on the thickness yourself, or check the slices of a pre-sliced loaf before you buy it.
According to the Voedingscentrum, bakeries aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So buying bread in the Netherlands doesn’t tell you what kind of salt it contains.
Read the ingredients on the packaging or ask the baker if the use of baker’s salt matters to your choice.
Bread you won’t need until later may dry out or go off in the meantime. The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days.
Freeze the portions you’ll need later in advance, and take only the amount you need with you.
Ingredients and allergens can vary between product variants or change over time. PLUS notes alongside its product information that these details may change.
When you buy the bread, check the packaging of the loaf you’re actually taking with you, especially if a particular ingredient or allergen affects your choice.
Albert Heijn’s bread range includes both whole and sliced loaves, so you can compare the formats before you buy.
Jumbo’s bread range includes whole loaves, half loaves and sliced bread.
Lidl describes its range of freshly baked bread and rolls as offering different options, so you can choose a bread format just before setting off.
ALDI lists whole-loaf options and separate wholemeal products. Consider the bread format and ingredients as two distinct features.
PLUS lists options including whole coarse-grain and farmhouse wholemeal loaves, with ingredient information available for each product.
Dirk lists whole farmhouse, stone-baked and multigrain loaves for anyone who wants to slice their bread at home.
You can prepare and slice these loaves yourself before setting off: two round loaves for slicing and a pack of four baguettes. Whichever you choose, allow time to prepare it before you can make your snacks.
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A whole round loaf for anyone who wants to slice their own bread before setting off.
Thaw and bake the loaf first, then leave it to cool before slicing; follow the preparation instructions on the packaging. Check the ingredients if the use of baker’s salt matters to your choice.
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A whole round multigrain loaf for anyone who wants to decide at home how thick to slice it.
Thaw and bake the loaf, then leave it to cool before slicing. If wholemeal is a must for you, look for the word ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging; ‘multigrain’ alone doesn’t tell you enough.
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Four baguettes for anyone who wants to prepare individual loaves before setting off and slice them themselves.
Thaw and bake them before use. Check the current packaging for the baking time; the available preparation instructions give different times. Also check the ingredients if wholemeal or baker’s salt matters to your choice.
With a whole loaf, you can choose the slice thickness yourself at home. If you want pre-sliced bread, check the slices before you buy: the name of the bread alone won’t tell you whether they’re thick enough for your toppings.
No, the word ‘multigrain’ on its own doesn’t confirm that a loaf is wholemeal. If that’s what you’re looking for, check that ‘wholemeal’ appears in the product name and read the ingredients.
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, bakeries aren’t required to use baker’s salt. Check the packaging to see whether it has been used, or ask the baker; don’t assume based only on where you buy the bread.
Freeze the bread in portions if you won’t need it until later. The Voedingscentrum’s storage guide recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days, or in the freezer for 1–3 months; freezing it for longer may make it drier.
Store your toppings according to their own requirements, separately from the bread. The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping highly perishable food in the fridge at 4 °C; also follow the storage instructions on the packaging of your chosen toppings.
