If your baby is just starting to eat bread, don’t choose seeded rye bread as their first bread. The Voedingscentrum advises starting with brown bread or wheat bread without kernels or seeds after 6 months. If you’re considering rye bread later on, assess its texture in light of what your child can already eat, and check the ingredients, allergens and salt content on the current packaging.
Your child is used to practising with solid foods, and you’d like to offer bread as part of baby-led weaning. The Voedingscentrum advises starting with brown bread or wheat bread without kernels or seeds; choose a texture that’s right for what your child can already eat.
You need to take account of any dietary arrangements relating to gluten, rye or wheat, for example when packing bread for childcare. Check the allergen information on the packaging of the product you’re actually buying.
You’re looking at fibre and ingredients, but don’t want to overlook the salt content or texture of the bread. A mention of fibre or seeds alone doesn’t tell you whether the bread is suitable for your child’s eating skills.
When choosing bread for baby-led weaning, start by checking for kernels and seeds and assessing the texture. Then read the allergen information and nutritional values for the specific product.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Starting with bread and texture | Check the ingredients list for kernels and seeds. Consider whether you can serve the bread in a form that’s suitable for what your child can already eat. | When my child is just learning to eat bread, I don’t want to introduce seeds in a texture that’s still new to them. For around 50% of consumers, a suitable texture to start with is the top priority. |
| Gluten and other grains | Check the current allergen information for rye, wheat and any mention of other gluten-containing grains. | If I need to take account of dietary arrangements or childcare rules, I want to know which grains are in this particular bread. Checking allergens comes first for around 30% of consumers. |
| Fibre and salt | Compare the salt content per 100 g and read the ingredients; don’t let a mention of fibre or iodised salt distract you from checking the texture. | I want to consider the nutritional information without focusing on fibre alone. For around 20% of consumers, comparing ingredients and salt is the top priority. |
Smaakt’s wholemeal rye bread with linseed contains 5% linseed. For starting out with bread, the Voedingscentrum advises choosing a variety without kernels or seeds.
Read the ingredients list before comparing other features of a bread.
Rye bread contains rye, which contains gluten, and a recipe may also include wheat. For example, Jumbo’s Van der Meulen Rye Bread with Sunflower Seeds also lists wheat bran.
Check the current allergen information every time you buy, especially if there are specific dietary arrangements to follow.
A mention of iodised salt doesn’t tell you whether the seeds and texture of a bread are right for your child. The Voedingscentrum advises avoiding salty foods for babies where possible.
Check the salt content on the label and assess the bread’s texture separately.
Bolletje Fries Rye Bread is a useful point of comparison when you’re looking at the ingredients in rye bread.
Smaakt makes a wholemeal rye bread with linseed: an example of a seeded variety, not the kind of bread the Voedingscentrum advises starting with.
Van der Meulen Rye Bread with Sunflower Seeds shows you which ingredients you may find in a seeded variety.
You can assess this Bolletje rye bread alongside the advice to start with bread without kernels or seeds. Before buying, check the ingredients and shape of the bread on the current product packaging.
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Consider this rye bread for introducing bread only if the current ingredients list doesn’t mention kernels or seeds and you can serve it in a texture that’s suitable for your child.
The product name states that it comes in a 500 g pack. Also check the shape of the bread, allergens and salt content on the packaging.
It’s best not to choose seeded rye bread when introducing bread. The Voedingscentrum advises starting with brown bread or wheat bread without kernels or seeds after 6 months.
Offer bread once your child is used to practising with solid foods and can manage slightly lumpier textures. According to the Voedingscentrum, you can dip a crustless piece in breast milk or formula to soften it; always stay with your child while they’re eating.
No, rye is a gluten-containing grain. Also check the allergen information for the specific bread for wheat and any other relevant details; Bolletje lists both rye and wheat in its Fries Rye Bread.
No, a mention of iodised salt doesn’t make seeded bread a suitable first choice. The Voedingscentrum advises avoiding salty foods for babies where possible, so check the salt content and assess the texture and ingredients separately.
For opened dark rye bread, the Voedingscentrum recommends storing it in the fridge for up to two weeks or in the freezer for one to three months. Also follow the storage instructions on the packaging of the bread you buy.
