For an Easter lunch, start by choosing bread labelled as wholemeal. If fibre content matters to you, compare the figures on the label. Then choose the texture and quantity to suit your guests: sliced bread is easy to serve, while a coarser loaf or one with seeds can add variety. If a guest needs to avoid gluten, check separately that the product is explicitly labelled gluten-free.
You want to choose wholemeal bread and compare its fibre content. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that a 50 g slice of wholemeal bread, cut at home, contains an average of 3.4 g of fibre. Check the nutritional information on the packaging of the bread you buy.
You want bread that’s easy to serve and might like to offer a different texture at the table. The ranges at Albert Heijn and Jumbo include fine, round and coarser wholemeal varieties.
You need to distinguish between wholemeal and gluten-free. If a guest avoids gluten, check that the bread is explicitly labelled gluten-free, and read the ingredients and any warnings about possible traces of allergens.
Start with what matters most for your lunch: wholemeal and fibre information, ease of serving, a suitable quantity or a dietary requirement. Then compare the relevant products using their own labels.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for the wholemeal bread label and compare fibre per 100 g in the nutritional information. | If fibre is my priority, I don’t want to rely just on a dark colour or the name ‘multigrain’. Around 36% of consumers say that choosing wholemeal bread and fibre content is their top priority. |
| Texture and serving | Choose a loaf that’s easy to serve; for example, compare fine sliced bread with a coarser variety. | With different guests at the table, I want bread to suit their preferences and be easy to share. For around 29% of consumers, ease of serving and choice of flavour matter most. |
| Quantity and leftovers | Choose a whole or half loaf to suit the number of people eating, and read the storage instructions if you want to freeze any leftovers. | For a small lunch, I want to avoid having lots of bread left over. A suitable quantity is the main consideration for around 21% of consumers. |
| Gluten and allergens | If needed, check the gluten-free label, ingredients and warnings about possible traces of allergens. | If a guest needs to avoid gluten or a particular allergen, I need to be able to check which bread is suitable for them. For around 14% of consumers, this is the top priority. |
Multigrain refers to different types of grain. On its own, it doesn’t tell you whether all the flour used is wholemeal. The bread’s colour doesn’t tell you that either.
Look for the wholemeal bread label, then compare the ingredients and fibre content on the label.
A comparison of fibre or salt applies to the specific product and the stated basis for comparison. It doesn’t automatically apply to other breads from the same shop.
Compare the nutritional information for the breads you’re actually considering, preferably on the same per-100 g basis.
Standard wholemeal wheat bread contains wheat. The wholemeal label doesn’t mean that bread is gluten-free. A product that is explicitly labelled gluten-free may still contain other allergens.
If a guest avoids gluten, check the gluten-free label, ingredients and warnings about possible traces of allergens on the packaging of the bread you choose.
If you’re hosting a small group, a whole loaf could leave you with bread you won’t use.
Consider buying half a loaf, or check the product’s freezing instructions if you want to keep any leftover bread.
Albert Heijn lists a range of wholemeal breads online, including varieties with different shapes and textures.
Jumbo lists fine and coarse breads, as well as wholemeal bread with sunflower seeds. A Céréal wholemeal bread is labelled separately as gluten-free.
ALDI lists various wholemeal breads, as well as a separate variety called Extra High Fibre Wholemeal Bread.
PLUS lists products including Boeren volkoren heel and round fine wholemeal bread.
Dirk lists products including Bakker van der Akker Boeren volkoren heel.
This Joybuy pick is a wholemeal wheat flatbread for anyone who wants to serve bread with dips at Easter lunch. It’s a different style of bread from a sliced loaf for the table. Check the packaging if ingredients, allergens or bakers’ salt matter to your choice.
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A wholemeal wheat flatbread for a lunch where you want to serve bread with dips rather than sliced bread for toppings.
If your guests have dietary requirements or allergies, check the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging.
Look for the wholemeal label on the bread and read the ingredients list. If you want to compare the fibre or salt content of different breads, use the nutritional information per 100 g rather than relying on the colour of the loaf.
No. ‘Multigrain’ tells you which types of grain are used, but not whether all the flour is wholemeal. So check separately whether the bread is labelled as wholemeal.
Yes, as long as the storage instructions for the bread you choose fit your plans. PLUS says to freeze Boeren volkoren heel on the day of purchase and use it within one month. For other breads, follow the instructions on their packaging.
For packaged bread, check the ingredients list for bakers’ salt. If the bread isn’t packaged, ask which ingredients have been used. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes bakers’ salt as salt with added iodine; don’t assume every loaf has the same ingredients.
No, wholemeal wheat bread isn’t gluten-free. If a guest needs to avoid gluten, check that the bread you choose is explicitly labelled gluten-free, and read the allergen information and any warnings about possible traces.
