If wholemeal is your main priority for lunch, choose a roll or half loaf that is specifically labelled wholemeal; ‘multigrain’, ‘brown’ and ‘sourdough’ don’t necessarily mean that. For a small household, choosing between individual rolls, a pack of bake-at-home rolls and half a loaf also depends on how much you can eat in time or freeze in portions. Bake-at-home rolls also need time to prepare and, depending on the product, freezer space.
If you’re making lunch for one or two people, half a loaf or an individual roll may suit your plans better than a whole loaf. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread is among the foods that are often wasted; freezing portions is another way to keep bread you haven’t used.
If you want wholemeal bread as your staple, look beyond the colour or name of a roll. Check the product name and ingredients list, and compare fibre and salt per 100 g in the nutrition information.
If you want to bake a roll just before lunch, the cooking instructions and the oven or air fryer you’ll need are part of the decision. For frozen rolls, you’ll also need to consider how much freezer space you have.
Choose between an individual roll, bake-at-home rolls and half a loaf based on when you eat lunch and whether you prefer rolls or slices. Then check the exact product’s wholemeal status, nutrition information and storage instructions.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and fibre | Check whether the product is labelled wholemeal and compare fibre per 100 g on the same preparation basis. | If I want wholemeal as the basis of my usual lunch, ‘multigrain’ alone isn’t enough. This wholemeal choice is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Portions and food waste | Compare the number of rolls or slices with the lunches you have planned; read the storage and freezing instructions. | If I don’t eat bread every day, I want to be able to store what’s left before it goes stale. This is the main consideration for around 29% of consumers. |
| Preparation and texture | Check whether baking is required, what equipment you’ll need and whether the product is sold frozen. | I like the idea of baking a roll just before lunch if I have the time and suitable equipment. Around 21% of consumers prefer this way of preparing it. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list and allergen information for the exact product, even if you know another version from the same brand. | If an ingredient is a deciding factor in my lunch choice, I don’t want to rely on the product name. Checking the label comes first for around 14% of consumers. |
These words alone don’t confirm that a roll is wholemeal. In the multigrain rolls described by PLUS, 56% of the ingredients are wholemeal wheat flour, so the product name doesn’t tell you everything about what’s in them.
Look for the wholemeal label, then read the ingredients and nutrition information for the version you’re buying.
A smaller pack will only help reduce waste if you eat all the rolls in time or store them. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread is often wasted.
Plan your lunches and freeze portions you won’t use soon, following the storage instructions.
For the multigrain rolls reviewed, PLUS provides nutrition information for the unprepared product, but for its white sourdough roll, the information is for the prepared product. This means you need to take extra care when comparing values per 100 g.
Check above the nutrition table whether the values apply before or after preparation.
Albert Heijn and PLUS list iodised salt in the rolls reviewed. That doesn’t tell you what’s in every other version.
Read the ingredients list for the exact loaf or roll if this ingredient matters to your choice.
A point of reference for individual wholemeal rolls and half loaves of wholemeal bread.
A point of reference for frozen bake-at-home rolls and half loaves of wholemeal bread.
A point of reference for bake-at-home rolls, including multigrain varieties, as well as individual rolls.
A point of reference for packaged multigrain rolls and half loaves of wholemeal bread.
A point of reference for an individual white roll.
A point of reference for in-store rolls, including a white version.
No. ‘Multigrain’ and ‘wholemeal’ don’t mean the same thing. According to PLUS, the multigrain rolls described contain 56% wholemeal wheat flour; check the wholemeal label and ingredients list for each version.
Individual rolls are a good choice if you want to buy bread for each lunch; half a loaf is a good option if you prefer slices. With packs of bake-at-home rolls, your choice also depends on whether you can use the whole pack in time or store it according to the instructions.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends wholemeal bread and fillings from the Dutch Wheel of Five as lunch options, including hummus, egg and vegetables. Also check the ingredients and nutrition information for the roll you choose.
No, don’t assume this based on the type of bread alone. Albert Heijn and PLUS list iodised salt in the versions reviewed; for a different roll, read the ingredients list for the exact product.
Read the allergen information on the packaging of the exact product. According to their product information, the wholemeal and multigrain rolls described contain wheat; don’t assume that a differently named version has the same ingredients.
