For regular lunches for children, start by choosing the type of bread rather than focusing solely on the word ‘sourdough’: the Voedingscentrum recommends wholemeal and brown bread for children because of their fibre. If a fresh crust or warm bread is your priority for a particular lunch, in-store fresh bread or bake-at-home sourdough may suit your plans better. Check the ingredients, allergens, any mention of baker’s salt and the preparation time for each loaf.
If you regularly serve bread to children, you could start by choosing between wholemeal and brown bread. The Voedingscentrum recommends these types of bread for children aged 4 to 12 because of their fibre content.
If flavour and crust matter most for a particular lunch, freshly baked rustic sourdough from a shop is one option. Jumbo describes a range of sourdough breads that are baked in store; check what your local shop has available.
A smaller loaf or bake-at-home option could work well for a lunch with fewer people or at a set time. PLUS lists both a 300 g sourdough loaf and a white sourdough baguette that you can bake at home.
First decide whether the type of bread, serving it fresh or fitting it into your schedule matters most for your lunch. Then compare the labels of breads that suit your plans: the word ‘sourdough’ alone doesn’t tell you whether a loaf is wholemeal.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Type of bread and label | Check whether the bread is described as wholemeal or brown, and compare fibre per 100 g. If iodine matters to you, also check whether baker’s salt or iodised salt is listed. | If I’m preparing bread for children on several days of the holidays, I want to know what type of bread I’m buying rather than choosing based only on the word ‘sourdough’. This is the top priority for around 42% of consumers. |
| Freshness and crust | Check which rustic sourdough breads the shop offers and whether they can be served straight away at lunch. According to Jumbo, its sourdough breads are only available in store. | For a shared lunch, I mainly want to choose a loaf whose flavour and crust suit the people eating it; around 33% of consumers give this top priority. |
| Portion size and preparation | Compare the size and freezing instructions, or check what equipment you’ll need and how long a bake-at-home loaf takes to prepare. | When the number of people eating or the lunchtime varies, I don’t want to prepare more bread than we need. Planning matters most to around 25% of consumers. |
White bread can also be made with sourdough. Albert Heijn’s product information lists 6.5 g of fibre per 100 g for its wholemeal wheat sourdough bread; PLUS lists 3 g per 100 g for its white sourdough baguette.
Check the type of bread on the packaging and compare fibre on the same basis, per 100 g, if it matters to your choice.
Jumbo says its rustic sourdough breads cannot be ordered online. Lidl notes that its fresh bread range may vary from one store to another.
Check what’s available locally before planning a lunch around a particular freshly baked loaf.
You may need to make an extra trip to the shops if your chosen bread is unavailable.
PLUS’s small brown multigrain sourdough loaf lists cereals containing gluten and soya, among other ingredients, and may contain milk, sesame and lupin. The word ‘sourdough’ won’t tell you that.
Check the current label for every loaf if allergens are important to anyone eating it.
If the same number of people aren’t eating with you every day, you may have bread left over. Albert Heijn recommends freezing its wholemeal wheat sourdough bread on the day of purchase; PLUS lists a smaller 300 g sourdough loaf.
Choose a suitable size or follow the freezing instructions for that particular loaf if you want to use some of it later.
Bread that you don’t use or store in time may go to waste.
Albert Heijn lists a 600 g AH Liefde & Passie Dutch wholemeal sourdough loaf.
Jumbo describes a range of freshly baked rustic sourdough breads in eight varieties.
PLUS lists a small brown multigrain sourdough loaf and a white sourdough baguette for baking at home.
Lidl describes its Rustiek volkoren desembrood as wholemeal wheat sourdough bread.
ALDI describes a bread range spanning everything from white to wholemeal.
Dirk lists Wasa Knäckebröd Zuurdesem Rogge, 235 g.
No. ‘Sourdough’ doesn’t mean that a loaf is wholemeal. Check the type of bread and the ingredients on the packaging; Albert Heijn, for example, lists a wholemeal wheat sourdough bread, while PLUS also lists a white sourdough baguette.
Look for ‘baker’s salt’ or ‘iodised salt’ on the label. The Voedingscentrum highlights the importance of baker’s salt as a source of iodine in bread for children; don’t assume what type of salt is used based on the word ‘sourdough’.
Choose a size that suits the number of people eating and check the storage instructions. Albert Heijn recommends freezing its wholemeal wheat sourdough bread at home on the day of purchase; PLUS lists a smaller 300 g sourdough loaf.
Yes, as long as you choose a loaf that the label says is suitable for baking at home and you have the necessary equipment. For its white sourdough baguette, PLUS recommends 8–10 minutes in an oven at 220 °C or 4 minutes in a preheated air fryer at 200 °C; remember to allow time for preheating too.
