Choose a whole white loaf if you’ll use it up during your holiday lunches, or a half loaf if you’d otherwise have a lot left over. Compare the type and weight of the bread before treating a whole loaf, rolls and baguettes as equivalent quantities. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as much as possible. If you’re buying packaged bread, check the ingredients and allergen information too.
If you’re having lunch at home more often during the school holidays, it helps to match the amount of bread you buy to the number of lunches you’ll need it for. A whole loaf and a half loaf aren’t interchangeable.
A half loaf may be a better fit if you use less bread. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says you can also freeze bread in portions as soon as you buy it, then take out what you need each day.
Ingredients, allergens and nutritional information can vary between loaves. Albert Heijn warns that product information for AH White whole loaf may change, so check the current packaging.
Work out how much bread you’ll need for your lunches and whether you can freeze some straight away. Then check which type of loaf is available and read the label on the product you choose.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who is it important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Enough for several lunches | Compare the weights of whole loaves of the same type and think about how many lunches each will cover. | If bread is on the table every day, I want to have enough in the house without misjudging how much I need. Getting the quantity right matters most to around 33% of consumers. |
| Size and storage | Choose between a whole and half loaf. If you want to use some later, freeze it in portions as soon as you buy it. | When we eat different amounts of bread at lunch, I want to avoid having a whole loaf left over. Minimising leftovers comes first for around 27% of consumers. |
| Availability and type of bread | Check whether the bread you want is available in store, and whether you’d prefer slices, rolls or baguettes. | If I need to get lunch ready today, I want to be able to take home bread in a shape that suits the meal. An estimated 20% of consumers make this their top priority. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Check the current label for ingredients, allergens and fibre per 100 g. | If someone at the table needs to watch what they eat, I want to know what’s in this particular loaf. For around 20% of consumers, checking the label comes first. |
If your holiday lunches vary, you may find that bread gets left over. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it if you want to use it later.
Choose a half loaf if that better suits how much you eat, or freeze some of a whole loaf straight away.
Ingredients and allergens vary from product to product. Albert Heijn points out that product information for AH White whole loaf may change.
Read the ingredients list and allergen information on the current packaging before using the bread.
Lidl lists its 800 g white loaf as an in-store-only product. What you can take home depends on what’s available at the store you choose.
Check in store that the type and packaging of bread you want are available.
Albert Heijn lists white bread options online, including AH White whole loaf.
Jumbo lists a range of whole and half white loaves in its online selection.
Lidl lists an 800 g white loaf alongside other bread products.
ALDI’s fresh daily bread selection includes regular white loaves, tiger loaves and white rolls.
PLUS has an online category that includes standard sliced loaves, farmhouse loaves and sourdough loaves.
Dirk lists products including Bakker van der Akker Boeren tiger white whole loaf.
These Joybuy products are white rolls and baguettes for lunchtime. They’re different types of bread from a whole or half sliced white loaf, so check the number of pieces and the pack weight.
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Two individual baguettes can be a good fit for a lunch where you don’t need a whole sliced loaf.
The pack contains 2 baguettes weighing 300 g in total. Check the preparation instructions and allergen information on the current packaging.
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Individual rolls are a handy choice if you want to serve one per person at lunch.
The pack contains 4 rolls weighing 300 g in total. Check the storage and allergen information on the current packaging.
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This baguette is a different type of bread for a lunch with fillings than a whole or half sliced loaf.
The stated weight is 220 g. Check the preparation instructions and allergen information on the packaging before use.
Freeze it in portions as soon as you buy it, then take out what you need each day, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Also follow the date and storage advice on the packaging for the specific loaf.
You can have white bread for lunch, but the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends replacing it with wholemeal or brown bread as much as possible. Compare the nutritional information for each product rather than assuming all white bread has the same composition.
Check the ingredients list for the specific loaf to see whether it contains baker’s salt. Don’t assume a particular composition just because it’s labelled ‘white bread’.
Read the allergen information on the current packaging for the loaf you’ve chosen. The Jumbo white loaf we looked at lists wheat, but you’ll need to check the ingredients of other loaves separately.
