If you want to choose how thick your work-lunch sandwiches are, look for a whole loaf you can slice yourself. A coarse or pre-sliced loaf may take less preparation, but its name doesn’t tell you how thick the slices are. Check the slice before choosing bread for generous fillings. If wholemeal matters to you, check the product description rather than relying on its colour.
If you’re adding several layers or moist fillings, you’ll want to check whether the size and slice of the bread suit your lunch. With a whole loaf, you can slice it yourself; with pre-sliced bread, check the actual slices.
For you, the wholemeal label is a separate buying criterion from slice thickness. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, a product can only be called wholemeal if all its grain ingredients are wholemeal flour. A dark colour doesn’t tell you that.
If you don’t want to slice your own bread, you could start with a pre-sliced option. Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Lidl, ALDI, PLUS and Dirk offer a range of breads. Before you buy, check which version is available at your store and how it’s sliced.
First decide whether you want to choose the thickness yourself or need bread that’s already sliced. Then check separately whether the wholemeal label and nutritional information for that specific loaf meet your needs.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Slicing and size | Look at the slices or ask how the bread is cut. Choose a whole loaf if you want to decide on the thickness yourself, and check that the sandwich will fit in your lunchbox. | If I’m adding generous or moist fillings, I want to check in advance whether the bread will work for my lunch. Around 40% of consumers say this is their top priority. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for the wholemeal label on the product and, if you wish, compare the fibre per 100 g in the nutritional information. | If I take bread to work every day, I want to be able to identify wholemeal bread without relying on its colour. For around 30% of consumers, this nutritional choice comes first. |
| Preparation and availability | Check whether the bread you’ve chosen is available pre-sliced, and confirm it’s available at your store or for delivery to your address. | On a working day, I want to prepare my lunch without having to slice the bread myself. For around 30% of consumers, convenience matters most. |
A coarse texture, dark colour or rustic name doesn’t tell you how the bread is sliced. A coarse loaf may have slices that aren’t right for your fillings.
Look at the slices, ask how the bread is cut or choose a whole loaf if you want to decide on the thickness yourself.
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, a product can only be labelled wholemeal if all its grain ingredients are wholemeal flour. Its colour or the name ‘multigrain’ is no substitute for this.
Check the label and ingredients of the specific loaf. If you want to compare products by fibre content, check the nutritional information per 100 g too.
A general reference to baker’s salt doesn’t tell you which ingredients were used in a particular loaf.
If the iodine information matters to you, check the product’s ingredients or ask the baker or supplier.
A range page doesn’t show you what the slices look like at your local branch. For example, Lidl lists Knip volkoren as a product available in store only.
Check availability at your chosen store and look at the packaging and slices before planning to use the bread for several packed lunches.
Albert Heijn lists wholemeal bread in both whole-loaf and sliced versions, among other options.
Jumbo lists Grof Volkoren and Fijn Volkoren among its wholemeal breads.
Lidl lists Knip volkoren as an 800 g sliced loaf.
ALDI lists sliced Fijn Volkoren and other wholemeal breads, among other products.
PLUS lists Grof volkoren heel alongside its wholemeal bread category.
Dirk features bread categories including wholemeal, multigrain and sourdough.
These round loaves are a good fit if you want to choose how your work-lunch bread is sliced. Packaging varies, so check how your chosen product is delivered and prepared, then assess the slices before using it for generous fillings.
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For anyone who wants to slice their own bread for a packed lunch and is looking for a wholemeal option. The product name specifies two round loaves weighing 550 g each.
Allow time to defrost, bake and cool the bread before slicing it. Once prepared, check whether the slices work with your fillings.
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The 550 g version is for anyone who wants to choose how the bread is sliced and looks for a wholemeal option.
Allow time to defrost, bake and cool the loaf. Then check whether the slices are the right size for your lunch.
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A multigrain option in a pack of two 550 g round loaves, for anyone who wants to slice their own bread for lunch.
This bread needs to be defrosted, baked and cooled before slicing. If wholemeal is essential for you, check the label and ingredients on the packaging; multigrain doesn’t mean the same as wholemeal.
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The 550 g multigrain version is for anyone who wants to slice their own bread for a packed lunch once it’s ready.
Allow time to defrost, bake and cool the bread before slicing it. If you’re specifically looking for wholemeal bread, check the packaging separately, and make sure the slices suit your fillings.
No, ‘coarse’ doesn’t indicate slice thickness. Check how the bread you’ve chosen is actually sliced, or ask about the cut if thickness matters for your fillings.
Look for the wholemeal label on the product, rather than relying on its colour. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, a product can only be called wholemeal if all its grain ingredients are wholemeal flour.
No, the name ‘multigrain’ on its own doesn’t confirm that a loaf is wholemeal. If you’re looking for wholemeal bread, check the specific label and the ingredients of the loaf you want to buy.
Don’t assume that’s the case for a particular loaf. If you want to know which salt was used, check the ingredients or ask the baker or supplier.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging of the bread you’ve chosen. Jumbo recommends keeping its Grof Volkoren in a cool, dark place. For sandwiches with fillings, you’ll also need to follow the storage instructions for those fillings.
