For generous toppings, start by choosing a loaf you can confirm is wholemeal. If slice thickness is your priority, a loaf you can cut yourself gives you more control than a pre-sliced one—but a whole loaf isn’t necessarily unsliced. Check the packaging or ask the bakery counter about slicing options, and choose a size that suits how much bread you use.
If you’re making a toasted sandwich, a generously topped lunch or a snack, slice thickness can influence your choice of bread. Check whether you can cut the loaf yourself, or look at the slices in a packaged loaf before you buy it.
A dark colour or rustic name isn’t enough for you: you want to check the wholemeal base, ingredients and any allergens for the exact variety.
If you only use a few slices at a time, loaf size matters too. A half loaf may be more practical; with a whole loaf, you can freeze any slices you won’t use soon in portions.
First decide whether you want to choose the slice thickness yourself. Then compare the wholemeal base on the label and choose a whole or half loaf to suit your needs.
A good choice if: you want to tailor the thickness to generous toppings and can get an unsliced loaf.
Consider: you’ll need to cut it yourself or ask the shop whether, and how, the loaf can be sliced.
A good choice if: convenience matters more than choosing the slice thickness yourself.
Consider: ‘whole’ describes the size of the loaf, not the thickness of its slices.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Slice thickness | Check whether the loaf is unsliced, or ask what slicing options the bakery counter offers. | For generous toppings, I want to decide how thick the slice is myself. Around 33% of consumers put this first. |
| Wholemeal and the label | Check that it is labelled wholemeal and read the ingredients and allergens for the exact variety. | A dark colour doesn’t convince me; I want to know which bread I’m buying and what’s in it. For around 27% of consumers, this is the top priority. |
| Size and storage | Compare a half loaf with a whole one, and think about how many slices you’ll use soon or freeze. | If I only eat bread now and then, I don’t want slices left over. This is the main consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
| Loaf options in the shop | See which wholemeal varieties your shop stocks, and ask about the current loaf options and slicing service. | I want to be able to find a suitable loaf at the shop where I do my food shopping. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this. |
Colour and a product name don’t prove that a loaf is entirely wholemeal. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre distinguishes brown bread from wholemeal bread based on the flour used.
For packaged bread, look for the word wholemeal and read the ingredients; for unwrapped bread, ask what it is made from.
In supermarket ranges, ‘whole’ and ‘half’ describe the size of the loaf. A whole loaf can still be pre-sliced.
Look at the slices in a packaged loaf, or ask whether you can get an unsliced loaf and what slicing options are available.
A whole loaf may not be the best fit if you don’t use much bread and slices are left over before you can eat them.
Consider choosing a half loaf, or freeze the slices you won’t use soon in portions after buying it.
The ingredients in one variety of bread don’t necessarily apply to other loaves. A mention of iodised salt on a particular product doesn’t tell you anything about every wholemeal loaf.
When you buy, check the current ingredients and allergen information for the exact variety, especially if you need that information to make your choice.
The online range includes an 800 g whole, sliced OerDesem wholemeal loaf.
Jumbo lists several wholemeal loaves online, including fine, coarse and other varieties.
Lidl lists rustic wholemeal sourdough bread, among other products, and publishes ingredient and allergen information for its freshly baked bread.
The fresh daily range includes fine wholemeal bread in half and whole sizes.
PLUS lists products online including round fine wholemeal bread and extra-dark wholemeal farmhouse bread.
Online search results include round wholemeal bread and casino-style wholemeal bread in various sizes.
This is a whole round loaf that you can slice yourself after defrosting, baking and cooling it. Bear this preparation in mind if you’re looking for bread that’s ready to eat straight away.
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This whole round loaf is a good option if you want to choose the slice thickness to suit your toppings after preparing it.
The ingredients list includes wholemeal wheat flour, wholemeal sourdough and wheat flour. Check the current label if the exact ingredients are important to your choice.
The loaf is delivered frozen and needs to be defrosted, baked and cooled before slicing. Follow the baking instructions on the packaging for the cooking time.
No, the colour doesn’t prove that bread is wholemeal. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre distinguishes between brown bread and wholemeal bread, so for packaged bread, check that it is labelled wholemeal and read the ingredients.
No, ‘whole’ refers to the size of the loaf, not the slice thickness. Check a pre-sliced variety, or ask at the bakery counter whether you can get the loaf unsliced or have it cut into thicker slices.
Freeze the slices you won’t use soon in portions. For opened wholemeal bread, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping it in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months. Its quality may decline if stored for longer.
Don’t assume this applies to every loaf: check the ingredients list for the exact variety. Albert Heijn lists iodised salt in its OerDesem wholemeal Allinson, but that doesn’t necessarily apply to other loaves.
Check the current allergen information for the specific loaf you’re buying. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the importance of checking the label if you have a food allergy, so don’t rely only on the name of a type of bread or a general range page.
