A half loaf of wholemeal bread is a good choice for a snack night if you won’t finish a whole loaf within a few days. Freeze any slices you want to use later on the day you buy it. Then check the product name, ingredients and fibre per 100 g, and look at the allergens, salt and baker’s salt if they matter to your choice. A dark colour doesn’t tell you whether bread is wholemeal.
If you’re one or two people and don’t eat bread every day, you could start with half a loaf and freeze any leftover slices in portions for when you need them. The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days.
For toasties or savoury toppings, you can choose between, for example, finely textured wholemeal bread and a variety with several grains and seeds. Check the product name and ingredients, and compare fibre on a like-for-like basis: per 100 g.
If allergens, salt or the presence of baker’s salt matter to your choice, check the information for the exact variety. Even loaves in the same shop’s range can differ.
Think about how many slices you’ll use on snack night and over the following few days. Then choose a bread texture that goes well with your toppings, and read the label of the variety you’re planning to buy.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who does it matter to? |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity and storage | Compare the pack size with how much you expect to use, and check whether you can freeze slices straight away. | If I only have bread now and then on snack night, I don’t want to leave the rest until it goes stale. For around 25% of consumers, reducing waste is the top priority. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Read the product name and ingredients list; compare fibre per 100 g. | For my toastie, I’m looking for bread that is genuinely wholemeal and also suits my other bread occasions. For around 31% of consumers, wholemeal and fibre come first. |
| Texture for toppings | Choose between smooth-textured bread and a variety with grains or seeds, depending on the texture you prefer. | With savoury toppings, what matters most to me is whether I prefer soft, fine-textured bread or something more substantial. For around 19% of consumers, bread texture is the deciding factor. |
| Allergens and salt | Read the allergen statement, the salt content per 100 g, and the ingredients list for baker’s salt or iodised salt. | If certain ingredients are a problem for me, or I want to compare salt and baker’s salt, I can’t rely on the bread name alone. For around 25% of consumers, this label information comes first. |
The colour and visible seeds don’t, by themselves, tell you whether bread is wholemeal.
Look for ‘wholemeal’ in the product name and read the ingredients before comparing nutritional values.
Even half a loaf can be too much if you only use a few slices. The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days.
Freeze the slices you want to eat later in portions on the day you buy the bread.
According to the Voedingscentrum, baking with baker’s salt isn’t compulsory, so its presence varies from one loaf to another.
Check the ingredients for baker’s salt or iodised salt. If the bread is unwrapped, ask if necessary.
A multigrain variety may list several gluten-containing grains and possible traces of other allergens.
Read the allergen statement on the packaging of the exact variety you choose.
Compare specific half loaves rather than brands as a whole: ingredients and storage instructions can vary between varieties.
The range includes Onze Trots Vloerbrood Volkoren Half, a 400 g pack.
Jumbo lists both Fijn Volkoren Half and Boeren Donker Volkoren Meergranen Half.
PLUS lists Boeren Volkoren Half and Korenlanders Extra Donker Volkoren Vloer Half, among others.
Dirk lists Bakker van der Akker Boeren Volkoren Half as a half-loaf variety.
No, it mainly depends on how much bread you eat. If you won’t finish even half a loaf within a few days, freeze the slices you want to use later; the Voedingscentrum recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days.
Check whether ‘wholemeal’ appears in the product name and read the ingredients list. Then compare the fibre values per 100 g of the loaves you’re choosing between; a dark colour or visible seeds aren’t a substitute for checking.
No, according to the Voedingscentrum, using baker’s salt isn’t compulsory. Check the label to see whether baker’s salt or iodised salt is listed in the ingredients; if the bread is unwrapped, ask if necessary.
Read the allergen statement for the exact variety of bread and compare salt values per 100 g. Bread with several grains or seeds may list different ingredients and possible allergen traces from a finely textured wholemeal loaf.
