Choose a half white loaf that you can finish or store before its quality starts to deteriorate. For a quick sandwich or toastie, compare a half casino-style or farmhouse white loaf. If you don’t eat bread every day, check whether the option you choose is suitable for freezing. If fibre or ingredients matter to you, compare the label per 100 g: the words ‘white bread’ don’t tell you how much fibre it contains.
If you live alone or with one other person, half a loaf may suit your eating habits better. Check how much you’ll eat before the date on the bag clip and whether you can freeze the rest. The Dutch Bakery Centre highlights bread waste as something to consider.
If you’re having breakfast just before you leave, sliced bread that’s ready to top is handy. Albert Heijn and Dirk also suggest their half casino-style loaves for sandwiches or toasties; check that the pack you choose contains sliced bread.
If fibre, ingredients or allergens influence your choice, compare the nutritional information for the exact product. Jumbo lists 2.3 g of fibre per 100 g for its Casino Wit Brood - Half and 7.3 g per 100 g for its Wit Brood met Extra Vezels - Half.
Start with how much bread you’ll actually use. Then compare storage options and uses; take nutritional information and ingredients into account if they’re important to you.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size and storage | Check the net weight, the date on the bag clip and whether the exact product can be frozen on the day you buy it. | If I live in a small household and don’t eat bread every day, I want an amount I can finish or store without throwing away bread unnecessarily. This portion-size question matters most to around 42% of consumers. |
| Quick to use | Check whether the bread is sliced and whether the product description suits a sandwich or toastie. | Just before I leave, I want to be able to make breakfast without much preparation; a soft texture and ready-to-use slices are what matter most. Around 33% of consumers say convenience comes first. |
| Label information | Compare fibre per 100 g and read the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack. Check for baker’s salt too, if that’s relevant to your choice. | I want to know what this white bread contains, rather than relying on its name or a claim on the front of the pack. This is the main purchasing concern for around 25% of consumers. |
‘Half’ doesn’t tell you how many grams are in the pack. For example, PLUS lists Korenlanders Boeren tijger wit half as 400 g; check the weight separately for other products.
Compare the net weight and think about how many slices you usually use before the bread starts to deteriorate.
Jumbo describes its Wit Brood met Extra Vezels - Half as white wheat bread, even though it lists 7.3 g of fibre per 100 g. A fibre claim doesn’t change the type of bread.
Read the product name and ingredients alongside the nutritional information. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as much as possible.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread doesn’t have to be made with baker’s salt. So you can’t tell whether it’s present from the type of bread.
Check the ingredients for baker’s salt or iodised salt, or ask the baker if the packaging doesn’t make it clear.
A loaf shown online may not be in your local shop when you visit. Lidl says its fresh bread range can vary from one branch to another.
Check local availability if you’re going to the shop for a particular half loaf.
Albert Heijn describes AH Extra lang lekker casino wit half as a soft white wheat bread, suitable for toasties and sandwiches, among other things.
Jumbo offers both Casino Wit Brood - Half and a separate half white loaf with extra fibre.
Lidl sells oven-fresh and pre-packed bread in store.
ALDI lists half and whole loaves, including white bread, in its general bread range.
PLUS offers products including Boeren wit half and Korenlanders Boeren tijger wit half.
Dirk describes Bakker van der Akker Casino wit half as a soft bread for a quick sandwich or toastie.
No, ‘half’ doesn’t indicate a fixed weight. PLUS lists Korenlanders Boeren tijger wit half as 400 g; for other loaves, check the net weight on the packaging.
You can freeze varieties whose product information says they’re suitable for freezing. Albert Heijn says this about AH Extra lang lekker casino wit half, and PLUS says the same for Korenlanders Boeren tijger wit half; both should be frozen on the day you buy them. Follow the storage instructions on the exact pack.
No, a higher fibre content doesn’t make white wheat bread wholemeal. Jumbo lists 7.3 g of fibre per 100 g for Wit Brood met Extra Vezels - Half; check the type of bread and the nutritional information separately. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as much as possible.
No, according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread doesn’t have to be made with baker’s salt. Check the ingredients list on the loaf you choose, or ask the baker if you want to know which salt was used.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging for the exact product. The Albert Heijn and PLUS loaves described here list milk and soya as well as wheat; don’t assume another brand or loaf has the same ingredients.
