Don’t choose thick-sliced rye bread as your baby’s first bread by default: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends starting with brown or wheat bread without seeds after 6 months. If your baby is already comfortable with coarser bread textures, check how soft the piece you’re offering is, and read the nutritional information and allergen details on the packaging. Stay nearby while your baby eats.
If your baby is still getting used to bread and coarser foods, texture matters more than whether a slice is thick. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends starting with brown or wheat bread without seeds after 6 months.
A firmer piece may be worth considering if your baby is already used to coarser bread textures. Check the piece itself, and compare the fibre and salt content on the packaging when choosing rye bread.
Rye contains gluten. Other ingredients and possible traces vary between products, so read the label on the pack you choose. If you’re packing bread for nursery or school, check the setting’s allergen policy too.
First, check whether the bread’s texture is suitable for your baby. Then compare the nutritional information and allergens for the specific product; the words ‘thick-sliced’ don’t answer those questions.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Texture and eating skills | Feel the piece you’re offering to check that it’s soft enough to squash easily. When your baby is starting out, choose bread without seeds and stay with them while they eat. | When offering bread for the first time, I don’t want to assume that a thick slice is automatically the right texture. For around 50% of consumers, texture comes first. |
| Fibre and salt | Compare the fibre and salt content per 100 g and, where listed, per serving. Make the switch to wholegrain products gradually. | As my baby gets used to wholegrain products, I want to know how much fibre and salt a particular serving contains. Around 30% of consumers focus on this nutritional transition. |
| Gluten and other allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information; if the bread is for nursery or school, check the setting’s policy too. | If I’m packing bread for nursery, I want to know which allergens are listed on this pack and whether the bread is allowed there. For around 20% of consumers, this is their main concern. |
The thickness doesn’t tell you how soft or easy to handle a piece will be for your baby. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says the introduction of bread should depend on what your baby can already eat.
Check the texture of the piece you’re offering, and stay with your child while they eat.
A thick slice of rye bread isn’t automatically a suitable first bread. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends switching to wholegrain products gradually, and nutritional values also vary between products.
Compare the fibre and salt content per 100 g and per serving on the packaging, rather than relying on the product name alone.
Rye contains gluten. According to the ingredients list on Jumbo, Bolletje Roggebrood Fries also contains wheat; PLUS lists possible traces of sesame, milk and nuts for Brood van Soma Fries roggebrood.
Read the current information on the exact pack you’re using. If you have an allergy or follow a medically prescribed diet, follow the advice given to you.
The product name doesn’t tell you which type of salt has been used. For example, Jumbo lists iodised salt for Van der Veer Traditioneel Fries Roggebrood; this doesn’t tell you anything about other products.
Check the ingredients list if the type of salt used is relevant to your choice.
Jumbo lists Bolletje Roggebrood Fries as sliced rye bread, 500 g, containing 56% wholegrain cracked rye.
PLUS lists several products under this name, including Fries roggebrood and a Rheinländer variety made with rye and wheat.
Albert Heijn describes Hollandia Roggebrood donker zuurdesem as a 500 g rye bread made with sourdough and malted barley.
Jumbo describes Van der Veer Traditioneel Fries Roggebrood as a variety made with cracked rye.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, between 4 and 6 months you can offer your baby a piece of bread without the crust if they’re already used to trying small amounts of food and eating some coarser textures. After 6 months, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends starting with brown or wheat bread without seeds.
Not as the usual first choice: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends starting with brown or wheat bread without seeds. If your baby is already comfortable with coarser bread textures, check how soft the piece of rye bread is, and stay nearby while they eat.
Yes, rye contains gluten, so standard rye bread isn’t suitable for someone with coeliac disease or who follows a medically prescribed gluten-free diet. Check the other ingredients and allergen information on the packaging too, as these vary between products.
You can’t tell from the name rye bread alone. Check the ingredients list for the variety you’ve chosen to see whether it contains iodised salt.
First check that it meets the nursery or school’s allergen policy, then read the current packaging. Rye bread contains gluten; other allergens and possible traces vary from product to product.
