Who is this choice for?

Fussy eaters looking for a lighter bread

You’d like to try an alternative to dark rye bread, but you also check which grains it contains and how much fibre there is per 100 g.

Shoppers comparing labels

You choose based on the ingredients, fibre, salt and allergens. You bear in mind that bread with more wholegrain rye may taste or feel different from a lighter variety.

What should you look for in rye bread?

First, decide which type of bread the person eating it would like to try. Then compare the pack weight and nutritional information of the options you’re considering.

What to consider What to check Who it matters to
Amount of bread Check the net weight and how much bread your household will actually use. If I’m buying bread for several meals, I want to know how much is in the pack and how much we’re likely to get through. This is the main consideration for around 43% of consumers.
Taste and type of bread Read the product description and ingredients: ‘white wheat-and-rye bread’, ‘multigrain’ and ‘wholegrain’ don’t mean the same thing. A fussy eater may want to try a lighter variety first rather than dark rye bread. For around 29% of consumers, taste preference is the deciding factor.
Label information Compare fibre and salt per 100 g, and check the ingredients and listed allergens too. I want to see which grains are in the bread and compare the nutritional value of different varieties on the same basis. For around 28% of consumers, this label information is the first thing they look for.

Common misconceptions

  • Assuming ‘light’ or ‘multigrain’ means wholegrain

    Jumbo describes its Oberländer as white wheat-and-rye bread and also sells a Mehrkorn variety. These names don’t tell you, on their own, how much wholegrain the bread contains.

    Read the product description and ingredients list, and compare the fibre per 100 g.

  • Looking only at fibre

    Rye bread varieties can differ in more ways than just their fibre content. The fibre figure doesn’t tell you how much salt the same product contains.

    Compare fibre and salt per 100 g, and consider how much you eat too.

  • Not checking the packaging

    The information on the packaging of the bread you buy is especially important for allergens, ingredients and storage advice.

    Check the label when your bread arrives or in the shop, even if you’ve bought the product before.

Brands compared

Bolletje

Bolletje offers Frisian rye bread. According to Bolletje, this variety is made with 100% wholegrain rye.

  • A familiar option to consider if you’re specifically looking for wholegrain rye.
  • Check the ingredients on the pack itself; the description of one variety doesn’t apply to every Bolletje product.

Hollandia

Albert Heijn describes Hollandia dark sourdough rye bread as being made with 100% wholegrain rye, sourdough and malted barley.

  • The product description names both the grain and the use of sourdough.
  • You’ll need to decide for yourself whether the taste of this dark bread suits a fussy eater.

Smaakt

According to the ingredients list, Smaakt’s organic rye bread variety listed by PLUS contains 53% wholegrain cracked rye and 5% linseed.

  • The stated proportions show how much rye and linseed this variety contains.
  • Don’t assume another Smaakt variety has the same ingredients; always check the label.

Soma

The Soma products listed by PLUS include both wholegrain rye bread and brown rye-and-wheat bread.

  • These two types of bread give you a practical starting point for comparing ingredients and nutritional information.
  • Don’t treat the wholegrain and rye-and-wheat varieties as the same bread.

Jumbo

Jumbo’s range includes Oberländer white wheat-and-rye bread and Mehrkorn wheat-and-rye bread.

  • According to Jumbo’s product information, Oberländer contains 5,7 g of fibre per 100 g and Mehrkorn contains 6,1 g per 100 g.
  • ‘Multigrain’ isn’t another word for ‘wholegrain’; check the ingredients list for each bread.

Rye bread on Joybuy

This Bolletje variety is an option if you’re looking for rye bread for your weekly shop. Check the label to see whether the ingredients and taste suit the person who’ll be eating it.

Bolletje rye bread loaf, 500 g

Bolletje rye bread loaf 500 g

An option if you’re looking for a 500 g pack of rye bread. Check the ingredients and nutritional information on the packaging; the product name doesn’t tell you whether the taste will be mild enough for a fussy eater.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Does dark rye bread always contain more fibre?

No, colour alone won’t tell you that. Compare the fibre per 100 g and check which grains are listed in the ingredients.

Is rye bread gluten-free?

Don’t assume it is: rye is a gluten-containing grain, and some rye breads also contain wheat. If eating gluten-free is important to you, check the relevant product’s labelling and allergen information.

How can I tell whether rye bread contains iodised salt?

Check the ingredients list on the packaging for iodised salt or baker’s salt. Don’t go by the type of bread: according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, bread may contain iodine compounds through the use of baker’s salt, but that doesn’t mean every rye bread contains this salt.

How should I store an opened pack of rye bread?

Follow the storage advice on your bread’s packaging. Reseal an opened pack and check the instructions for storing it after opening.