Fibre-conscious hosts planning drinks
You want to know whether the bread really is wholemeal and how much fibre your chosen option contains. Compare nutritional values per 100 g, and also consider how much you plan to serve.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Hosts catering for different topping preferences
You’re looking for a shape that you can use for a range of snacks, such as small pieces of bread or slices of baguette. Check the ingredients and allergens for each product, even when the bread shapes look similar.
Small households looking to avoid leftovers
When you’re catering for a small or changing group, you don’t want to prepare more fresh bread than you need. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it, so you can take out only what you need.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you’re making small topped bites or putting out bread for everyone to share. Then compare the product information for the shapes that will work best for your get-together.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and fibre | Read the product description and compare fibre per 100 g; colour or the word ‘multigrain’ isn’t enough to confirm that bread is wholemeal. | When I’m putting together a fibre-conscious sharing board, I want to know what kind of bread I’m serving. For around 45% of consumers, this is the most important thing to check when making this choice. |
| Shape and leftovers | Choose between bread you slice yourself, shareable bread shapes and crispbread; check the storage or freezing instructions. | When guest numbers vary, I want to be able to portion out snacks without having lots of bread left over. Convenience matters most to around 33% of consumers. |
| Ingredients, allergens and salt | Read the full allergen information, including for unpackaged bread, and compare salt only on the same nutritional basis. | If a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know what’s in the option I’ve chosen before serving it. For around 22% of consumers, this is the first thing they check. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming dark or multigrain bread is wholemeal
The colour, seeds and grains on the crust don’t tell you on their own which type of flour is used as the base. Ingredients vary between bread options.
Read the product description and ingredients list before choosing a loaf as wholemeal. You can then compare the fibre per 100 g if you wish.
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Looking at fibre alone
The fibre content doesn’t tell you which allergens are listed or how much salt a particular option contains. Bread shapes from the same brand can also have different ingredients.
Check the allergen information for your guests, including any ‘may contain’ statements, and compare salt per 100 g if it’s important to your choice.
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Preparing a whole fresh loaf for a small group
If you’re not sure how many people will come, you could be left with unused slices.
Follow the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s advice and freeze bread in portions as soon as you buy it. Take out only as much as you expect to use for your get-together.
Brands and bread shapes to consider
The options listed show different ways of serving bread. Always compare nutritional values and ingredients for the bread you actually choose, rather than for a brand as a whole.
Albert Heijn
AH Extra lang lekker Zaans volkoren heel is a whole wholemeal wheat loaf that you can slice yourself for topped bites.
- For this option, Albert Heijn lists 6,9 g of fibre and 0,9 g of salt per 100 g; the ingredients include iodised salt.
- Check the current packaging for nutritional values, ingredients and allergens.
Jumbo
Fijn Volkorenbrood is an option if you’re looking for slices of bread to use for topped bites.
- Jumbo lists 7,6 g of fibre per 100 g for this bread.
- Don’t use this value as the nutritional information for other Jumbo breads; compare your chosen options per 100 g.
Lidl
Fijn volkoren, volkorenbolletjes and volkoren knäckebröd are different shapes to consider for a get-together.
- Lidl lists fijn volkoren as an 800 g product sold in store.
- Check the nutritional values, ingredients and allergens on the packaging of your chosen option before comparing it with another shape.
ALDI
ALDI offers options including Fijn volkoren and a whole loaf called Extra vezelrijk volkorenbrood.
- These two product names give you a useful starting point for comparing each option individually.
- Don’t assume that the extra-fibre option’s name tells you its nutritional values or whether other ALDI breads are suitable; check the label.
PLUS
You can slice Boeren volkoren heel yourself, while volkorentarwedesemstokbrood offers another shape to share in slices.
- PLUS lists 6,7 g of fibre and 1,03 g of salt per 100 g for its farmhouse loaf.
- The baguette has its own ingredients and allergen information; don’t assess it using the farmhouse loaf’s label.
Dirk
Vloerbrood volkoren heel and Bakker van der Akker Boeren Extra vezels volkoren heel are whole loaves that you can slice for snacks.
- With a whole loaf, you can decide how to portion the slices for your get-together.
- Check the label for fibre, salt, ingredients and allergens for your chosen option.
Products for different ways of serving
These Joybuy products include Lebanese flatbread, crispbread, rye rolls and a round wheat loaf. Choose a shape that suits your toppings and group size, and check the packaging for nutritional and allergen information for the specific option.
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Souq Lebanese wholemeal wheat flatbreads, 6 pieces
A shareable bread shape for anyone who’d like to serve flatbread with drinks instead of sliced bread. If any guests have allergies, check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging.
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Bolletje wholemeal crispbread, 265 g
A crunchy base if you’d like to serve the toppings separately. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and check the allergens for this option.
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g'woon wholemeal crispbread, 375 g
This is another crunchy bread option for toppings. Decide how much you’d like to serve, and check the label per 100 g if you want to compare it with other crispbreads.
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Bolletje rye rolls, 500 g
Consider these rye rolls if you’re looking for a rye base for toppings. Check the packaging to see whether the product description meets your wholemeal requirements and what quantity the nutritional values refer to.
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Lekhaven Bakkerij round wholemeal wheat loaf, 550 g
A round loaf for anyone who wants to slice their own bread for a get-together. Allow time for defrosting, baking and cooling; check the preparation instructions and allergens on the packaging before use.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell whether bread for a get-together is wholemeal?
Read the product description and ingredients list; the colour or the word ‘multigrain’ isn’t enough on its own. Then check the nutritional information and allergens for the option you plan to serve.
How much fibre is there in a slice of wholemeal bread?
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives an average of 3,4 g of fibre for a 50 g slice of wholemeal bread cut at home. The value for your bread may differ, so use the nutritional table for your chosen option when comparing products.
Can I freeze bread for Friday afternoon drinks in advance?
Yes. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it and taking out only what you need. That way, if your group size changes, you can decide how much to use for your get-together.
What should I do if a guest needs to avoid allergens?
Check the allergen information for the specific bread before serving it. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergens are listed on the label of packaged foods; for unpackaged bread, the information must be available in another way. Ask for it before buying unpackaged bread.
Does all wholemeal bread contain iodised salt?
Don’t assume so based on the type of bread alone. Check the ingredients list for your chosen option: for example, Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in AH Extra lang lekker Zaans volkoren heel, but that tells you nothing about another bread.