For a special meal at the start of the school year, a rustic wholemeal sourdough or farmhouse loaf could be just the thing if presentation and flavour are your priorities. For sandwiches that need to go straight into a lunchbox, sliced or smaller wholemeal bread is more practical. Check the latest allergen information for the bread you choose, and pick a size that suits what your family will need during the school week.
For breakfast, brunch or an evening meal, the shape and presentation of a rustic loaf may matter more than having sliced bread ready quickly. Jumbo describes sourdough loaves for this kind of meal, while Lidl offers a rustic wholemeal wheat sourdough loaf.
If a child needs to avoid certain foods, the ingredients, allergen information and arrangements with the school all need to be suitable for the specific bread. According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, a child with coeliac disease needs a strict gluten-free diet; standard wholemeal wheat bread is not a suitable alternative.
A smaller loaf or individually frozen portions may be a better fit for the number of meals you have planned. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months; its quality may deteriorate if stored for longer.
First, check that the bread is suitable for everyone who will be eating it. Then compare when you plan to serve it, its nutritional information and how much bread your family will use during the school week.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should consider this? |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens and school arrangements | Read the latest ingredients and allergen information. If there are dietary restrictions, also discuss the arrangements for bringing and sharing food at school. | If bread is being packed for a child with coeliac disease or an allergy, first make sure that this particular product and the way it is packed are suitable. This is the top priority for an estimated 36% of consumers. |
| Flavour and presentation | Check whether the shape, type of bread and any slicing or baking needed suit the meal you have planned. | For a special meal, you may want to choose bread that looks at home on the table, even if it takes more time to prepare. An estimated 29% of consumers give this meal choice the highest priority. |
| Nutritional information | Check the product name and, if you wish, compare fibre and salt per 100 g. If you are interested in iodine, check the ingredients to see whether baker’s salt has been used. | If you want to compare the nutritional content of different loaves, the information for each individual product is more useful than its rustic appearance. This matters most to an estimated 21% of consumers. |
| Size and storage | Choose a size that suits your planned meals and follow the product’s storage and any freezing instructions. | If you also need sandwiches for school after the special meal, you may want to portion out the remaining bread without ending up with too much left over. This is the main consideration for around 14% of consumers. |
Wholemeal describes the flour used; it does not mean the bread is made without gluten. PLUS Korenlanders Kleintje wholemeal sourdough poppy seed bread lists wheat, rye, barley and gluten, and also warns that other allergens may be present.
If you have coeliac disease, do not use standard wholemeal wheat or multigrain bread as a substitute. Check a specific gluten-free product and follow the individual arrangements with the school.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt when baking bread is not compulsory. So you cannot tell whether it is present just from the word ‘wholemeal’ or the bakery’s name.
If baker’s salt is important to your choice, look for it on the label or ask the baker.
You may have some bread left over after a single celebratory meal. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months, although its quality may decline over time.
Choose a smaller size if that suits you better, or freeze portions according to the instructions provided with the bread.
A rustic shape or sourdough recipe does not tell you how much fibre or salt a particular loaf contains. Ingredients and allergens also vary from one recipe to another.
Choose a type of bread that suits the occasion, then compare the nutritional information per 100 g and the ingredients of the specific products to assess their composition.
Under its Liefde & Passie range, Albert Heijn offers both wholemeal bread and a sliced Dutch wholemeal sourdough loaf.
Jumbo describes sourdough loaves for anyone looking for rustic bread to serve with a special meal.
Lidl offers a rustic wholemeal wheat sourdough loaf for anyone who wants to serve bread at the table.
ALDI offers both sliced fine wholemeal bread and Bakkersgoud rustic extra wholemeal bread.
The Korenlanders range at PLUS includes wholemeal farmhouse bread and a smaller wholemeal sourdough loaf.
Dirk offers a fresh wholemeal batard loaf from Bakker van der Akker for a meal.
These two round wholemeal loaves are options if you want to serve bread at the table at the start of the school year. One pack contains two 550 g loaves and the other contains one. Choose a size to suit the meals you have planned, and allow time to prepare the bread before serving.
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The pack of two round loaves is ideal for a meal where you want to serve more bread or spread it across several occasions.
This bread contains wheat and wheat gluten, so it is not suitable for people with coeliac disease. If you are packing it for school, check the latest allergen information and the school’s arrangements.
Follow the pack instructions for defrosting and baking. Check the ingredients to see whether baker’s salt has been used.
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This single round loaf is a good choice for a special meal if one 550 g loaf better suits your plans.
It contains wheat and wheat gluten, so it is not suitable for people with coeliac disease. Before packing it for school, read the latest allergen information on the packaging.
Check the pack instructions before defrosting and baking the bread. You can also check the ingredients there if baker’s salt is relevant to your choice.
No. Standard wholemeal bread containing gluten ingredients such as wheat or rye is not suitable. The Dutch Coeliac Society stresses that a child with coeliac disease needs a strict gluten-free diet. Choose a product that is confirmed as suitable for the child’s individual diet, and follow the school’s arrangements to avoid contact with gluten.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt when baking bread is not compulsory. Check the ingredients of the loaf you choose or ask the baker if this matters to you.
Divide any bread you will not use straight away into portions and follow the product’s storage instructions. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months; its quality may deteriorate over time.
Ask the school what arrangements are in place for bringing and sharing food, and for avoiding contact with allergens. If there are dietary restrictions, make sure these arrangements suit the individual child, and check the packaging of the bread you are packing too.
That depends on the size of the loaf and how much preparation you want to do on school days. Rustic bread can be a good fit for a special meal; if you would rather have evenly sliced sandwiches ready quickly, sliced wholemeal bread may be a better choice. Whichever you choose, check the ingredients and allergen information for the specific product.
