For a student meal, choose bread labelled ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging and compare the fibre content per 100 g; brown or multigrain bread isn’t automatically wholemeal. Choose an amount you can eat, and freeze portions if needed. Also check the salt content and allergens on the label of the bread you choose.
If you want wholemeal bread with your meal, don’t rely on a dark colour or the word ‘multigrain’. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread labelled ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging is made from 100% wholemeal flour.
If you don’t eat several slices of bread every day, how much you can store matters. Freezing portions means you won’t have to use a whole loaf at once.
If salt, wheat, gluten or other allergens are relevant to you, check the ingredients and nutritional information for the specific bread. Standard wholemeal wheat bread isn’t automatically gluten-free.
Start by looking for the word ‘wholemeal’. Then compare the nutritional information and consider how much bread you can eat or store.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging and compare the fibre content per 100 g of the breads you’re considering. | If I want to eat wholemeal bread, I don’t want to judge it by its colour, so I also check the fibre content. For about 38% of consumers, checking for wholemeal bread and fibre comes first. |
| The right amount | Check the pack size and work out how many portions you’ll get from it. | When I’m making a meal for one, I don’t want to open more bread than I can use. About 31% of consumers prioritise choosing the right amount. |
| Storage and waste | Check the storage instructions and freeze portions if you won’t eat the bread within a few days. | If I don’t eat at home regularly, I want to be able to take what I need without leaving the rest to go stale; storage is the main concern for about 23% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and labelling | Read the allergen information and compare the salt content per 100 g. Check the ingredients if baker’s salt is relevant to you. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know first whether this bread suits my diet. Checking the label comes first for about 8% of consumers. |
A dark colour or several types of grain don’t prove that bread is entirely wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, brown bread can contain a mixture of wholemeal flour and white flour.
Use the word ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging as your first check.
If you only use a few slices, the rest may be left uneaten. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends storing opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months.
Freeze portions on the day you buy the bread if you won’t eat it within a few days.
The fibre content doesn’t tell you which allergens the bread contains or how much salt it has. For example, Jumbo lists wheat, barley and gluten in Jumbo Fijn Volkoren.
Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information for the exact variety you choose.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority sets out the conditions under which iodine compounds may be included in bread through baker’s salt. This doesn’t tell you which salt has been used in a particular loaf.
Check the ingredients of that bread if it’s important to you to know whether it contains baker’s salt.
Albert Heijn sells both everyday wholemeal bread and artisan-style loaves, including AH Vloerbrood volkoren heel.
Jumbo’s own range includes both fine and coarse wholemeal bread.
ALDI sells wholemeal bread, including a product called Extra vezelrijk volkorenbrood.
PLUS sells its own-brand wholemeal bread, including PLUS Rond fijn volkoren heel.
Dirk stocks products including Bakker van der Akker’s Batard volkoren.
Lidl sells products including Fijn volkoren in an 800 g pack.
If you’re having a meal with flatbread, you could consider this wholemeal option. Use the pack size and storage instructions to work out whether you can use it all.
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This wholemeal Lebanese bread is a good fit for a meal where you’d rather use flatbread than a whole sliced loaf.
Check the allergen information and storage instructions on the packaging, especially if you won’t use all the portions soon after opening.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour, while brown bread can also contain white flour. So look for ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging rather than judging by the colour or the number of grains.
Freeze portions if you don’t expect to eat the bread within a few days. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends storing opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days or in the freezer for 1–3 months; also follow the instructions on the packaging.
You can’t assume that’s the case for every loaf. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains when iodine compounds may be included in bread through baker’s salt, but that doesn’t confirm which salt has been used in a particular product. Check the ingredients list to find out.
No, don’t assume that standard wholemeal wheat bread is gluten-free. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists wheat, rye and barley as grains that contain gluten. Only choose a product if its gluten-free labelling and allergen information meet your requirements.
