For a Sunday breakfast with generous toppings, choose bread labelled ‘wholemeal’, but check the slice thickness separately: ‘coarse’, ‘farmhouse’ and ‘hearth-baked’ don’t tell you how thick the slices are. If thick slices matter, ask for an unsliced loaf or request the right thickness. Before you buy, compare the ingredients, allergens and salt content per 100 g on the current label.
If you want to top your bread with something like egg, nut butter or hummus, check not only whether it’s wholemeal but also how it’s sliced. A product name containing ‘coarse’ or ‘hearth-baked’ doesn’t tell you how thick each slice is.
If you’re buying a whole loaf for one breakfast, decide in advance what you’ll do with the rest. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it.
If ingredients, allergens, salt or iodised salt are important to your choice, check the information for the specific loaf. For unwrapped bread, ask about allergens before you decide.
First decide whether slice thickness or the bread’s ingredients matter most to you. Then check how the loaf is sliced and read the label on the bread you’re actually buying.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Slices for generous toppings | Ask whether the loaf is unsliced or can be cut to your preferred thickness; check the slice in the shop. | For egg or hummus, I want to choose how thick my slice of bread is. Around 40% of consumers prioritise slices that can hold generous toppings. |
| Wholemeal status and nutritional information | Look for the term ‘wholemeal’ and compare fibre and salt per 100 g on labels for similar breads. | When I’m looking for wholemeal bread, I want to check the label and compare the nutritional information. For around 30% of consumers, this check matters most. |
| Availability and leftovers | Check what’s currently available in store and choose a loaf size that suits your breakfast and freezer space. | For one breakfast, I want to know whether the bread is available and what I can do with the rest. Planning what to buy and what to do with leftovers comes first for around 20% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information; if you wish, also check the salt per 100 g and whether it contains iodised salt. | When certain ingredients matter to me, I want to check what’s in the bread before I buy it. Around 10% of consumers prioritise checking the label. |
These words describe the bread or appear in its product name; they don’t specify the thickness of individual slices. ‘Whole’ on its own doesn’t tell you how the loaf is sliced either.
If the thickness matters for your toppings, ask at the bakery counter for an unsliced loaf or the thickness you’d like.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, brown bread can contain a mixture of wholemeal flour and white flour. So colour alone doesn’t tell you whether you’re buying wholemeal bread.
First check that the packaging says ‘wholemeal’, then choose the texture and slicing style you’re looking for.
If you’ll only eat some of it at Sunday breakfast, you’ll need to decide how to store the rest. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it.
Divide the loaf into portions before freezing it, then take out what you need.
Albert Heijn lists AH Boeren grof volkorenbrood heel as an example of coarse wholemeal bread.
Jumbo is a supermarket where you can compare the labelling and slicing options for wholemeal bread.
Lidl featured tijgervolkoren heel vloerbrood as a special offer.
ALDI lists products including Fijn volkoren heel and Extra vezelrijk volkorenbrood heel.
PLUS Grof volkoren heel is a specific product to look at if you’re after coarse wholemeal bread.
Dirk lists a wholemeal hearth-baked loaf as a possible in-store choice.
No. ‘Coarse’ may describe the type or ingredients of the bread, but it doesn’t specify a set slice thickness; ‘whole’ doesn’t tell you how the loaf is sliced either. If it matters for your toppings, ask for an unsliced loaf or request the thickness you’d like.
Check whether the bread packaging says ‘wholemeal’. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, this term means the bread is made from wholemeal flour; its brown colour alone isn’t a substitute for checking.
For packaged bread, read the label. For unwrapped bread, ask for the information before you buy. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens must be listed on the labels of packaged foods, and information about unwrapped products must be made available in another way.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baking salt. For packaged bread, check the ingredients list for iodised salt. If you’re buying unwrapped bread, ask whether it contains any if this matters to your choice.
Divide the loaf into portions after buying it, then freeze anything you won’t use straight away. This follows the storage advice from the Netherlands Nutrition Centre; also follow the storage instructions on the packaging for the specific bread.
