If a thick slice is essential for your late-night snack, choose a whole loaf that you can cut to your preferred thickness, or ask the shop if they can slice it thickly for you. Pre-sliced bread saves you the preparation, but check the slices before you buy; labels such as hearth-baked or wholemeal don’t tell you how thick the slices are.
You want to decide how thick to cut your bread to suit your toppings. Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS, among others, stock whole loaves; check whether you can slice your chosen loaf yourself or ask for it to be cut thickly.
You want to make a sandwich or toast without having to slice a loaf first. Albert Heijn and Jumbo offer both whole and sliced loaves. If you choose pre-sliced bread, check whether the slices are right for your snack.
You like to choose wholemeal bread and compare its nutritional information, including fibre per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes wholemeal bread as high in fibre; you’ll need to check separately whether the slices are thick enough.
First, decide whether you want to slice the bread yourself or add your toppings straight away. Then check whether the type and quantity of bread are right for what you want to make.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing the slice thickness yourself | Check whether the bread is sold whole and whether you can slice it yourself or ask for it to be cut thickly. | For generous toppings, I want to be able to cut a slice thick enough myself. Having control over the slice is a priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Adding toppings straight away | Check whether the bread is pre-sliced and look at the thickness of the slices. | If I want to make a quick sandwich late at night, I don’t want to have to slice a loaf first. For around 29% of consumers, being able to use the bread straight away matters most. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Read the product description and compare the fibre per 100 g in the nutritional information for similar breads. | If you choose wholemeal bread for a late-night snack, you’ll also want to compare the nutritional information. Around 21% of consumers prioritise wholemeal and fibre. |
| Quantity and food waste | Check whether a whole or half loaf is right for you, and read the product’s storage or freezing advice. | For a single snack, I don’t want to be left with a whole loaf and no plan for the rest. Choosing the right quantity is the main concern for around 14% of consumers. |
Tiger bread, hearth-baked bread, farmhouse bread and wholemeal bread describe the type of bread, not how thickly it has been sliced.
Check the slices if you’re buying pre-sliced bread. If you want to choose the thickness yourself, look for a whole loaf and ask about slicing options if needed.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use bakers’ salt. So you can’t tell whether bread contains it from the type of bread alone.
For packaged bread, look for bakers’ salt or iodised salt in the ingredients list. If the bread is unwrapped, ask what salt has been used if this matters to you.
A product’s ingredients can change. When it comes to allergens, the information on the current packaging is what matters.
Before eating the bread you’ve bought, read the ingredients list on the packaging. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says allergens are clearly highlighted there.
A whole loaf lets you choose the thickness of your slices, but the amount left over still needs to suit how much bread you use.
Consider a smaller loaf if thick slices aren’t essential. If you want to freeze some, follow the storage advice for the product you’ve chosen.
Its online bread range includes whole and sliced loaves, including hearth-baked and wholemeal varieties.
Jumbo offers whole, half and sliced loaves, among other options, in a range of bread types.
The in-store range includes freshly baked, pre-packed and bake-at-home bread, among other options.
The daily fresh range includes hearth-baked bread, wholemeal bread and whole or half loaves, among other options.
PLUS offers a range of whole and half wholemeal loaves, including hearth-baked varieties.
The bread range includes wholemeal bread, sourdough, hearth-baked bread and bake-at-home products, among other options.
This round wholemeal loaf is a good choice if you want to decide the slice thickness yourself and have time to defrost, bake and cool it first. It’s not ready to have toppings added straight away.
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A good option if you want to choose the slice thickness yourself and don’t mind a little preparation.
Defrost, bake and cool the bread before slicing. Check the latest preparation instructions and make sure you can cut it to your preferred thickness.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use bakers’ salt. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that bread may contain iodine from bakers’ salt; that doesn’t mean every loaf contains it. Check the ingredients list on packaged bread, or ask what salt has been used if the bread is unwrapped.
Read the ingredients list on the current packaging before eating the bread. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, allergens are clearly highlighted there, for example in bold or capital letters. Don’t rely solely on online information you’ve seen before.
Choose an amount you can use or store, and check the bread’s storage advice. For PLUS Grof volkoren heel, PLUS says you can freeze it on the day you buy it and use it within one month; for other breads, follow the product’s own instructions.
