Seeded crispbread isn’t the obvious first choice for a baby who is just starting to eat bread: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends starting with brown or wheat bread without seeds or kernels from six months. Only offer larger pieces when your child can sit upright and chew and swallow well. If you consider seeded crispbread later on, check the texture, salt content and allergens of the specific product.
Your baby is still getting used to bread and coarser textures. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends brown or wheat bread without seeds or kernels as a starting option from six months. Before offering larger pieces, your child should be able to sit upright and chew and swallow well.
You’re comparing crispbread for the family, but don’t want to overlook salt or allergens in a product that might also be considered for your baby. The labels on seeded varieties from Leksands and Bolletje list different ingredients and allergens, including cereals containing gluten.
You want to know how crispbread fits alongside ordinary bread. Bread made with iodised baker’s salt can contribute to iodine intake, but the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says the use of baker’s salt is not compulsory. So check the ingredients of the product you choose.
If your baby is just starting to eat bread, choose a suitable texture first. Then compare the nutritional information and allergens of a specific product. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends starting with bread without seeds or kernels and advises against giving babies salty foods.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Texture and eating skills | Start with bread without seeds or kernels. Check whether the texture suits what your child can already chew and swallow. | If my baby is still practising with larger pieces, I want to choose bread that suits their eating skills. Around 50% of consumers put a suitable texture first. |
| Salt and allergens | Read the current label for salt per 100 g, cereals containing gluten, sesame and any ‘may contain’ statements. | If I’m taking a bread product to childcare, I want to know what ingredients and allergens it contains, and how much salt is in it. Around 30% of consumers give checking the label their highest priority. |
| Wholegrain, fibre and iodine | Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and check whether iodised baker’s salt is listed in the ingredients. | If I vary the bread products my baby eats, I want to know how wholegrain, fibre and iodine fit into their diet. For around 20% of consumers, this nutritional consideration carries the most weight. |
A claim about grains or fibre doesn’t tell you whether a hard, crunchy product suits what your baby can already chew and swallow. For babies starting on bread, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre specifically recommends a variety without seeds or kernels.
Choose the texture to match your child’s eating skills, rather than relying on a nutrition claim on the front of the pack.
Seeded varieties can differ in their salt content and allergens. For example, Bolletje multiseed’s label lists wheat, rye, barley and sesame; Leksands Seeds & sea salt lists rye and possible traces of soya and mustard.
Check the ingredients, allergens and salt content on the pack you’re actually using.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says iodised baker’s salt isn’t compulsory. So the type of product alone won’t tell you whether it contributes to iodine intake.
Check the ingredients and consider the other foods your child eats as part of your decision.
Whether you can send a product in also depends on the rules at the particular childcare setting, school or group. Allergens also vary between crispbread varieties.
Ask about the local rules before packing it, and let the staff know about any relevant allergies.
Compare a specific variety, not just a brand name: ingredients and nutritional values can differ from one product to another, and on their own they don’t tell you whether the texture is suitable for a baby.
According to Jumbo’s product information, Leksands Seeds & sea salt is a wholegrain rye crispbread containing ingredients including linseed, millet seed and roasted rapeseed.
Bolletje makes a multiseed crispbread. Check the ingredients of this variety separately from those of other Bolletje products.
Wasa makes several varieties of crispbread, including a sesame variety described by Albert Heijn.
The Bolletje crispbread below is a product to compare for older family members, not a recommendation as a baby’s first bread. Check the ingredients, texture, salt content and allergens on this specific pack.
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If you’re looking for wholegrain crispbread for older family members, this is a product you can compare by checking the current label.
Pack size: 265 g. Check the ingredients and texture separately before offering a bread product to a baby.
No, not as the usual first choice. From six months, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends starting with brown or wheat bread without seeds or kernels. Only offer larger pieces when your child can sit upright and chew and swallow well.
Choose bread and a texture that suit your child’s eating skills, and gradually introduce coarser textures. For crustless bread, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre suggests softening it with breast milk or formula; stay close by while your child is eating.
Yes, check the label of the variety you choose for both. Leksands Seeds & sea salt contains rye and gluten, and may contain soya and mustard; Bolletje multiseed’s label lists wheat, rye, barley and sesame, among other ingredients.
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says the use of iodised baker’s salt isn’t compulsory. Check the crispbread’s ingredients and consider iodine intake as part of your child’s overall diet.
