Choose fine wholemeal bread if you’d prefer a less coarse slice to serve with coffee and cake, or opt for coarse or farmhouse wholemeal if you’d like a more distinctive type of bread. If fibre or salt is your main concern, compare the nutritional information for the exact products. Also check that the bread is labelled wholemeal and look out for any allergens.
You’re looking for bread sold as wholemeal and want to compare the fibre content of specific products. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholegrain cereal products contain more fibre than white cereal products.
You’re looking for a type of bread that suits the occasion and your taste. Fine wholemeal is a different choice from a coarser type of bread; the name alone tells you nothing about the nutritional values of the exact product.
You look beyond the wholemeal label and compare claims and nutritional values for each product. ALDI, for example, lists a high-fibre option, but the information for that option doesn’t automatically apply to other breads.
First decide whether the wholemeal base, the type of bread or a specific nutritional value matters most to you. Then compare the exact breads you’re considering.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and fibre | For packaged bread, look for the wholemeal label and compare the fibre per 100 g in the products you’ve chosen. | If I’m buying bread mainly because it’s wholemeal, I want to be able to find that label and compare the fibre content. This is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Type of bread to serve with coffee and cake | Choose fine or coarse according to your taste, and check separately whether the option you’ve chosen is wholemeal. | With coffee and cake, I want to serve a type of bread I enjoy at that moment. This is the main consideration for around 29% of consumers. |
| Fibre or salt claim | Read the claim and the basis for comparison for the exact bread; check the fibre and salt per 100 g. | When choosing specifically for fibre or salt, I want to know what a claim is based on for this bread. This matters most to around 21% of consumers. |
| Allergens and storage | Check the allergens on the label or ask about them when buying unwrapped bread; choose an appropriate quantity or freeze portions. | Before buying, I want to know which allergens the bread contains and avoid leaving a whole loaf uneaten. This is the first consideration for around 14% of consumers. |
A dark colour or a name such as multigrain, farmhouse or hearth-baked doesn’t replace the wholemeal label. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the label on packaged wholemeal bread states that it is wholemeal.
Check the product description first, then compare the type of bread and its nutritional information.
ALDI says its Extra High-Fibre Wholemeal Bread compares favourably with regular wholemeal bread. That doesn’t mean other ALDI breads or breads from other brands are automatically comparable.
Read the claim, the basis for comparison and the nutrition table for the exact bread you want to buy.
A bread’s name doesn’t tell you which allergens the current product contains. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergen information is provided on the label of prepacked products.
Read the label on packaged bread, and ask for allergen information before buying unwrapped bread.
A whole loaf may not be the best option if you only use a few slices with your coffee. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days and in the freezer for 1–3 months.
Consider choosing a smaller loaf or freezing portions you won’t use within a few days.
Bread that dries out or goes mouldy before you’ve finished it needs to be thrown away.
Albert Heijn has an online wholemeal bread category featuring options such as farmhouse and hearth-baked loaves.
Jumbo lists fine and coarse wholemeal bread, as well as multigrain wholemeal bread.
Lidl lists an 800 g fine wholemeal loaf in its product range.
ALDI lists wholemeal bread and a separate Extra High-Fibre Wholemeal Bread.
PLUS has an online wholemeal bread category that includes farmhouse wholemeal bread.
Dirk lists options including a wholemeal bâtard and a wholemeal hearth-baked loaf.
This round wholemeal wheat loaf is an option if you’d prefer bread you can bake at home to serve with coffee and cake. Remember to defrost and bake it before serving.
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A round loaf for anyone who’d like to serve a wholemeal option that can be baked at home with coffee. The product information lists wholemeal wheat flour; this frozen bread needs to be defrosted and baked before use.
Only compare the listed fibre and salt values with those of other breads once you know whether they’re given per 100 g or per portion. Check the baking instructions on the packaging and, if iodine is relevant to your choice, the current ingredients information.
Check whether the product description on the label says wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, packaged bread must be labelled as wholemeal if it is; the colour alone, or words such as multigrain and farmhouse, don’t guarantee this.
You can’t assume this is the case for an individual loaf. Check the ingredients information or ask the retailer which salt is used if iodine is relevant to your purchase.
Ask for the allergen information for that exact bread before you buy it. For prepacked bread, check the label; for unwrapped bread, don’t rely on the bread’s name or colour alone.
Freeze any portions you won’t use within a few days. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days and in the freezer for 1–3 months; bread dries out more quickly in the fridge.
