When stocking up for a planned meal, start by thinking about when you’ll serve the bread. Part-baked bread with freezer instructions is a good fit if you have freezer space, an oven and time to bake it; fresh wholemeal bread is another option if you freeze it in portions as soon as you get home. Then check that it is labelled wholemeal, how much you need, and the nutritional information and allergens for the exact variety. A dark colour or the word ‘premium’ doesn’t tell you this on its own.
You’re buying several loaves for a dinner, brunch or visit, and don’t want to serve them all on the day you buy them. Choosing between freezing the bread straight away and buying a loaf to bake later determines how much preparation you’ll need to do on the day. The Voedingscentrum recommends freezing bread in portions as soon as you’ve bought it.
You’re looking for something other than standard slices to serve with soup, on a cheeseboard or as part of a meal to share. A round loaf, baguette or sourdough could work well, provided the size and preparation suit your plans. The shape of the bread alone doesn’t tell you whether it’s wholemeal.
You want to choose wholemeal bread and are also checking fibre, salt or ingredients that matter to your guests. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and read the allergen information for your chosen variety; similar bread names can have different ingredients.
First decide when and how you want to serve the bread. Then check the product description, label and the amount you can realistically store and use.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who this matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping it until mealtime | Check whether the bread is fresh or part-baked, and read the storage and preparation instructions for that pack. Make sure you have enough freezer space if you plan to freeze it in portions. | If I’m buying bread for a later meal, I don’t want it sitting around unportioned for too long. Around 36% of consumers give keeping bread until serving day their top priority. |
| Bread shape and serving time | Check the size, how many people you’re serving and whether the bread needs to go in the oven before serving. | For a meal to share, I want bread that I can serve at the right time and in the right quantity. Around 29% of consumers prioritise how the meal is presented. |
| Wholemeal status and labelling | Look for the word ‘wholemeal’; compare fibre and salt per 100 g, and read the ingredients and allergen information. | If I’m choosing bread for other people, I want to know what’s in the variety I’ve picked rather than judging by its dark colour. Product information is the top priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Quantity and leftovers | Compare the number of loaves or pieces with your meal plans and the space you have to store any portions left over. | I want enough bread for the table, but not so much that unused loaves are left lying around. Around 14% of consumers put minimising leftovers ahead of the other considerations. |
Stocking up is only practical if you know when you’ll use each loaf. The Voedingscentrum recommends freezing wholemeal bread in portions as soon as you buy it, and only taking out what you need.
Before you buy, work out how much bread you’ll need for each meal and divide the rest into useful portions straight away.
Colour, multigrain, sourdough and rustic are not substitutes for the ‘wholemeal’ product description. According to the Voedingscentrum, packaged wholemeal bread will be labelled as wholemeal.
Check the product name and ingredients list, and compare the nutritional information per 100 g if that matters to your choice.
Baking bread from your freezer takes oven space and time to follow the instructions on the pack. For a frozen variety, you’ll also need to be able to maintain the stated storage temperature; PLUS specifies −18 °C for the Korenlanders Kleintje sourdough loaf included in this comparison.
Before buying, read the instructions for the exact variety and plan when to defrost, bake and serve it around your meal.
The Liefde & Passie variety included in this comparison was listed as discontinued by Albert Heijn; Jumbo stated that its Dubbel Donker Desem Volkorenbrood was no longer available online. Lidl says its fresh bread range can vary from store to store.
Check which varieties are available on the day you shop, and read the label and best-before information on the loaf you actually buy.
These examples show the bread shapes and label details you can compare; a product range mentioned here is no guarantee that the same variety will be available on the day you shop.
The 550 g Liefde & Passie Wholemeal variety included in this comparison was a wheat sourdough loaf that Albert Heijn says was baked on a stone oven floor.
Jumbo described the Dubbel Donker Desem Volkorenbrood included in this comparison as a whole, part-baked loaf that needs to be cooked in the oven.
PLUS lists several Korenlanders wholemeal breads, including a small part-baked wholemeal sourdough loaf with poppy seeds for a planned meal featuring freshly baked bread.
Dirk lists wholemeal varieties, including a wholemeal batard. These are worth considering if you’re looking for fresh bread to eat the same day or want to freeze it as soon as you get home.
ALDI lists several wholemeal breads, including an extra high-fibre variety. It’s an option if you want to compare the nutritional information as well as the shape of the loaf.
Lidl’s oven-fresh range includes rustic wholemeal sourdough bread, an option to explore if you’re looking for a loaf for a planned meal.
The two round loaves below are suitable if you plan to freeze them and bake them later, but they come in different pack sizes. Sliced rye bread and Lebanese flatbread are different types of bread: check their storage instructions separately before choosing them to stock up for a later meal.
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The pack of two round loaves is a good fit for a meal where you want to store more than one loaf and bake it later.
The product description lists wholemeal wheat flour and wholemeal sourdough, and says to freeze before baking for up to four months, then defrost and bake in the oven. Check the baking instructions on the pack: the product description gives different baking times. Also read the latest allergen information if it’s relevant to the people you’re serving.
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This single loaf is a different option if you want a round loaf but don’t need a pack of two.
The product description lists wholemeal wheat flour and wholemeal sourdough. It says you can freeze the bread before baking for up to four months, then defrost and bake it later. Check the exact baking time and allergen information on the pack.
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This sliced wholemeal rye bread is a different type of bread from the round wheat sourdough loaves, and may suit you if you want to serve individual slices.
The product information lists 9.1 g of fibre and 0.94 g of salt per 100 g, and names wheat, rye and cereals containing gluten. Before stocking up, check the best-before date and storage instructions on the pack.
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The six flatbreads weigh 330 g in total and are a good fit for a meal where you want to share out the bread, for example with dips; they’re not a round sourdough or oven-bottom loaf.
The product information lists wholemeal wheat flour, 0.48 g of salt per 100 g and storage in a cool, dry place. It says to use the bread within two days of opening. Before stocking up, check the date on the unopened pack. The bread contains wheat and gluten; the product information mentions the possible presence of soya and milk.
The Voedingscentrum recommends freezing fresh wholemeal bread in portions as soon as you buy it, and only taking out what you need. For part-baked frozen bread, follow the storage and baking instructions on that specific pack; if the pack is unopened, check the best-before date too.
No, the colour doesn’t determine whether bread is wholemeal. Look for the word ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging and read the ingredients; the Voedingscentrum says packaged wholemeal bread must be labelled as wholemeal.
Don’t assume this is the case for every loaf: check the ingredients list for the variety you’re buying. Albert Heijn listed iodised salt in the Liefde & Passie Wholemeal bread included in this comparison, but that tells you nothing about the ingredients in other breads.
Read the latest allergen information for the exact bread you plan to serve, including any statements about possible traces. The Jumbo and PLUS sourdough varieties included in this comparison list different cereals containing gluten and possible traces of ingredients including sesame. So a general name such as wholemeal sourdough isn’t enough to judge the ingredients in another variety.
