If you’re buying white bread for toasties or filled snacks on your first shop, start by looking at white toastie bread or sliced square or tin-shaped white bread. The name doesn’t guarantee thick slices, so check the packaging or have a look in store. If you’re not sure how much bread you’ll use, buying half a loaf or freezing it in portions straight away can help reduce waste.
If you’re buying bread for filled snacks for the first time, a pre-sliced loaf is a practical place to start. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list white toastie bread in their ranges, but check for yourself that the slices are thick enough for what you want to make.
If you’re not sure how quickly you’ll get through the bread, you could buy half a loaf or divide a larger loaf into portions and freeze it after purchase. That way, you don’t have to work out on day one when you’ll eat every slice.
You may prefer the taste and texture of white bread, while nutrition, ingredients and allergens may also influence your choice. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, white bread isn’t included in the Wheel of Five. If you have an allergy, always check the latest allergen information for the bread you choose.
First decide what you’ll use the bread for, then check the thickness of the slices. Next, choose a loaf size that suits how much you’ll eat, and check the label if nutritional information or allergens matter to you.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Slices for snacks | For white toastie bread or sliced square or tin-shaped white bread, check the actual slice thickness. The product name alone doesn’t tell you how thick the slices are. | For toasties, I want slices that suit my filling and how I’m making them, not just a loaf sold as toastie bread. Around 33% of consumers put slice thickness for snacks first. |
| An easy choice | Choose a familiar type of sliced bread and check whether it’s available in the size you want. | For my first shop, I want to pick a white loaf for everyday sandwiches without having to make a long comparison. For around 25% of consumers, simplicity matters most. |
| Using up the bread | Choose a whole or half loaf to suit how much you’ll eat, and check the storage advice on the packaging. | If I don’t eat many sandwiches, I want to avoid leaving a whole loaf uneaten. Around 25% of consumers put reducing waste first. |
| Label and nutrition | Compare the nutritional information and, if you have an allergy, check the latest ingredients and allergen information. Look at product-specific details if baker’s salt is relevant to your choice. | I want to know what’s in my bread before deciding based on taste or texture. Around 17% of consumers give nutritional information or allergens their highest priority. |
Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS list toastie bread, but the name doesn’t guarantee a particular slice thickness. The shape of square or tin-shaped white bread doesn’t tell you how thickly it’s been sliced either.
If firm, even slices are essential for you, check the packaging or ask in store about the slice thickness.
If you’re not sure how much bread you’ll use, some of it could be left uneaten and go stale or spoil.
Choose half a loaf if that suits how much you’ll eat, or divide a larger loaf into portions and freeze it after purchase. Follow the storage advice on the packaging.
White bread may be handy for a toastie, but that doesn’t automatically make it part of the Wheel of Five. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre doesn’t include white bread in it.
If nutrition matters to you, compare the nutritional information. You could also consider wholemeal bread if you’d prefer a type of bread included in the Wheel of Five.
Recipes and allergen information can vary from one product to another. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, iodine compounds may only be added to bread via baker’s salt. This doesn’t tell you how much iodine is in an individual loaf.
If you have an allergy, check the latest label. For questions about iodine, look for information about the specific product.
These supermarket ranges give you a starting point for comparing types of white bread. Check the slice thickness, packaging and latest product information for the loaf you choose.
Lists white toastie bread and square white bread among its white bread options.
Lists half loaves of square white bread and white toastie bread.
Lists square white bread and half loaves of Goedhart white toastie bread.
Lists half and whole loaves of square white bread in its bread range.
Describes a whole loaf of tin-shaped white bread and also lists sliced bread.
Lists an 800 g white loaf in its Dutch range.
No, the label ‘toastie bread’ doesn’t guarantee a particular slice thickness. Check the packaging or the bread in store if thickness matters for your toastie or filled snack.
Choose half a loaf if that better suits how much you’ll eat, or divide a larger loaf into portions and freeze it after purchase. Follow the storage advice on the packaging for the product you choose. As a general guide, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping opened white bread with added fibre in a kitchen cupboard for two to four days, or in the freezer for one to three months.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, white bread isn’t included in the Wheel of Five. If you want to take nutrition into account, compare the nutritional information for the breads you’re considering rather than choosing by colour or name alone.
You can’t tell from the type of bread alone. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may only be present in bread via added baker’s salt. This rule doesn’t tell you how much iodine is in an individual loaf.
Check the latest allergen information on the packaging of the bread you’re buying. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the 14 most common allergens must be listed. If a product has changed or you’re buying it again, don’t assume the label is the same as the one you read before.
