Parents introducing bread
If your baby is still getting used to lumpier textures, suitability for their stage of development comes before your preferred slice thickness. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends starting with bread without crust.
Who are these choices relevant to?
Parents who want to cut their own strips
An unsliced loaf lets you choose the shape and thickness yourself. That flexibility is handy, but a thicker strip doesn’t, by itself, mean the bread is suitable for your baby.
Parents checking allergens or childcare arrangements
If wheat, gluten, other allergens or childcare arrangements are a consideration, read the latest information for the bread you’ve chosen. For unpackaged bread, ask about allergen information before buying, as advised by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide whether your baby is ready for bread and what texture you can offer. Then choose between slicing it yourself and buying a loaf with a set slice thickness. Finally, check the information for the specific bread, especially if allergens or childcare arrangements are important.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it’s most relevant to |
|---|---|---|
| Stage of development and texture | Check whether you can offer the bread without crust, nuts or seeds. Assess the texture of the portion itself. | If my baby is still getting used to lumpier textures, I want to know first whether bread is suitable for this stage; for around 50% of consumers, this introductory texture comes first. |
| Thickness and strip shape | Check that the loaf is actually unsliced if you want to choose the thickness yourself; ‘whole’ doesn’t mean ‘unsliced’ for every product. | If I want to cut strips to size, a standard shop-bought slice gives me less flexibility; an estimated 30% of consumers put this control over shape first. |
| Allergens and taking bread with you | Read the latest ingredient and allergen information, and make sure any bread you pack fits the arrangements at your childcare setting or school. | When allergens or childcare arrangements determine my choice, I need to be able to check that information before buying; this is the main concern for around 20% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Treating ‘thick cut’ as a safety feature
The thickness of a slice doesn’t tell you whether your baby is ready for lumpier foods, or what the crust and any nuts or seeds are like.
Think of thickness as a choice of shape. When first introducing bread, follow the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s advice to offer it without crust, nuts or seeds, and supervise your baby while they eat.
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Confusing ‘wholemeal’, ‘multigrain’ and ‘extra high in fibre’
These labels don’t automatically tell you whether the portion contains crust, nuts or seeds.
Read the ingredients and look at the bread itself. When first offering bread, don’t rely only on a label on the front of the packaging.
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Relying on an old product page for allergen information
Albert Heijn and PLUS point out that product information can change. So a previous purchase or saved product page may not match the bread you’re buying now.
Check the current packaging every time. For unpackaged bread, ask about allergen information before buying.
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Assuming every loaf contains added iodine
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine can be added through bakers’ salt; this doesn’t tell you which salt was used in a particular loaf.
If the ingredients used matter to your choice, ask the baker or manufacturer about the specific loaf.
Shops and brands to consider
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn lists products including AH Rond volkoren heel, an option to consider if you want to slice the loaf yourself.
- An unsliced loaf lets you choose the shape of the strips yourself.
- Albert Heijn warns that information such as ingredients and allergens can change; check the packaging of the loaf you buy.
PLUS
PLUS lists products including Boeren volkoren heel and Rond fijn volkoren heel.
- The product descriptions give you a starting point for comparing the shape and texture of different loaves.
- Check whether the version you choose is sliced and read the latest label; PLUS notes that product and allergen information can change.
ALDI
ALDI lists both Fijn volkoren, which is described as sliced in the product information, and whole wholemeal loaves.
- You can weigh up a sliced fine-textured loaf against one you want to slice yourself.
- Check each product for nuts, seeds and crust; a label such as ‘extra high in fibre’ doesn’t answer that question.
Dirk
Dirk lists products including Vloerbrood volkoren heel and Bakker van der Akker Boeren volkoren heel.
- These whole loaves are worth considering if you want to check whether you can slice them yourself.
- Use the information for the product you choose to check its ingredients, allergens and actual shape.
Lidl
Lidl describes a kids’ bread made with extra finely milled wholemeal flour, and also offers a range of freshly baked bread.
- The finely milled version is an option to explore if you’re looking for a particular texture.
- The fresh range may vary by store; for the specific loaf, also check the crust, nuts, seeds and allergens.
Wholemeal bread to slice yourself on Joybuy
These two pack sizes of the same round wholemeal bread suit parents who want to cut their own strips. Once prepared, check whether the crust and texture are suitable for your baby’s stage of development; the pack size makes no difference to this.
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Lekhaven Bakkerij Whole Wheat Country Round Bread, 2 × 550 g
For anyone who wants to choose the shape of their strips. This pack contains two 550 g loaves; allow time to defrost, bake and cool the bread before slicing.
Check the latest ingredient and allergen information, and assess the crust and crumb before offering the bread to your baby.
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Lekhaven Bakkerij Whole Wheat Country Round Bread, 550 g
For anyone looking for a single loaf to slice into strips. The pack contains one 550 g loaf; allow time to defrost, bake and cool it.
Check the latest ingredient and allergen information, and assess the crust and crumb before offering the bread to your baby.
Frequently asked questions
When can my baby have bread?
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, you can offer your baby a small piece of bread without crust between 4 and 6 months, once they’re used to practising with solid foods, can sit upright and can swallow well. Start without nuts or seeds, and adapt the texture you offer to your baby’s development.
Is a thicker slice better for baby-led weaning?
Not necessarily: a thicker slice gives you a different shape, but says nothing about your baby’s stage of development or the bread’s crust and texture. With an unsliced loaf, you can choose the shape of the strips yourself; check the finished portion before offering it.
What should I check if I’m taking bread to childcare?
Read the latest allergen information and ask about the arrangements at the childcare setting in question. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for prepacked food is shown on the label, while information for unpackaged food must be available in another way before purchase.
Does every Dutch loaf contain iodine from bakers’ salt?
You can’t assume this is the case for every loaf. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine can be added through bakers’ salt; for a particular loaf, ask the baker or manufacturer which ingredients were used.
Can I freeze a whole wholemeal loaf?
Check the storage instructions for the loaf you’ve chosen: PLUS says that its Korenlanders Boeren tijger volkoren heel can be frozen at home on the day of purchase. After defrosting, check the crust and crumb again before offering a portion to your baby.