For your workplace canteen, start by choosing crispbread with clearly stated wholegrain status, ingredients and allergens. Then try it with familiar toppings to see which grain base your colleagues enjoy. Wholegrain wheat and rye offer an alternative to rye alone, but they are not a blend of white flour and wholemeal flour. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g too, and make sure allergen information is available before serving the crispbread loose.
If you’re buying for lots of colleagues, you could try wholegrain wheat and rye crispbread alongside a rye option. Familiar toppings make it easier to compare the different bases, without assuming that everyone will enjoy the same grain flavour.
For this choice, the wholegrain statement and nutritional information per 100 g are more useful than the colour of the crispbread. It’s also worth comparing fibre and salt separately.
For crispbread containing cereals with gluten or sesame, it should be clear which product is being served. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergen information must also be provided to consumers for non-prepacked food.
Start by finding out which grain base your colleagues would like to eat. Then check the wholegrain statement, nutritional information and allergens for each product. A wheat and rye option offers a different flavour from one made with rye alone, but it’s not a proven solution for every fussy eater.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and toppings | Try a wholegrain wheat and rye option and a rye option with familiar toppings before settling on a regular choice. | When I’m buying for different tastes, I want to know which base colleagues will actually top and eat. Around 33% of consumers rank acceptability as their top priority. |
| Wholegrains and fibre | Check the wholegrain statement and ingredients, then compare fibre per 100 g. | When choosing my lunch, I want to be able to see whether the crispbread is genuinely wholegrain, rather than judging by its brown colour. Around 27% of consumers put this check first. |
| Allergens | Read the current information on cereals containing gluten, sesame and the possible presence of other allergens. Keep this information accessible when serving the product loose. | If I’m serving crispbread loose in the canteen, it should be clear which product contains which allergens. This is the top concern for around 20% of consumers. |
| Salt and iodised salt | Compare salt per 100 g and check separately whether baker’s salt or iodised salt is listed, if relevant. | For my menu, I want to be able to compare salt without making assumptions about iodine based on the product type. Around 20% of consumers put this clarity first. |
A brown colour or visible seeds don’t tell you how much of the flour used is wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a product can only be called wholegrain if it is made entirely from wholemeal flour.
Check the wholegrain statement, then see which grains are listed in the ingredients.
The crispbread products reviewed may contain cereals with gluten or sesame. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says canteens must also provide consumers with allergen information for unwrapped food.
Keep up-to-date information for each product available at the serving point, and follow food safety procedures for serving equipment.
The product type doesn’t tell you whether iodised salt has been used. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers are not required to use baker’s salt.
If this matters for your buying decisions, check the ingredients list or ask the supplier which salt is used.
Once opened, stock needs to be stored appropriately. Albert Heijn and Jumbo recommend storing the crispbread products they reviewed in a dry place and sealing them well after opening.
Choose a pack size to suit expected usage and follow the storage instructions on the current packaging.
These product ranges offer different grain bases and pack sizes to compare. Always check the label on your chosen option when buying.
Wasa Wholegrain is a crispbread made with wholegrain rye, ideal for lunch with toppings.
Ryvita Dark Rye Crispbread is a rye option to consider once you’ve checked that the pack and ingredients are suitable for your canteen.
AH Wholegrain Crispbread, 375 g, combines wholemeal wheat and rye flour as a base for a lunch with toppings.
Jumbo Wholegrain Crispbread, 375 g, is another option made with wholemeal wheat and rye flour.
Lidl lists a 250 g product called Wholegrain Crispbread as a possible canteen option.
ALDI lists Goud Gebakken Wholegrain Crispbread in a pack of 25 pieces weighing 375 g.
These products include rye options, a grain option labelled wholegrain, and crackers as an alternative base for toppings. A cracker isn’t automatically the same as crispbread, so check whether the grain base and allergens on each pack are suitable for your canteen.
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A rye cracker for anyone who wants to try a topped option alongside a different grain base.
The product is described as sourdough rye; don’t assume everyone will enjoy the flavour. Before serving it loose, check the current pack for cereals containing gluten and other allergens.
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This grain option is worth trying alongside a rye cracker for a lunch with toppings.
Check the exact grain types, wholegrain statement and allergens on the pack you choose before making it a regular canteen staple.
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Another Wasa cracker to try with toppings if the texture of your lunch base is a factor.
Check the ingredients and allergens for this option separately; don’t infer its nutritional value from the product name.
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A wholegrain rye option for a lunch where you want to see how rye tastes with your chosen toppings.
Wasa’s Dutch product information for Wholegrain lists wholemeal rye flour, yeast and salt. When buying, check the label on this pack, especially the allergens and nutritional information per 100 g.
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This cracker offers a different option for a lunch with toppings from the rye varieties on this list.
Don’t treat the product name as proof that all the flour is wholemeal. Check the proportion of wholegrain ingredients and flour, as well as fibre per 100 g and allergens, on the current pack.
No. If a product is labelled wholegrain, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says it must be made entirely from wholemeal flour. A blend of wholemeal wheat and rye flour is therefore different from a blend containing white flour. Check the ingredients for the option you choose.
Don’t assume so. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers are not required to use baker’s salt. If the type of salt used matters for menu planning, check the label or ask the supplier.
Make sure colleagues can access the allergen information before choosing their crispbread. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says this information must also be available for non-prepacked food, so keep up-to-date details for each product served accessible at the serving point.
No. Rye and wheat are cereals containing gluten. Don’t treat a wholegrain statement as a gluten-free label. For a gluten-free option, check the specific product label and information about how it is served.
Store the crispbread in a dry place and seal the pack well after opening. The Albert Heijn product information reviewed also recommends keeping it in a sealed container. Follow the instructions on the current pack for each option you choose.
