If you want to serve your guests bread made entirely with wholemeal flour, choose a loaf labelled wholemeal. A mix containing white flour does not automatically have the same composition. For fussy eaters, a fine-textured or soft wholemeal loaf could be worth trying. Also check the ingredients, allergens and whether baker’s salt has been used, and choose an amount that suits your group.
Wants to serve clearly identifiable wholemeal bread at a coffee get-together. They check the name of the bread, compare fibre per 100 g if needed, and look for baker’s salt or iodised salt in the ingredients list.
Is looking for a wholemeal option for guests who prefer to avoid coarse grains or a firm texture. In research published in 2017, the Dutch Bakery Centre noted a preference for soft-textured bread without grains.
Wants to serve enough bread without having lots left over. They compare half and whole loaves or individual portions, and check storage instructions and allergen information.
If fully wholemeal bread is your priority, start with the name of the loaf. Then choose the texture and quantity that suit your guests. In 2019, the Dutch Consumers’ Association explained that wholemeal bread is made with 100% wholemeal flour: colour and terms such as ‘best of both’ don’t tell you that.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal status and fibre | Read the name of the bread and the ingredients; compare fibre on the same basis, preferably per 100 g. | I want to serve fully wholemeal bread rather than relying on the dark colour of a mix. Around 46% of consumers choosing bread for this kind of coffee get-together put its composition first. |
| Soft texture | Look for a fine or soft variety without noticeable grains, and check that it is labelled wholemeal. | My guests may leave bread with coarse grains uneaten, so I’m looking for a texture they’ll be willing to try. For around 36% of these consumers, how well it goes down is the most important consideration. |
| Quantity and storage | Compare a half loaf, a whole loaf or individual portions; read the storage instructions and allergen information. | For a small group, I want to divide the portions without having lots left over. The right quantity is the first consideration for around 18% of these consumers. |
The colour, seeds and the word ‘multigrain’ don’t tell you whether all the flour used is wholemeal. You could end up buying a different type of bread from the one you intended.
Check the name of the bread first, then read the ingredients list. Brood.net points out that bread is labelled as white, brown or wholemeal.
A fine texture and the type of flour used are two different things. With soft bread, how it feels to eat it still doesn’t tell you what type of bread it is.
Use texture as a factor when choosing for your guests, but check separately whether the bread is labelled wholemeal.
According to the Dutch Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So you can’t tell whether bread contains iodised salt just from its type.
Check the ingredients list for baker’s salt or iodised salt, or ask the baker if this is important to your choice.
A half farmhouse wholemeal loaf with seeds and kernels gives you an example to compare when choosing bread for a smaller group.
The wholemeal bread range includes fine, coarse and half-loaf options.
Lidl says its wholemeal kids’ bread is made with extra-finely milled wholemeal flour.
ALDI lists fine wholemeal bread, as well as a separate extra-high-fibre wholemeal loaf.
PLUS Rond fijn volkoren heel is described on the product page as a wholemeal wheat loaf.
Bakker van der Akker offers a half farmhouse wholemeal loaf, for example, as a smaller bread option.
This Lebanese wholemeal bread comes in six individual portions. It’s a different style of bread from a sliced loaf for the table: choose it if it suits your serving plans, not as a substitute for a specific soft, finely sliced loaf.
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The six individual loaves are an option if you want to serve portions separately. This is Lebanese flatbread, not regular sliced bread; the product information lists wheat and cereals containing gluten. Check the current packaging for allergen information and to see whether it contains baker’s salt or iodised salt.
No. A mix of those ingredients isn’t the same as bread made entirely with wholemeal flour. In 2019, the Dutch Consumers’ Association described wholemeal bread as bread made with 100% wholemeal flour. So check the name of the bread and the ingredients, not just its colour or a term such as ‘best of both’.
No. According to the Dutch Nutrition Centre, bakers don’t have to use baker’s salt. Read the ingredients list or ask the baker which salt is used in the bread.
Don’t assume that it’s suitable. The product information for PLUS Rond fijn volkoren heel lists wheat and cereals containing gluten; the Souq Lebanese wholemeal bread lists these too. For every guest with a relevant allergy or dietary restriction, check the current allergen information for the specific product.
First, choose an amount that suits the number of guests and the other food you’re serving, such as half a loaf. Follow the storage instructions for any bread left over. For the half farmhouse wholemeal loaf described, Albert Heijn suggests freezing it on the day of purchase; this isn’t a general rule for every loaf.
