Choose wholemeal bread explicitly labelled as thickly sliced if slice thickness is important for your toasties or filled sandwiches. Bakkerij Lamers offers its Volkoren casino vierkant in a 14.5 mm slice, as well as the standard 11.5 mm size. If you’re buying for yourself or an older relative, consider the texture, ingredients and storage options separately: ‘fine’ and ‘coarse’ don’t tell you how thick a slice is.
If slice thickness matters for your snack, look for bread that lets you choose the size. Bakkerij Lamers describes its Volkoren casino vierkant as suitable for toasties and sandwiches, and offers a 14.5 mm slice.
A fine-textured wholemeal loaf may suit you if you’re looking for a less coarse texture. Separately, check whether the bread is sliced and what thickness you’ll get; if you have difficulty swallowing, the right consistency needs to be assessed individually.
When planning your shopping, ordering, collection and freezing may all be important. Jumbo lists ordering and collection options for wholemeal bread, while PLUS recommends freezing its Grof volkoren heel. Check which options apply to the bread you’re buying.
First decide whether slice thickness, texture, the label, or shopping and storage convenience matters most to you. A loaf may suit you in several ways, but a description such as ‘coarse’ doesn’t in itself confirm that it’s thickly sliced.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Especially useful if |
|---|---|---|
| Slice thickness | Look for an explicit ‘thickly sliced’ label with a measurement in millimetres, or ask about the slicing options. | I want to know what size slice I’ll get for toasties or generously filled sandwiches, rather than relying on the name of the bread. For around 27% of consumers, knowing the slice thickness is the top priority. |
| Texture | Check whether the bread is described as fine or coarse, and check the slice thickness separately. | If I’m not keen on a coarse texture, I first look for one I’ll enjoy. Around 27% of consumers say texture is their top priority. |
| Label | Compare nutritional values on the same basis, such as fibre and salt per 100 g, and read the ingredients and allergen information. | When I buy bread for myself or someone else, I want to be able to assess the ingredients and nutritional information for each product. Checking the label comes first for around 26% of consumers. |
| Buying and storage | Check the ordering or collection options, the pack size and the storage advice for the bread you’ve chosen. | I want to plan my shopping without buying more fresh bread than we’ll use. For around 20% of consumers, practical stock management matters most. |
These words can describe the texture or shape of a loaf. Bakkerij Lamers lists slice thickness as a separate option for its Volkoren casino vierkant.
Look for a measurement in millimetres, or ask whether the bread can be sliced to your preferred thickness.
For Grof volkoren heel, PLUS lists ingredients including wheat, barley and soya. The word ‘wholemeal’ is no substitute for checking the ingredients and allergen information.
Read the up-to-date allergen information on the packaging of the bread you buy.
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, iodine compounds can be present in bread through bakers’ salt. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in one of its wholemeal breads; that tells you nothing about the ingredients of a different loaf.
If you have questions about iodine, check the ingredients of the specific product.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread dries out in the fridge, and mouldy bread should be thrown away.
Choose a suitable size. If you want to freeze bread, follow the product’s storage advice; for Grof volkoren heel, PLUS recommends freezing it on the day of purchase and using it within one month.
Albert Heijn lists products including AH Liefde & Passie Petit volkoren gesneden.
Jumbo offers a range of wholemeal breads, including Tostibrood Volkoren Half.
Lidl lists Fijn volkoren, 800 g, as an in-store product.
ALDI lists Fijn volkoren as sliced bread.
PLUS Grof volkoren heel is an unsliced loaf with product information about its ingredients and nutritional values.
Dirk offers wholemeal options, including round wholemeal bread and casino wholemeal bread.
No. ‘Coarse’ describes the texture, not the slice thickness. For its Volkoren casino vierkant, Bakkerij Lamers lists 11.5 mm as the standard size and 14.5 mm as the thick slice; for another loaf, check which size or slicing option is available.
No. A fine texture doesn’t tell you how thick the slices are. ALDI describes its Fijn volkoren as sliced, but if slice thickness matters, you’ll need to check it separately.
You can’t tell from the name ‘wholemeal bread’. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may be present in bread through bakers’ salt; Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in a specific wholemeal bread. Check the ingredients of the loaf you choose.
It’s best not to store bread in the fridge: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, it dries out there. Freezing may be an option, so follow the product’s advice. For Grof volkoren heel, PLUS recommends freezing it on the day of purchase and using it within one month. Throw away any mouldy bread.
