When choosing bread for tea time with children, start by making sure it is genuinely wholemeal, then decide whether the seeds, crust and portion size are right for your child. If the bread is going to school or nursery, check the allergens for that specific product and the setting’s rules. Check the label separately if you want to know whether baker’s salt or iodised salt has been used.
For a small snack, they want to know whether the bread is genuinely wholemeal. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre provides nutritional information for bread per slice; when comparing products, the ingredients and nutritional values per 100 g provide a more useful basis for comparison.
A finer wholemeal bread or a smaller piece may suit them better than a loaf with lots of visible seeds or a firm crust. A finer-textured bread isn’t necessarily a seeded bread, too.
They need to check the allergens in their chosen bread against the setting’s guidelines. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists allergens that consumers must be informed about, including cereals containing gluten and sesame seeds.
Start with the wholemeal base, then let the texture and intended use of the bread guide which pack and portion you consider.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal base and nutritional value | Check the product description and ingredients for wholemeal flour. Compare fibre and salt on the same basis, for example per 100 g. | When I’m looking for wholemeal bread, I don’t want to rely on its dark colour or the word ‘multigrain’ alone. For around 40% of consumers, checking the type of bread and its nutritional information comes first. |
| Texture and portion size | Look at the visible seeds, crust and shape of the loaf; decide whether a smaller piece or a finer-textured wholemeal alternative would be suitable. | My child isn’t keen on coarse crumbs or a firm crust, so I want to choose a portion that suits this eating occasion. This is the most important consideration for around 40% of consumers. |
| Allergens and packing | Read the latest allergen information for the exact bread and check the school or nursery’s guidelines. If the bread is unwrapped, ask about allergens before buying it. | If the bread is going to school, I need to know in advance which ingredients and allergens are relevant to us and the setting. This check is the deciding factor for around 20% of consumers. |
A dark colour or several types of grain doesn’t confirm that all the grain ingredients are wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, a product may be described as wholemeal if 100% of its grain ingredients are wholemeal flour.
So check the product description and ingredients, even if the bread is topped with seeds or kernels.
Allergens vary from one bread to another. For example, PLUS also lists sesame, soya and milk for its Korenlanders Volkoren meergranenbollen.
Read the information for the exact product you’re buying and take the school or nursery’s guidelines into account.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So you can’t tell whether it’s been used just from the type of bread.
For packaged bread, check the label; for unwrapped bread, ask which type of salt has been used.
Visible seeds, coarse crumbs or a firm crust may be exactly why a child doesn’t want to eat the bread.
If that texture is a known sticking point, try a smaller piece or consider a finer-textured wholemeal bread as an alternative.
AH Vloerbrood volkoren heel is an example of wholemeal bread with named seeds.
Jumbo describes its Schotel Meergranen Volkoren as a whole, wholemeal multigrain loaf with kernels and seeds.
Lidl lists a kids’ bread made with extra-finely milled wholemeal flour, as well as a separate Haverspeltbrood with seeds and kernels.
ALDI describes wholemeal breads and lists seeds and grains in a separate extra-high-fibre wholemeal bread.
For its Korenlanders Volkoren meergranenbollen, PLUS lists wholemeal wheat flour and various kernels and seeds, among other ingredients.
Dirk’s range includes wholemeal products and a Boeren meerzadenbrood.
No, multigrain doesn’t automatically mean wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, a product may be described as wholemeal if 100% of its grain ingredients are wholemeal flour. So check the product description and ingredients.
No, other allergens may also be relevant, including sesame. Read the latest allergen information for the bread you’ve chosen and check the school or nursery’s policy. If the bread is unwrapped, ask about allergens before buying it.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. Check the label on packaged bread or ask which type of salt has been used in unwrapped bread.
