Who should consider these options?

If you want genuinely wholemeal bread

You’re looking for the texture of seeds and kernels, but don’t want to rely on a dark colour or the words ‘multigrain’. Check the wholemeal description and ingredients list.

If you’re buying bread for several days

You’re planning a few breakfasts or lunches at your holiday home. If there’s a freezer, you can freeze a whole loaf in portions and take out what you need each time.

If you need to consider allergens

You’re also buying for someone who may need to avoid sesame, for example. Check the allergen information on packaged bread, and ask about it before buying unpackaged bread.

What should you look for when buying?

Start by checking that the bread is described as wholemeal. Then choose a quantity that suits the length of your stay, and only after that compare the seeds, nutritional information and allergens in specific loaves.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Wholemeal base Read the product description and ingredients list. Seeds, ‘multigrain’ and a dark colour are no substitute for a wholemeal description. I want seeded bread without accidentally choosing a brown multigrain loaf. For around 42% of consumers, having a genuine wholemeal base comes first.
Quantity and storage Choose a loaf size that suits the occasions you’ll eat it, and check whether you can freeze it in portions. For a short stay, I don’t want to be left with half a loaf. That’s why around 33% of consumers prioritise planning how much to buy.
Seeds, nutritional information and allergens Compare fibre and salt per 100 g, and check which seeds and allergens are listed. If I’m buying bread for everyone, I want to know which seeds it contains and what anyone in the group needs to look out for. The type of seeds, nutritional values or allergens are the main concern for around 25% of consumers.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming ‘multiseed’ means ‘wholemeal’

    Seeded bread can also contain wheat flour. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that, for bread to be described as wholemeal, all the grain ingredient must come from wholemeal flour.

    If wholemeal is a must-have, check the product description and ingredients list.

  • Buying a whole loaf without a storage plan

    On a short stay, you may have bread left over before you’ve had a chance to eat it. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread keeps for 2 to 4 days in a kitchen cupboard and 1 to 3 months in the freezer.

    Count how many breakfasts and lunches you’ll need, and, if possible, freeze the loaf in portions on the day you buy it.

  • Only looking at the visible seeds

    The multiseed breads described here include ingredients such as sesame, cereals containing gluten and soya. You can’t see the full allergen information from the outside.

    Check the packaging or ask about allergens before buying unpackaged bread.

  • Assuming every loaf contains iodised baker’s salt

    The use of iodine-enriched baker’s salt is encouraged in the Netherlands through an agreement. This doesn’t guarantee that it’s used in every loaf.

    If iodised salt matters to your choice, check the ingredients list or ask the baker.

Brands to compare

Albert Heijn

AH Les Pains Boulogne heel is a wholemeal multiseed bread containing ingredients such as pumpkin seeds, linseed, sunflower seeds and sesame.

  • The product information lists the seeds, nutritional values and allergens.
  • Check the current packaging and availability at the shop where you plan to buy your groceries.

Jumbo

Waldkorn Volkoren Brood combines a wholemeal base with linseed, sunflower seeds and sesame.

  • The product information includes ingredients, allergens and nutritional values for you to compare.
  • The stated salt content of 1.01 g per 100 g applies to this loaf, not to Jumbo’s entire range.

ALDI

ALDI describes Waddenbrood heel as a dark brown wholemeal bread with seeds and grains. According to ALDI, Boeren volkoren meergranen heel also contains grains and seeds.

  • These product descriptions help you search for seeded bread more easily.
  • Check the label in store if the ingredients, salt content or allergens will influence your choice.

PLUS

At PLUS, it’s important to distinguish between wholemeal bread and bread with seeds: Korenlanders Rond licht meerzaden half is a brown multigrain bread.

  • The ingredients list makes the difference clear: this multiseed variety contains 30% wholemeal wheat flour and 22% wheat flour.
  • Don’t choose this variety if a fully wholemeal base is a must-have.

Dirk

Bakker van der Akker Boeren Extra vezels volkoren heel is a wholemeal bread worth comparing at Dirk.

  • The product description identifies the bread as wholemeal.
  • Check the ingredients for seeds and kernels if that texture is what you’re looking for.

Related products on Joybuy

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Is multiseed bread automatically wholemeal?

No. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, all the grain ingredient must come from wholemeal flour for a product to be called wholemeal. For example, PLUS Korenlanders Rond licht meerzaden half contains both wholemeal wheat flour and wheat flour, and is described as a brown multigrain bread.

How should I store wholemeal bread while staying at a holiday home?

If you have a freezer, freeze any bread you won’t eat soon in portions. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends storing wholemeal bread for 2 to 4 days in a kitchen cupboard or 1 to 3 months in the freezer. For packaged bread, also follow the date and storage instructions on the packaging.

Where can I check the allergens in seeded bread?

For packaged bread, read the allergen information on the packaging. For unpackaged bread, ask before you buy. Visible seeds don’t tell you which other ingredients or allergens are present.

Does Dutch bread always contain iodised baker’s salt?

No, don’t assume that it does. The Dutch agreement on baker’s salt encourages the use of iodine-enriched salt, but doesn’t guarantee that it’s used in every loaf. Check the ingredients list or ask the baker if this matters to your choice.