Choose a whole or unsliced wholemeal loaf if you want to cut thick slices yourself for Sunday roast leftovers; with pre-sliced bread, you can’t adjust the thickness. Then compare fibre and salt per 100 g, and check the ingredients and allergen information for the loaf you’ve chosen. A thick slice alone doesn’t tell you how well the bread will hold up under toppings with plenty of sauce.
If you want thick slices for leftover meat, vegetables or toppings with sauce, a whole or unsliced loaf lets you choose the thickness. Albert Heijn, Jumbo, PLUS, Aldi and Dirk list wholemeal loaves sold whole; check which variant you’re actually buying.
If you’re keeping an eye on fibre and salt, compare the figures per 100 g for the specific loaf. Product information from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS, among others, shows why a general figure for wholemeal bread can’t replace the figures for each individual variant.
If you’re buying bread for a shared meal where allergens matter, check the latest ingredients and allergen information. Listings from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS vary from one loaf to another.
First decide whether you want to choose the slice thickness yourself. Then compare the nutritional information and ingredients of the loaves that fit the bill.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Slice thickness | Look for a whole or unsliced loaf if you want to cut it yourself. Allow time to cut even slices. | For Sunday roast leftovers, I want to decide how thick the slices are, even if cutting them takes extra effort. Around 45% of consumers prioritise having this control. |
| Fibre and salt | Compare both figures per 100 g on the packaging of the exact variant, rather than comparing different-sized portions. | When comparing the nutritional value of loaves, I want to assess fibre and salt on the same basis. For around 36% of consumers, this comparison matters most. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the latest ingredients and allergen information for the loaf you’ve chosen, including any ‘may contain’ warnings. If you have a question about iodine, check the specific salt declaration. | For a shared meal, I want to know which ingredients and allergens are listed in the bread before serving it. Around 19% of consumers prioritise these checks. |
Wholemeal describes the grain used, not the thickness of the slices. A pre-sliced wholemeal loaf doesn’t give you the same choice of slice thickness as a whole or unsliced loaf.
Check the loaf format if you want to cut generous slices yourself; don’t assume a particular slice size from the word ‘wholemeal’.
Fibre and salt levels vary from one product to another. A fibre figure also doesn’t tell you how thickly the bread is sliced or what other ingredients it contains.
Compare both fibre and salt per 100 g for the exact variants, and check the ingredients list too.
Albert Heijn explicitly lists iodised salt for Waldkorn volkoren heel. The words ‘baker’s salt’ on another bread label don’t, by themselves, tell you how much iodine that product contains.
Check the latest ingredients information for the specific loaf if you want to assess the salt declaration.
If you’re only using some of the loaf with your Sunday roast, you’ll need a plan for storing the rest. The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months.
Divide the loaf into portions after buying it, and freeze any bread you won’t use within a few days.
If the rest is left for too long, the bread may dry out or go mouldy, and you may have to throw it away.
Compare the specific loaf from each brand: whether it’s sold whole, its nutritional values and its ingredients tell you more about this choice than the brand name alone.
Albert Heijn lists several whole and unsliced wholemeal variants.
At Jumbo, you can compare different styles of wholemeal bread, including fine and whole loaves.
Lidl lists, among other products, an 800 g fine wholemeal loaf sold in store.
Aldi lists wholemeal loaves sold whole, including a variant with an extra fibre claim.
PLUS lists both Boeren volkoren heel and Korenlanders Boeren tijger volkoren heel.
Dirk lists wholemeal loaves sold whole from Bakker van der Akker, including Boeren volkoren heel.
If you want to cut thick slices yourself, here’s a round wholemeal loaf to slice after thawing and baking.
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Slicing it yourself is ideal if you want generous slices for Sunday roast leftovers.
This frozen loaf needs to be thawed and baked first. Check the preparation instructions on the packaging before slicing.
Wheat and gluten are listed in the product information. For other allergens, check the latest packaging. Before comparing fibre and salt, check whether the nutritional values are given per 100 g or per portion.
No: with a whole or unsliced wholemeal loaf, you can choose the slice thickness yourself. Check the loaf format in the product name or on the packaging; ‘wholemeal’ on its own doesn’t tell you how the bread has been sliced.
Divide the loaf into portions and, ideally, freeze the portion you want to use later as soon as you get home. The Voedingscentrum recommends keeping wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months; freezing it for longer may make the bread drier.
No, that ingredient name alone doesn’t tell you how much iodine the bread contains. For Waldkorn volkoren heel, Albert Heijn explicitly lists iodised salt; for another loaf, check its own latest ingredients information.
No, regular wholemeal wheat bread contains wheat and gluten. If you’re serving it as part of a shared meal, always check the latest allergen information for the specific loaf, including other listed ingredients and possible traces.
