Who is this choice relevant to?

Parents looking for wholemeal bread for school days

You want to pair a tiger crust with a wholemeal base. Look for the ‘wholemeal’ label and, if you’re comparing products, check the nutritional information per 100 g.

Families who need to check allergens

You need the latest ingredients and allergen information for the specific loaf, and you’ll want to know what rules the school or class has about food brought from home.

Families planning school lunches in advance

You want to take only the slices you need from your supply. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it.

What should you look for when choosing?

Start with allergens and school rules. Then decide whether the type of flour, an explicit sourdough label or the loaf size you need matters most for your school lunch.

What to consider What to check when buying Who is it important to?
Allergens and school rules Read the latest allergen information, including any warnings about cross-contamination. Ask the school about its rules for food brought from home. If I’m packing bread for school and allergens are a concern, I want to check first that this particular product and the lunch arrangements are suitable. For around 33% of consumers, this would be the main consideration.
Wholemeal and fibre Look for ‘wholemeal’ in the product description and, if needed, compare the fibre per 100 g on the label. For a regular school lunch, I want to choose a wholemeal base deliberately rather than judge by the brown colour. Around 27% of consumers would prioritise wholemeal bread.
Sourdough and taste preferences Check that the bread is explicitly labelled ‘sourdough’; assess the type of flour separately. I’m mainly looking for bread that’s sold as sourdough, not just one with a tiger crust or rustic-sounding name. Around 20% of consumers would make sourdough their first selection criterion.
Size and supplies Work out how much bread you need and follow the storage and freezing instructions for your chosen product. If lunch plans vary, I don’t want to open a whole loaf every time I need just a few slices. For around 20% of consumers, managing supplies would be the most important consideration.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming a tiger crust means the bread is sourdough

    The crust and the way the bread rises are two different things. Albert Heijn and PLUS list baker’s yeast in the ingredients for their wholemeal tiger loaves; Lidl also describes a separate multigrain sourdough loaf.

    If you want sourdough, look for an explicit sourdough label, then check separately whether the bread is also wholemeal.

  • Confusing brown or multigrain bread with wholemeal

    According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour. Its colour or the name ‘multigrain’ doesn’t confirm that it is wholemeal.

    Check the product description when wholemeal is your deciding factor.

  • Guessing allergens from the name of the bread

    ‘Tiger’, ‘sourdough’ and ‘wholemeal’ don’t replace allergen information. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains which allergens must be listed on prepacked foods and what information consumers must be given about unpackaged food.

    Read the latest information for your chosen loaf, and ask for allergen information before buying unpackaged bread.

  • Buying a whole loaf without a plan for the leftovers

    If you only need a few slices for each school day, you’ll need a plan for storing the rest of the loaf.

    Choose a suitable size or, following the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s advice, freeze the bread in portions on the day you buy it.

Brands to consider

Albert Heijn

AH Extra lang lekker tijger volkoren heel is a wholemeal wheat loaf with a tiger crust.

  • The product information lists 6.7 g of fibre per 100 g and says it can be frozen at home.
  • The ingredients include baker’s yeast, so the tiger crust alone is no reason to choose this as a sourdough loaf. Check the latest allergen information.

Jumbo

Jumbo uses Goudeerlijk wit tijgerbrood as an ingredient in a lunch recipe.

  • The recipe shows which white tiger bread is used for that lunch.
  • For ingredients, allergens and any sourdough label, use the information for the bread itself, not the recipe.

Lidl

Lidl describes Bio rustiek meergranen desembrood, a 600 g loaf for anyone specifically looking for sourdough.

  • The product description calls it a brown multigrain sourdough loaf with seeds and kernels.
  • This isn’t tiger bread. Check the product information separately if a tiger crust or wholemeal base is also important to you.

Aldi

Aldi describes Boeren tijger volkoren heel and Boeren tijger wit heel as separate varieties.

  • You can choose between a wholemeal and a white tiger bread.
  • The variety names don’t confirm that the bread is sourdough. Check the ingredients and allergen information when you buy it.

PLUS

PLUS sells Korenlanders Boeren tijger volkoren alongside separate sourdough options.

  • Korenlanders Boeren tijger volkoren 1/2 lists 6.4 g of fibre per 100 g.
  • The ingredients for this tiger bread include baker’s yeast. The fact that PLUS also sells sourdough doesn’t make this loaf sourdough.

Dirk

Dirk describes Bakker van der Akker Boeren tijger wit heel as a white tiger bread.

  • The product name makes it easy to identify the white tiger bread option.
  • Check the ingredients, allergens and any sourdough label before choosing this product for a school lunch.

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Frequently asked questions

Is tiger bread made with sourdough automatically wholemeal?

No. Sourdough and wholemeal describe different characteristics of bread. Look for an explicit wholemeal label if you want a wholemeal base, then compare the nutritional information for the products you’re considering.

Can I pack tiger bread if gluten or wheat needs to be avoided?

Don’t rely on the name tiger bread: check the latest ingredients, allergen information and any cross-contamination warnings for the exact product you’ve chosen. A sourdough or wholemeal label doesn’t mean the bread is gluten-free. Also ask what rules the school or class has for food brought from home.

How should I store bread for several school lunches?

The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread in portions on the day you buy it, then taking out what you need. Also follow the storage and use-by information on the packaging of your chosen loaf.