For your weekly shop, choose a white loaf whose packaging or product page explicitly says it is medium-sliced: ‘whole’ and ‘half’ describe the size of the loaf, not the thickness of the slices. A whole loaf works if your household will use it in time or you can freeze it according to the packaging; if you get through less bread in a week, a half loaf may be more practical. Also check the ingredients, allergens and storage instructions for the bread you buy.
If you want to portion and freeze a whole loaf, check that it has the slice thickness you want and follow the freezing instructions for that product. PLUS says that Boeren wit heel can be frozen at home on the day of purchase; this advice does not automatically apply to other bread.
Compare a whole and a half loaf with how much your household actually eats in a week. ALDI offers both loaf sizes, while Dirk lists, among other options, a whole Casino white loaf. The size of the loaf alone does not tell you whether it is medium-sliced.
If ingredients, allergens, fibre or baker’s salt matter to your choice, check the information for the exact loaf. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the label tells you whether bread is made with baker’s salt; the product name or colour of the bread is no substitute for checking.
First check how the bread is sliced, then decide whether a whole or half loaf suits your weekly consumption. Before buying, also read the label if the ingredients or storage method affect your choice.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Slice thickness | Look for an explicit mention of ‘medium-sliced’. ‘Sliced’ confirms that the bread comes in slices, but not how thick they are. | For sandwiches, toasties or a lunchbox, I want slices that are already the thickness I need. For roughly 40% of consumers, the way the bread is sliced comes first. |
| Loaf size and storage | Choose a whole or half loaf to suit your weekly consumption, and read the storage and freezing instructions for the bread you’ve chosen. | If we don’t eat much white bread, I don’t want to be left with part of a whole loaf; freezing it could change my choice. Around 30% of consumers prioritise weekly consumption and reducing waste. |
| Label | Read the current ingredients, allergen and nutritional information, including fibre per 100 g, and check whether baker’s salt is mentioned if that matters to you. | When the ingredients in our everyday bread matter, I want to know what’s in this particular loaf. For around 30% of consumers, this label information is the most important factor. |
Whole and half refer to the size of the loaf. On Albert Heijn’s category page, some loaves are separately labelled as sliced, so the loaf size does not tell you how thick the slices are.
Check the slicing information on the packaging or product page, even if a different loaf is offered as a substitute with an online order.
An unsliced loaf also takes time to slice yourself.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, not all bread is made with baker’s salt. The name ‘white bread’ doesn’t tell you which salt was used in that particular loaf.
Check the label for baker’s salt or a mention of iodine. If the bread is sold loose, ask about the ingredients.
A name such as ‘white’ or ‘Casino white’ doesn’t tell you the fibre content per 100 g. To compare loaves, you’ll need the nutritional information for each one.
Compare fibre on the same basis, such as per 100 g, if it’s an important factor in your weekly shop.
These examples can help you check loaf size, slicing information and label details; a loaf described as whole or sliced is not necessarily medium-sliced.
Albert Heijn’s white bread range includes whole and half loaves, as well as products explicitly labelled as sliced.
Lidl describes its freshly baked and pre-packed bread; the retailer uses a fibre meter on packaged loaves.
ALDI offers, among other options, whole and half white loaves, and says that bread is also available in slices.
PLUS provides information about ingredients, allergens, nutritional values and storage for some of its white loaves.
The Bakker van der Akker range at Dirk includes, among other options, Casino wit heel and half.
No, ‘whole’ describes the size of the loaf, not the thickness of the slices. Look for an explicit ‘medium-sliced’ label on the packaging or product page; ‘sliced’ on its own doesn’t tell you how thick the slices are.
Follow the instructions for the bread you buy. PLUS says that Boeren wit heel can be frozen at home on the day of purchase and should be used within one month; other loaves may have different instructions.
Check the ingredients on the label for baker’s salt or a mention of iodine. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, not all bread is made with baker’s salt; if the bread is sold loose, ask which ingredients have been used if this matters to your choice.
Read the current allergen information for the specific loaf and compare fibre on the same basis, such as per 100 g. PLUS lists wheat, soya and milk among the ingredients in Boeren wit heel; don’t assume this applies to other white loaves.
