Choose sliced wholemeal bread if it’s to be a substantial part of your Christmas dinner alongside soup or savoury toppings. For a milder flavour, consider white bread. Before you buy, check the actual slice thickness and, if a guest has a food allergy, the latest allergen information.
You’re looking for sliced bread to serve with soup, salads or savoury toppings, and you’d also like to consider its fibre content. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread in particular is high in fibre.
You want bread that goes well with your toppings or starter and can be served without any slicing. Check the slices on the bread you choose: a label such as ‘medium sliced’ doesn’t specify an exact thickness.
You’re choosing bread for someone who needs to avoid certain ingredients. So check the latest allergen information for the specific product, rather than relying on the type of bread shown on the front of the pack.
First, decide whether the bread will be a substantial part of the meal or an accompaniment to your toppings. Then check the size and slice thickness. If someone has a food allergy, the latest allergen information is essential.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal base | Check the type of bread and its nutritional information, including fibre per 100 g. Choose a half or whole loaf to suit what you plan to serve. | If I’m serving bread with soup and savoury toppings, I want it to be more than a small extra, so I look for a wholemeal option. An estimated 42% of consumers prioritise this. |
| Matches the menu | Check whether the bread is sliced, and look at the slice thickness and size of the specific product. | When serving different toppings, I look for bread that lets the other flavours shine and is easy to put on the table. Around 33% of consumers prioritise how well it fits the menu. |
| Allergens | Read the latest ingredients and allergen information; ask for details if buying unpackaged bread. | If a guest has a food allergy, I want to know before serving whether the bread I’ve chosen is suitable for them. An estimated 25% of consumers prioritise this check. |
You can’t tell from the type of bread alone. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, organic bread usually doesn’t contain baker’s salt.
For packaged bread, check the ingredients list for baker’s salt or iodised salt. If buying unpackaged bread, ask about it.
Labels such as wholemeal, spelt and multigrain don’t tell you whether a loaf is suitable for a guest with a specific food allergy.
Use the latest information for the product you’ve chosen and, if in doubt, check with your guest in advance.
If bread is only a side dish, a whole loaf may be more than you need for dinner.
Consider buying half a loaf, or freeze any bread you’d like to use later in portions after buying it.
Sliced bread isn’t necessarily cut to the same thickness throughout. Even a product sold as sliced may not have the thickness you want for your toppings.
Check the specific loaf or ask in store about the slice thickness before you buy.
Albert Heijn includes a sliced spelt product in its bread range.
Jumbo includes Fijn Volkoren Half in its bread range.
Lidl lists a Fijn Volkoren loaf weighing 800 g.
Aldi lists a sliced Fijn Volkoren whole loaf and a sliced Boeren volkoren meergranen Half.
Plus includes a half loaf of fine wholemeal bread in its wholemeal range.
Dirk lists white bread, wholemeal bread, multigrain bread and sourdough, among other options.
These bread products are options to serve at Christmas dinner. Check each product to see whether its shape, size and slice thickness suit what you’d like to put on the table.
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If you’re considering rye bread to serve with savoury toppings, check whether its shape and slice thickness suit the way you’d like to serve it. If you have food allergies, read the latest information on the packaging.
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If you’d like to serve bread in individual pieces, check whether the size and slice thickness are suitable for the toppings you have planned. If you have food allergies, check the latest packaging information.
No, don’t assume it does. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, organic bread usually doesn’t contain baker’s salt. Check the ingredients for packaged bread, and ask about it if you’re buying unpackaged bread.
Follow the storage advice on the packaging and, if needed, freeze any bread you plan to serve later in portions. For opened fibre white bread, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends 2 to 4 days in a kitchen cupboard or 1 month in the freezer. Don’t assume these timeframes apply to other types of bread.
Check the latest allergen information if you’re buying bread for someone with a food allergy. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists cereals containing gluten among the relevant allergens; a name such as spelt or multigrain doesn’t replace the information on the label.
