For your weekly shop, choose a whole white loaf with suitable freezing instructions if you want to save some for later. If you’re making sturdy toasties or generously filled sandwiches, check separately that the slices are thick enough: a label such as ‘casino’ or ‘suitable for toasties’ doesn’t confirm the thickness. Also check the latest ingredients and allergen information; according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, not all bread is made with iodised baker’s salt.
For a toastie, club sandwich or generously filled sandwich, you’ll want a slice that suits your filling. Albert Heijn describes its Extra lang lekker casino wit heel as ideal for toasties and club sandwiches, but that doesn’t tell you how thick the slices are. Check the slices or ask how the loaf is cut.
If you’re buying bread for several days, product-specific freezing instructions can help you plan. Albert Heijn says you can freeze AH Wit heel on the day of purchase and use it within a month. PLUS gives the same guidance for Boeren wit heel.
Ingredients, allergens and nutritional values can all influence your choice of white bread. If you want to know whether baker’s salt has been used, check the ingredients list: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, its use isn’t compulsory.
First decide what matters most to you: slices for filling snacks, bread to keep for later in the week, or the information on the label. Then check the other details for the particular loaf you’re buying.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Slice thickness for snacks | Look for a clear label indicating thick-cut bread, check the slices if possible, or ask how the loaf is cut. A toastie label doesn’t confirm the thickness. | If I’m making a generously filled sandwich, I want to know in advance whether the slice is sturdy enough for what I have in mind. Around 42% of consumers give slice firmness top priority. |
| Stocking up and freezing | Read the freezing instructions for the loaf you’ve chosen and think about how much you’ll want to defrost later. Albert Heijn and PLUS advise freezing certain whole white loaves on the day of purchase and using them within a month. | If I’m buying bread for several days, I want to be able to save some without defrosting the whole loaf at once. For around 33% of consumers, managing their bread supply comes first. |
| Label and nutritional information | Check the ingredients and allergens; compare fibre and salt on the same basis, such as per 100 g. Check the current label to see whether baker’s salt or iodised salt is used. | Before buying, I want to know which ingredients and allergens my bread contains and how its nutritional values are listed. The label is the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
Albert Heijn suggests toasties and club sandwiches as uses for its Extra lang lekker casino wit heel. That doesn’t tell you how thick each slice is, even though this could be important for the fillings you have in mind.
Check the slices on the packaging or ask in store how the loaf has been cut.
Not all types of bread come with the same storage instructions. Leaving a whole loaf unopened when you’ll only use part of it may not suit the way you eat bread for the rest of the week.
Read the instructions for the loaf you’ve chosen. If they say to freeze it on the day of purchase, divide it into portions you can defrost separately.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt in bread isn’t compulsory. Allergens and nutritional values also vary by recipe, so the shape of a loaf doesn’t tell you enough.
Each time you buy bread, check the current ingredients list, allergen information and nutritional information for that particular loaf.
Lidl says its listed 800 g white loaf is only available in store. At PLUS, availability can vary between selected stores.
Check what’s available at your store before planning your weekly shop. If you choose a different loaf in store, check its label and slice thickness again.
Offers products including AH Wit heel and Extra lang lekker casino wit heel. Albert Heijn says its casino loaf is suitable for toasties and club sandwiches.
Has a range of white bread types online, including casino, farmhouse and toastie loaves.
Lists an 800 g white loaf that is marked as available in store only.
Lists products including whole white bread and casino white bread in its bread range.
Offers a range of white breads, including Boeren wit heel.
Shows a range of white breads online, including casino white, farmhouse white and tiger bread.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread doesn’t have to be made with baker’s salt. Check the ingredients list for the particular loaf or ask the baker if you want to know which salt has been used.
Yes, if the instructions for that loaf allow it. Albert Heijn advises freezing AH Wit heel and Extra lang lekker casino wit heel on the day of purchase and using them within a month. PLUS gives the same advice for Boeren wit heel. Follow the latest instructions on the packaging of the bread you buy.
No. As well as wheat, white breads may contain other declared allergens or warnings about possible traces. Check the latest allergen information for the specific loaf each time you buy it; ‘casino’ or ‘farmhouse’ doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable.
Compare the fibre listed per 100 g so that you’re using the same quantity of bread as your basis. A value per slice can also be useful, but slices don’t always weigh the same; when comparing, check what quantity the nutritional information is based on.
