If you want to choose how thick the slices are for a packed lunch, look for a white loaf that is definitely sold unsliced. Pre-sliced sandwich or toast bread saves you the effort of cutting it, but the name doesn’t tell you how thick each slice is. Whichever you choose, check the latest allergen information and the school’s policy. If bread features regularly in your packed lunches, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as often as possible.
If you’re making a generously topped sandwich or a substantial snack, you’ll want to choose the thickness of the slices yourself. Look for a loaf that’s available unsliced. The word ‘whole’ on its own doesn’t confirm that the loaf is unsliced.
Pre-sliced sandwich or toast bread saves time on a busy school morning. Check the slices before counting on them to be a particular thickness: product names don’t specify this.
Check what your child can eat and what the school allows in food brought from home. The white breads reviewed from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS list wheat or cereals containing gluten. Always check the current packaging for the specific loaf you choose.
First decide whether choosing the thickness yourself or having pre-sliced bread that’s quick to top matters more. Then check the allergens, storage instructions and nutritional information for each loaf.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing the slice thickness yourself | Check whether the loaf is sold unsliced, or ask whether the baker can cut it to your preferred thickness. | For a generously topped school sandwich, I want to decide how thick the slice is myself, even if cutting it at home takes longer. Roughly 33% of consumers put this control first. |
| Making lunch quickly | Check whether the bread is pre-sliced and whether the slices are suitable for the filling. | When I need to fill several lunchboxes at once, I don’t want to slice every piece of bread myself. For around 25% of consumers, convenience matters most. |
| Allergens and school rules | Read the current ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements, and ask the school about its rules. | If an allergen needs to be avoided or the school has rules about food in the classroom, that determines what lunch I can pack. For around 25% of consumers, this is the key consideration. |
| Nutritional information for regular packed lunches | Compare factors such as fibre per 100 g and consider whether wholemeal or brown bread would work for your packed lunch. | If bread goes to school often, I want to consider its nutritional value as well as the flavour I’m looking for. Around 17% of consumers give this top priority. |
These words don’t tell you how many millimetres thick each slice is. A whole loaf may already be sliced.
Look at the slices in store, ask for thick-cut bread or choose a loaf you’ve confirmed is sold unsliced.
The ingredients and statements about possible allergens vary between the breads reviewed. The name ‘white bread’ doesn’t give you enough information.
Read the current packaging for the loaf you choose, including the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements, and make sure your packed lunch meets the school’s rules.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt in bread isn’t compulsory. You can’t tell whether it has been used simply by looking at the type of bread.
If you want to know whether it’s included, check the ingredients list or ask the baker.
Finding the right slice thickness doesn’t automatically answer the question of which bread to use regularly for a school packed lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as often as possible.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and consider wholemeal or brown bread for regular packed lunches too.
These examples show the types of bread and product information you may come across. Check the slice thickness and current label for the specific loaf you choose.
Albert Heijn describes AH Extra lang lekker casino wit heel as suitable for sandwiches and toasties, among other things.
Jumbo offers Tosti Brood Wit - Half, among other products, for anyone looking for bread for toasties.
PLUS lists Beiers Vloerbrood wit heel as a whole loaf of bread.
Dirk’s range includes varieties such as casino, farmhouse, round and tiger white bread.
ALDI describes a whole white loaf baked in a tin.
Lidl lists an 800 g white loaf that’s available in store.
No, the name of the bread doesn’t specify the thickness of each slice. The Albert Heijn and Jumbo product pages reviewed do mention uses for sandwich and toast bread, but don’t state the slice thickness. If thickness is important, check the slice yourself.
Choose a loaf that you’ve confirmed is sold unsliced before you buy it. That way, you can decide on the thickness yourself, although cutting even slices at home takes more effort than using pre-sliced bread.
It depends on which allergens need to be avoided and on the school’s rules. The white breads reviewed from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS list wheat or cereals containing gluten. For every variety you choose, check the current ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements.
The product instructions for AH Extra lang lekker casino wit heel and PLUS Beiers Vloerbrood wit heel say to freeze the bread on the day of purchase and use it within one month. Follow the storage and defrosting instructions on the packaging for your loaf.
As well as slice thickness and toppings, consider the nutritional information when choosing your bread. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as often as possible. For specific products, you could compare the fibre per 100 g, for example.
