Choose a wholemeal hearth or country loaf if you want to decide how thick to cut the slices for filled snacks; bear in mind that you’ll need to do the slicing yourself. If you need to make sandwiches for a group quickly, consider pre-sliced wholemeal bread and check the slices themselves: a name such as ‘hearty’ doesn’t tell you how thick they are. If you’re buying bread for other people, check the current packaging for ingredients and allergens.
If you’re making filled snacks at home to take with you or share with a group, a whole loaf lets you control the thickness of each slice. Albert Heijn, PLUS and Dirk offer wholemeal hearth or country loaves as possible options, which you’ll need to slice yourself.
If you want to prepare several snacks without having to slice the bread, pre-sliced wholemeal bread is worth considering. Jumbo uses ‘Stevig Volkoren Zonnepit’ as a product name, but that name doesn’t tell you how thick the slices are.
If you’re looking for wholemeal bread specifically or making snacks for other people, it’s worth checking the packaging. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes wholemeal bread as being made from the entire grain and notes that common allergens must be clearly listed on the label.
First, decide whether choosing the slice thickness yourself or avoiding the need to slice the bread is more important. Then check that it really is wholemeal and that the ingredients are suitable for the people you’re making snacks for.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Slice thickness for fillings | With a whole loaf, check whether you can cut even slices yourself; with pre-sliced bread, look at the slices themselves. | If I’m making generously filled snacks to take with me, I want to choose the slice thickness myself; this is the top priority for around 45% of consumers. |
| Quick preparation | Check whether the bread is pre-sliced and whether the loaf size suits the number of snacks you want to make. | If I’m making sandwiches for a group shortly before we leave, I want to get started without having to slice the bread; speed is the main concern for around 33% of consumers. |
| Wholemeal bread and labelling | Read the product name, ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging; don’t rely on the colour or visible seeds alone. | If I’m buying wholemeal bread for other people, I want to know what’s in it, especially when it comes to allergens; checking the label is the deciding factor for around 22% of consumers. |
‘Hearty’, ‘country’ and ‘hearth-baked’ don’t tell you how much bread there is in each slice. So a pre-sliced loaf may not be what you expected for your fillings.
Slice a whole loaf yourself if thickness is the deciding factor. If you choose pre-sliced bread, check the slices before buying it for a group.
A brown colour or visible seeds don’t confirm that bread is wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is made from the entire grain.
Check for the word ‘wholemeal’ and read the ingredients if you specifically want wholemeal bread.
PLUS warns that the ingredients, nutritional information and allergen details for bread can change. This matters when you’re making snacks for other people.
Read the packaging on the bread you’re actually using and keep it to hand in case anyone asks about the ingredients.
A brand to consider if you want to compare different types of wholemeal bread.
A brand to consider if you’re looking for a wholemeal loaf described as ‘hearty’.
A brand to consider if you want to compare whole or half wholemeal loaves.
A brand to consider if you want to take the fineness of the flour into account as well as the type of loaf.
A brand to consider if you want to compare a whole country loaf with a whole round fine wholemeal loaf.
A brand to consider if you’re looking at a wholemeal hearth loaf or a wholemeal batard.
With a wholemeal loaf, you can choose the slice thickness yourself, as long as you slice it at home. If you choose pre-sliced bread, look at the slices: words such as ‘hearty’ and ‘hearth-baked’ don’t tell you how thick they are.
Check for the word ‘wholemeal’ and read the ingredients on the packaging. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is made from the entire grain; a brown colour or the name ‘multigrain’ on its own isn’t enough.
Read the allergen information on the current packaging of the bread you’re using. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that common allergens must be clearly listed on the label; you should also check the ingredients of the filling.
Follow the instructions on the packaging for the specific loaf. Jumbo says that its frozen Stevig Volkoren Speltbrood should not be refrozen after defrosting; that instruction doesn’t necessarily apply to other breads.
Don’t rely on the type of bread alone to tell you what a particular loaf contains. Check the label or ask the producer which salt was used in that bread.
