If you’d like to cut yourself a thicker slice of wholemeal bread to enjoy with coffee and cake, choose a whole loaf and check that it will slice well. Pre-sliced bread saves you the preparation, but gives you less control over the thickness. Check the wholemeal description, nutritional information and allergens separately: none of these tells you how well a slice will hold together with a topping.
With a whole loaf, you can choose the thickness of every slice. Dirk, for example, lists a wholemeal hearth loaf, while Albert Heijn shows an unsliced spelt wholemeal loaf. If you’re having it with a topping, check the crumb too, and ask in store if you’re unsure whether the loaf can be sliced to your liking.
Pre-sliced bread means less work when you’re having coffee. ALDI describes its Fijn Volkoren as sliced bread. Check the slices yourself if a particularly thick slice is important to you.
The type of loaf isn’t the only thing to consider. Check the wholemeal description for the exact product, and compare its fibre and salt content in the nutritional information. Read the ingredients and allergen information too, if they’re relevant to your choice.
When choosing wholemeal bread to enjoy with coffee and cake, first decide whether you want to slice it yourself or serve it without any preparation. Then check the packaging of the product you’re considering: the word ‘wholemeal’ doesn’t tell you how thick the slices are.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing the slice thickness yourself | Look for a whole loaf and check its crumb and how easily it can be sliced in store. | I want to make a thicker slice of bread with a topping to have with my coffee, and don’t mind doing the slicing. For around 36% of consumers, having this choice over slice thickness comes first. |
| Serving straight away | Check whether the bread is pre-sliced and whether the visible slices are the thickness you want. | If I want to keep preparation to a minimum, I’d rather grab a slice of bread that’s already cut, even if I can’t choose the thickness myself. Convenience is the main priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Wholemeal description and nutritional value | Check the wholemeal description and compare the fibre and salt content of the products on the same basis, for example per 100 g. | I want to know what kind of bread I’m buying and compare its nutritional information, regardless of the slice thickness. Around 21% of consumers prioritise comparing labels. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current label or, for unpackaged bread, ask what allergen information is available. | If ingredients or allergens affect my choice, I want to check the information for the specific loaf. This is the main buying priority for around 14% of consumers. |
A whole loaf lets you slice it yourself, but the type of loaf alone doesn’t tell you how well the crumb will hold together when you cut a thick slice.
Take a look at the bread in store and ask the bakery counter how easily it can be sliced if that will affect your choice.
The colour or grains on the outside don’t confirm that the bread you’re choosing is wholemeal.
Check the wholemeal description for the exact product on the packaging or in the product information.
For its Extra vezelrijk wholemeal bread, ALDI states that it has 30% less salt and 30% more fibre than regular wholemeal bread. This claim applies to that product, not to every wholemeal loaf from ALDI or any other shop.
Compare the nutritional information for the products you’re actually considering, using the same quantity.
Ingredients and allergen information can vary between products or change. PLUS recommends checking the packaging of the bread you choose.
Check the latest information again; for unpackaged bread, ask about the allergens in that particular product.
These shops list wholemeal bread or a related category. Choose based on the type of loaf and the information for the individual product, not just the shop name.
Albert Heijn has an online wholemeal bread category and also lists unsliced spelt wholemeal bread.
Jumbo has an online wholemeal bread category, with delivery and Pick Up Point collection options.
Lidl lists products including Tijgervolkoren wholemeal hearth loaf, and provides an ingredients and allergen overview for oven-fresh bread.
ALDI lists both wholemeal loaves and pre-sliced Fijn Volkoren bread.
PLUS has an online wholemeal bread category, with delivery and collection options.
Dirk lists products including a wholemeal hearth loaf.
These round wholemeal loaves suit you if you want to slice your own bread for a snack with coffee and cake. Allow time to defrost, bake and cool the bread before slicing. Check whether the crumb and finished slice will work with the topping you have in mind.
Image unavailable
For anyone who wants several loaves to prepare and slice to their preferred thickness.
The pack contains two round wholemeal loaves, each weighing 550 g. Allow time to defrost, bake and cool the bread before slicing; check before buying that this preparation fits in with your coffee break.
Image unavailable
For anyone who wants one round wholemeal loaf and prefers to slice it themselves after preparation.
This is the 550 g version. Allow time to defrost, bake and cool the bread before slicing; if a slice that holds together with a topping is essential, don’t choose based on the round shape alone.
No, colour alone doesn’t confirm that a loaf is wholemeal. Check the wholemeal description on the packaging of the product you want to buy.
Yes, ask at the bakery counter for allergen information about the bread you’re considering. For packaged bread, check the latest label rather than relying on information about a product you looked at earlier.
You can’t tell from the wholemeal description. Check the ingredients of the bread you’ve chosen or, for unpackaged bread, ask what salt was used.
