Wholemeal or White Bread for a Soft Lunch: What to Check

Who is this choice relevant to?

Everyday fibre-conscious shoppers

You’re looking for bread for regular breakfasts and lunches, and want to assess an explicitly labelled wholemeal alternative to white bread without relying on its colour or the term ‘multigrain’.

Fussy eaters who prefer soft bread

You’re buying for someone who likes the soft bite of white bread and want to see whether a finer-textured wholemeal loaf might appeal to them.

Shoppers who focus on flavour and texture

You also choose bread for its crust, crumb and how well it goes with your toppings, perhaps for a leisurely lunch or a meal with guests. In this case, wholemeal may not be your first priority.

What should you look for when choosing?

Wholemeal bread

When: choose this if a wholemeal label is your priority for everyday sandwiches.

Consider: if you’re used to white bread, you may find the flavour or texture less familiar.

Finely milled wholemeal

When: consider this if a fussy eater prefers a less coarse texture, but you’d still like to try wholemeal bread.

Consider: a fine texture alone tells you nothing about the ingredients in another soft loaf.

White or sourdough bread

When: choose according to the flavour, crust and crumb you want when these matter more for the occasion.

Consider: sourdough or a premium-sounding bread name doesn’t prove that the bread is wholemeal.

What to consider	What to check when buying	Who it matters to
Everyday wholemeal choice	Look for an explicit wholemeal label and compare fibre and salt per 100 g.	I want to know whether my everyday bread is wholemeal, even if its colour or grains suggest otherwise. This certainty is the top priority for around 50% of consumers.
A gentler transition	Check the wholemeal label and the type of flour used in a loaf with a fine texture.	If a fussy eater wants soft bread, I’m looking for a less coarse option without giving up on wholemeal altogether. For around 30% of consumers, this transition is the top priority.
Flavour and presentation	Check the type of bread and its description of the crust and crumb; read the ingredients if the composition matters.	For lunch with guests, I focus on a crust and crumb that go well with the toppings. This type of bread occasion matters most to around 20% of consumers.

Common mistakes

Assuming brown, multigrain or sourdough means wholemeal

According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘multigrain’ refers to the use of different types of grain; it doesn’t, by itself, tell you how much wholemeal flour the bread contains. A sourdough label doesn’t confirm that it is wholemeal either.

Check for an explicit wholemeal label and read the ingredients before comparing the composition of different loaves.
Assuming a fine crumb means a particular fibre content

Lidl describes one of its own breads, made with extra-finely milled wholemeal flour, as having a finer texture. That description doesn’t apply to every soft or light-coloured loaf.

For the bread you choose, compare the fibre per 100 g on the nutritional information.
Assuming another bread has the same allergens

Ingredients and allergens can vary from one loaf to another. For example, Jumbo’s product information lists wheat and barley in its Fine Wholemeal Bread; that list doesn’t apply to other products.

Read the current ingredients and allergen information for the bread you’re actually buying.
Assuming all bread contains the same amount of salt

The type of bread alone doesn’t tell you which salt was used in a particular product, or whether it contains iodised baker’s salt.

Ask the baker or manufacturer which salt was used if you need this information to make your choice.

Brands to consider

Albert Heijn

Its bread range includes several varieties, including wholemeal, spelt and sourdough.

Albert Heijn describes its OerDesem as having a moist crumb and crisp crust; this is a description of its own range.
The word ‘sourdough’ doesn’t tell you whether a particular loaf is wholemeal.

Jumbo

Jumbo’s Fine Wholemeal Bread product information lets you check specific ingredients and nutritional details.

Jumbo lists 7.6 g of fibre per 100 g for this particular loaf.
The details for Fine Wholemeal Bread don’t automatically apply to other Jumbo loaves.

Lidl

Lidl highlights a kids’ bread made with extra-finely milled wholemeal flour as an option to consider if a coarse texture is less appealing.

Lidl says that this bread has as much fibre as wholemeal bread.
Check the label and nutritional information for the specific loaf; this claim doesn’t apply to all soft breads.

ALDI

ALDI’s bread range includes white, wholemeal and multigrain bread, among other options.

This lets you compare different types of bread within the range.
Check the product name and nutritional information for each loaf; multigrain doesn’t automatically mean wholemeal.

Dirk

Dirk lists bread varieties including white, wholemeal, multigrain and sourdough.

These varieties give you a starting point for comparing different types of bread.
The terms ‘sourdough’ and ‘multigrain’ alone don’t mean that a loaf is wholemeal.

Choosing bread at Joybuy

This round loaf labelled Whole Wheat is an option to consider alongside white bread if you’re thinking of choosing wholemeal for lunch. If you’re looking for a softer stepping stone, assess the product’s texture and nutritional information separately.

Lekhaven Bakkerij Whole Wheat Country Round 550 g

An option if you’d like to consider a round loaf labelled Whole Wheat alongside white bread. The pack size shown is 550 g; compare the nutritional information per 100 g on the current packaging and check the preparation instructions.

View at Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Is multigrain bread automatically wholemeal?

No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes multigrain bread as bread made with different types of grain; the name alone doesn’t tell you how much wholemeal flour it contains. Look for an explicit wholemeal label, then check the ingredients.

How can I compare white and wholemeal bread without relying on colour?

Start with the product name and ingredients, then compare fibre and salt on the same basis, such as per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives 3.4 g of fibre for a 50 g wholemeal bread roll; don’t compare a portion value like this directly with a per-100 g figure for another loaf.

Which allergens should I check in bread?

Read the allergen information for the bread you choose, including any warnings about traces. Jumbo lists wheat and barley as allergens in its Fine Wholemeal Bread, but that product information doesn’t apply to other loaves.

Does all Dutch bread contain iodised baker’s salt?

You can’t tell from the type of bread alone. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the conditions under which iodine compounds may be present in bread through baker’s salt. For information about the salt in a specific loaf, ask the baker or manufacturer.

How should I store bread I won’t eat straight away?

Follow the storage and usage instructions for the bread you’ve chosen. Check the packaging before freezing portions or baking off a loaf too, as instructions can vary from one product to another.