If you want to cut thick slices yourself for generous toppings, check whether you can buy a whole white loaf and slice it at home. A square sandwich loaf or toastie bread is another option if even slices matter more; the name alone won’t tell you how thick or firm the slices actually are. For regular lunches, also compare the nutritional information, allergens and storage instructions for the bread you buy.
For a generously topped sandwich or open sandwich, you’ll want to be able to judge the size and thickness of each slice. Albert Heijn and Jumbo stock different types of white bread, including hearth-baked, tiger, square sandwich and toastie loaves. Check whether each loaf is sold whole or pre-sliced.
If you’re buying bread for several lunches, it helps to decide in advance which portions you’ll use and which you’ll freeze. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it, then taking out only what you need each day.
If fibre, salt or allergens are important to your choice, compare the current packaging of the breads you’re considering. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as much as possible, and highlights that common allergens must be clearly listed on the label.
Start with the lunch you want to make: the way a loaf is sold is key if you want to cut your own thick slices, while storage and nutritional information also matter for a regular lunch. Then check the packaging of the specific loaf.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Slicing and loaf shape | Check whether the bread is sold whole or pre-sliced, and look at the slices. If you’re slicing it yourself, also check that the portions will fit in your lunchbox. | For generous toppings, I want to choose how thick my sandwich is. Around 33% of consumers put the choice of slice style first. |
| Storage for working days | Read the storage advice and check whether you can divide the loaf into handy lunch portions. | If I don’t eat bread every day, I want to be able to keep unused portions for another working day. This is the main concern for around 27% of consumers. |
| Nutritional information | Compare fibre and salt per 100 g on the current packaging; if portion sizes vary, also check the amount per portion. | If I eat bread for lunch regularly, I want to know how white bread compares nutritionally with the alternatives I buy. This is the most important factor for around 27% of consumers. |
| Allergens and ingredients | Read the current ingredients list, allergen information and any cross-contamination warning. If you follow a gluten-free diet, also check the product’s own labelling. | If someone I’m making lunch for needs to avoid certain ingredients, I need to be able to identify the right product. Around 13% of consumers prioritise this check. |
Hearth-baked, tiger and round loaves have different shapes, but the shape doesn’t tell you how a particular loaf has been sliced.
If thickness matters, check how it’s sold and look at the actual slices. See whether you can slice the loaf yourself before planning several lunches around it.
Finding a slice that suits you doesn’t answer the question of what nutritional value you want from a regular lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as much as possible.
If you’re open to that option, compare the nutritional information for the specific white loaf with a wholemeal or brown alternative.
If you only need some of it for your next lunch, you’ll need to keep the remaining slices in a usable condition too.
Divide the bread into lunch portions after buying it and follow the storage advice on the packaging. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises freezing portions straight away and taking out only what you need each day.
Slices that dry out or go mouldy before you use them won’t be available for the lunches you’ve planned.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. Albert Heijn notes in its product information that the packaging is the definitive source.
Check the current packaging every time you buy, especially if someone you’re making lunch for needs to avoid an allergen.
These supermarket chains list different types of bread that could work for an office lunch. Compare how each individual product is sliced and what its packaging says, rather than looking at the chain’s name alone.
Albert Heijn lists white hearth-baked bread, white tiger bread and toastie bread, among other options.
Jumbo’s white bread range includes square sandwich, toastie and tiger bread, among other types.
Lidl describes a fibre meter on its packaged loaves.
ALDI’s freshly baked daily range includes white bread, farmhouse white tiger bread and white rolls, among other options.
PLUS offers online bread categories if you want to compare bread as part of a grocery order.
Dirk lists white bread alongside other types in its range.
These white baguettes are an option if you want to make a baguette lunch, but they’re not automatically a substitute for thick slices from a whole loaf. If thick slices are what you’re looking for, check how the baguette is sold and whether it can be sliced to your preferred thickness.
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A white baguette for anyone who wants to use this type of bread as the basis for lunch.
Bread weight: 220 g. Before buying, check whether you can slice it the way you want for your lunch.
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A rustic white baguette for a lunch made with this type of bread.
Bread weight: 250 g. If you want to cut thick slices, check how it’s sold and look at the slices.
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A pack of two white baguettes, ideal if you want to spread them across several lunches.
Pack size: 2 pieces, 300 g in total. Check how they’re sliced and the storage instructions when planning your lunches.
Don’t rely on the label alone: check the actual slices and see whether the bread is sold whole or pre-sliced. Albert Heijn and Jumbo’s range pages show different types of bread, but the type of loaf doesn’t guarantee a particular slice thickness.
You can’t tell from the type of bread alone. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, iodine compounds may only be present in bread, bread substitutes and other bakery products if they have been added through bakers’ salt containing no more than 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt. Check the bread’s ingredients or ask the baker if this matters to your choice.
Follow the bread’s storage instructions and divide larger quantities into portions. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it, then taking out what you need each day.
No, regular white wheat bread isn’t gluten-free. For a gluten-free lunch, check the labelling and ingredients of the specific product, and take care to avoid cross-contamination when preparing it. If you have a wheat allergy, you’ll also need to check the allergen information; a ‘gluten-free’ label alone won’t answer that question.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and, if your portions vary, per portion too. Look at fibre and salt, among other things. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as much as possible; use the packaging to compare the values for the breads you’re considering.
