If you’d like to choose more wholemeal bread for everyday meals, look for the word ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread generally contains more fibre than white bread. If your family members mainly eat soft white bread, you could gradually replace some of your loaves with wholemeal bread, or compare high-fibre white bread with your usual choice. A high-fibre claim doesn’t automatically mean that bread is wholemeal.
If the taste or texture of wholemeal bread is a sticking point, switching gradually may be more practical than replacing every loaf at once. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre suggests mixing white and wholemeal bread as a way to get used to the different taste.
A clear product description makes it easier to choose bread for everyday meals. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is made with wholemeal flour and generally contains more fibre than white bread.
If you need several loaves, you can choose whole or half loaves to match how much your family actually eats. If consumption varies, being able to freeze bread is another practical consideration.
First, decide which bread your family enjoys and whether it needs to be wholemeal. Then compare the nutritional information per 100 g and choose a loaf size that suits how much bread you get through.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Taste and texture | Compare white, high-fibre white and wholemeal bread; if needed, gradually try more wholemeal bread. | If my family mainly eats soft white bread, I want to choose an intermediate option that they’ll actually eat. For around 36% of consumers, being happy to eat the bread comes first. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for the word ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging and compare the fibre content per 100 g. | For our everyday bread, I want to be sure that a dark colour isn’t mistaken for wholemeal. Knowing which type of bread we’re buying matters most to around 36% of consumers. |
| Quantity and storage | Choose whole or half loaves to suit how much you get through, and consider what you can freeze. | When the amount of bread we eat varies from day to day, I want to have enough at home without ending up with unnecessary leftovers. For around 21% of consumers, planning comes first. |
| Ingredients | For speciality bread, check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the current packaging. | If an ingredient is a deciding factor for someone in my household, I don’t want to rely on the name of a speciality bread alone. For around 7% of consumers, checking this is their main concern. |
The colour and number of grains don’t tell you whether all the grain ingredients are wholemeal flour. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre, for example, describes brown bread as a mixture of wholemeal flour and refined flour.
Look for the word ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging. For bread made with different types of flour, the ingredients list gives you a clearer picture of what it contains.
‘High-fibre’ doesn’t mean the same as ‘wholemeal’. So if you specifically want to buy bread made with wholemeal flour, you can’t rely on a fibre claim alone.
Compare the fibre per 100 g with your usual bread, and check separately whether the packaging says ‘wholemeal’.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes bread made with iodised baker’s salt as a source of iodine, but not all bread is baked with this type of salt.
If you want to know which salt is used in a particular loaf, check the label or ask the baker.
Albert Heijn lists a range of breads online, including white and wholemeal options.
ALDI lists freshly baked white and wholemeal breads in its range.
Lidl describes a kids’ bread made with extra-finely milled wholemeal flour as an option for families who pay close attention to taste and texture.
PLUS lists standard wholemeal breads and speciality bread products online.
Dirk lists white, wholemeal and multigrain bread online, among other options.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, brown bread contains a mixture of wholemeal flour and refined flour; ‘multigrain’ doesn’t mean ‘wholemeal’ either. If wholemeal is the type of bread you want to buy, look for the word ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging.
Not necessarily. A fibre claim and the product description ‘wholemeal’ tell you different things about bread. Compare the fibre per 100 g and check the type of bread separately on the packaging.
Start by choosing wholemeal for some of your loaves, then adjust the proportion as your family gets used to the taste. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre suggests mixing white and wholemeal bread as a way to make the change; choose the number of loaves to match how much your household eats.
No, don’t assume this without checking. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes bread made with iodised baker’s salt as a source of iodine, but the type of salt used can vary from one loaf to another. Check the label or ask the baker if you need this information.
Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for the exact loaf. A description such as ‘extra high-fibre’ or ‘reduced-carbohydrate’ doesn’t tell you by itself whether the bread is wholemeal or suitable for every member of your family.
