Choose a whole or half unsliced tiger loaf if you want to decide how thick to cut the slices for generously filled snacks. Pre-sliced bread saves preparation time, but check that the slices suit your filling. For individual portions, tiger rolls are another option, but they are no substitute for thick sandwich slices.
If you want to tailor the slices to suit cheese, spreads or vegetables, look for a whole or half unsliced loaf that you can cut yourself before you set off. Check how it is sold: the name tiger bread tells you nothing about the thickness of any pre-sliced pieces.
If you also want to take nutritional value into account, compare the legal product description and fibre per 100 g. Albert Heijn lists 6.7 g of fibre per 100 g for AH Tijger volkoren heel; PLUS lists 6.4 g per 100 g for PLUS Volkoren tijger heel.
If everyone is taking a separate snack, tiger rolls can save you the work of slicing and portioning a loaf. However, a roll is a different shape from the thick, wide slices you cut from a loaf for a sandwich.
First decide whether you mainly want control over the thickness of the slices or need to pack portions quickly. Then compare the nutritional information and check the ingredients and allergen information on the label each time you buy.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Slice thickness | Check whether the whole or half loaf is unsliced, so you can cut it yourself. Only ask the in-store bakery to cut it thick if they confirm this is possible for that loaf. | If I’m adding generous fillings, I want to choose the thickness myself rather than rely on pre-sliced pieces. This is the main consideration for around 40% of consumers with this purchasing need. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Read the legal product description and compare fibre per 100 g; the tiger pattern doesn’t tell you whether the bread is wholemeal. | If I’m choosing between white and wholemeal, I want to know which type of bread I’m taking and what its nutritional value is. This choice matters most to around 30% of consumers. |
| Portions and storage | Compare a loaf you can slice yourself with pre-sliced bread or individual rolls. If you’re preparing food for several days, check the storage advice on the packaging. | I want to be able to portion snacks quickly or save some for a later part of my journey. Ease of portioning and storage comes first for around 20% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the current label for allergens and the ingredients used, including the type of salt listed. | Before choosing a type of bread, I need to check that the ingredients and allergens suit my needs. This is the top purchasing priority for around 10% of consumers. |
A loaf may be sold whole, in halves or pre-sliced; none of these descriptions confirms that the slices are the thickness you want. Pre-sliced pieces may therefore not be suitable for generous fillings.
Check that the loaf is unsliced if you want to choose the thickness yourself. If you want it sliced in store, ask whether they can cut that particular loaf to your preferred thickness.
The crust doesn’t tell you whether the bread is white or wholemeal. The white and wholemeal products from Albert Heijn included in this comparison also have different fibre values.
Read the legal product description and compare the fibre per 100 g of the products you’re considering.
Ingredients and allergens can vary between products, and product information can change. So even if the shape of a loaf suits you, its ingredients may not always meet your requirements.
Check the current ingredients list and allergen information on the packaging when you buy, especially if a particular allergen is important to you.
If you only need part of the loaf, the rest could dry out or go stale when you’re planning for several days.
Cut what you need for your journey and check the storage advice for the rest. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre suggests freezing bread in portions if you want to use it later.
These brands offer examples of different ways bread is sold and different types of loaf. Check whether each product is unsliced, pre-sliced, white or wholemeal; the brand name alone doesn’t tell you whether you can cut it into thick slices.
Albert Heijn offers, among other products, AH Tijger wit half and AH Tijger volkoren heel, so you can compare a half white loaf with a whole wholemeal loaf.
Jumbo Boeren Tijgerbrood Wit is a whole white wheat loaf with a tiger-patterned crust.
Lidl offers a whole tiger-patterned wholemeal farmhouse loaf in store.
ALDI describes Boeren tijger volkoren as a whole, pre-sliced loaf.
PLUS offers, among other products, a whole wholemeal tiger loaf, a whole white farmhouse tiger loaf and an individual white tiger roll.
Dirk offers Bakker van der Akker Boeren tijger wit heel, a whole white tiger loaf.
Take a whole or half unsliced tiger loaf and cut it to your preferred thickness before you set off. If you want the bread sliced for you, ask your local store whether they can cut that particular loaf to that thickness.
If you want to compare fibre, check the type of bread and the nutritional information per 100 g, not the tiger-patterned crust. For the white and wholemeal versions in this Albert Heijn comparison, the figures are 1.6 g and 6.7 g of fibre per 100 g respectively. For the white Jumbo and wholemeal PLUS products compared here, they are 2.3 g and 6.4 g per 100 g respectively. These figures apply to those specific products and don’t tell you how thick the slices are.
Follow the storage advice on the packaging and, if needed, divide the bread into portions before freezing it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises keeping opened bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1 month. Check the bread before using it each time.
Check the ingredients list on the bread you buy; the name tiger bread doesn’t tell you. The official 2008 Agreement on the Use of Baker’s Salt defines baker’s salt as iodised table salt. The products included in this comparison use terms such as baker’s salt or iodised salt, but that doesn’t mean the same description applies to every tiger loaf.
