If you regularly take sourdough bread with you for lunch at university, first check whether it is actually wholemeal: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread contains more fibre than white bread. Then choose according to when you plan to eat it: either a loaf whose label you can compare in advance, or freshly baked bread from a shop that you plan to eat soon after buying. Check the ingredients, allergens and salt per 100 g for each product. If bread is one of your regular sources of iodine, also check whether iodised salt is listed.
If sourdough bread is often your lunch, you may want to know whether it is wholemeal too. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread contains more fibre than white bread; the word ‘sourdough’ alone doesn’t tell you which flour has been used.
You may be choosing mainly for the sourdough flavour and crust, and picking up a fresh loaf in a shop for lunch. Check separately whether the variety you choose is wholemeal.
If you have questions about ingredients, allergens, salt or iodised salt, the information for the specific loaf is what matters. If you choose a seeded variety, check the allergen information and any warnings about cross-contamination too.
If wholemeal matters for your regular lunch, start by checking that it is labelled as such. Then compare the nutritional information and decide whether flavour, when you plan to eat it or how you prefer to buy it will help narrow down your choice.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for ‘wholemeal’ and compare the fibre per 100 g shown on the packaging. | If I often have bread for lunch, I don’t want to rely on the word ‘sourdough’; I want to see which flour has been used. Around 40% of consumers put wholemeal and fibre at the top of their shopping priorities. |
| Flavour and when you’ll eat it | For bread baked in a shop, ask which variety it is and think about how soon you’ll eat it after buying. | If I’m having lunch straight after buying it, I like to choose by the crust and sourdough flavour. For around 30% of consumers, flavour and freshness take priority. |
| Ingredients and labelling | Read the allergen information and compare salt per 100 g; if needed, check whether iodised salt has been used. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients or want to know which salt has been used, I need to be able to check the specific loaf. Ingredients and label checks are a top priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Planning and availability | Check whether you need to buy the variety in store and whether the packaging includes freezing instructions. | If I’m planning several campus lunches in advance, I want to know how to buy and store the bread. For around 10% of consumers, this is the most important consideration. |
Sourdough alone doesn’t tell you which flour has been used. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre distinguishes wholemeal bread from white bread partly by its fibre content.
Check the wholemeal label and ingredients before choosing based on the crust, seeds or sourdough flavour.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers’ salt is iodised, but bakers don’t have to use it in every loaf. The type of salt can therefore vary from product to product.
Look for ‘iodised salt’ or ‘bakers’ salt’ on the label, or ask the baker if it matters to your choice.
Wheat-based sourdough bread may contain wheat and gluten. For other ingredients or possible cross-contamination, check the information for the specific variety.
Read the current ingredients and allergen information every time you buy, even if you already know the product name.
Jumbo says its rustic sourdough breads are baked in store and aren’t available to order online.
If you’re planning a lunch, check how to buy the variety you want. If you’d like to keep bread for several lunches, check the freezing instructions for the specific product.
If a loaf is only available in store, you may need to make an extra trip to the shops.
The features listed below apply to the specific loaves or product ranges mentioned, not to every sourdough bread from the same brand.
Albert Heijn’s product information lets you compare some packaged wholemeal sourdough breads by ingredients, nutritional value and storage instructions.
Jumbo describes a range of rustic sourdough breads that are freshly baked in store.
Lidl lists a Rustiek volkoren desembrood, described as wholemeal wheat sourdough bread.
PLUS’s Korenlanders range includes a Kleintje desembrood volkoren maanzaad.
Dirk lists both wholemeal bread and sourdough in its bread range.
No. Sourdough and wholemeal describe different things: ‘sourdough’ doesn’t tell you which flour has been used. For a wholemeal campus lunch, look for the wholemeal label and check the ingredients list.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers’ salt is iodised, but its use in bread isn’t compulsory. Check the bread’s label or ask the baker which salt has been used.
No. The word ‘sourdough’ doesn’t mean that bread is free from gluten or wheat. The wholemeal sourdough breads mentioned from Albert Heijn contain wheat. Check the ingredients, allergens and any cross-contamination warnings for every variety.
Check the storage instructions for the bread you want to buy. Albert Heijn says that AH OerDesem volkoren Allinson can be frozen at home on the day of purchase. According to Jumbo, you’ll need to visit a shop to buy the rustic sourdough breads described, as they aren’t available to order online.
