For a quick working-from-home lunch, start by choosing bread labelled as wholemeal. If you want to add your toppings straight away, check that it’s pre-sliced and that you’re happy with the thickness of the slices: terms such as ‘fine’, ‘whole’ and ‘sliced’ don’t all mean the same thing. Then compare the nutritional information per 100 g and decide how much bread you can store or freeze.
If you want to make your sandwiches without having to slice the loaf, look specifically for pre-sliced wholemeal bread. Check the slices themselves: a name such as ‘fine’ doesn’t specify their thickness.
If you want to compare the fibre content of different breads, check their nutritional information per 100 g on the same basis. Don’t judge by colour alone, or by words such as ‘coarse’ and ‘multigrain’.
If you’re unlikely to eat a whole loaf quickly, you can freeze portions. 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.
Start by checking that it’s labelled as wholemeal. Then decide what matters most for your working-from-home lunch: slices you can top straight away, comparable nutritional information, a suitable amount to keep in stock or clear information about the ingredients.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Convenience | Look for ‘sliced’ and check the actual thickness of the slices; ‘fine’ doesn’t automatically mean medium-sliced. | If my lunch break is short, I want bread I can top straight away, with slices that aren’t too thin or too thick for me. Around 36% of consumers would consider ease of slicing the most important factor in their choice. |
| Wholemeal and fibre | Check that it’s labelled as wholemeal and compare the fibre content per 100 g on the same basis. | I want to know that I’m buying wholemeal bread and how its fibre content compares, even if the slices aren’t all the same size. Around 29% of consumers would prioritise this comparison. |
| Storage | Choose a loaf of a suitable size or freeze portions after buying. 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. | I don’t eat the same amount of bread every day I work from home, so I want to be able to keep the rest. Around 21% of consumers would consider reducing waste the main priority. |
| Ingredients and labelling | Read the current ingredients list and allergen declaration; compare the salt content per 100 g if that’s important to your choice. | I want to know which ingredients and allergens are in this particular bread, rather than relying on the product name. Around 14% of consumers would give this label information the greatest weight. |
Colour and texture alone don’t tell you whether bread is sold as wholemeal. If you specifically want wholemeal bread, check the product description and ingredients rather than judging by appearance.
Check that it’s labelled as wholemeal before comparing the nutritional information per 100 g.
‘Fine’ may describe the texture, while ‘sliced’ tells you how the bread is supplied. Neither term guarantees the slice thickness you’re looking for.
Look at the bread in the shop or check the packaging and product information before choosing it based on how it’s sliced.
If you only eat a few slices a day, an opened loaf may be around for longer than you’d like. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends storing it in a kitchen cupboard for 2–4 days.
Freeze portions after buying if you won’t use the bread within that time.
Ingredients and allergens vary from one bread to another. The Jumbo Fijn Volkorenbrood that was reviewed lists wheat and barley; PLUS Grof Volkoren lists wheat, barley and soya, among other ingredients.
If you have an allergy, always check the current label on the specific loaf. Also check the salt content per 100 g if you want to compare it.
Albert Heijn’s online range includes various wholemeal breads, including whole and half loaves, as well as options specifically labelled as sliced.
Jumbo’s online bread range includes a variety of wholemeal breads.
Lidl lists an 800 g Fijn volkorenbrood as an in-store product.
ALDI describes its Fijn Volkorenbrood as sliced.
PLUS offers, among other options, a whole loaf of Grof Volkoren, with information about its ingredients and nutritional values.
Dirk’s online bread range includes various wholemeal options, including half and whole loaves.
Don’t assume it means a fixed thickness. Supermarkets also use terms such as ‘fine’, ‘coarse’, ‘whole’ and ‘sliced’, so check the packaging or look at the slices themselves if thickness matters to you.
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. If you’re unlikely to eat a whole loaf quickly, you can freeze it in portions after buying; bread may dry out if you keep it in the freezer for longer.
Don’t assume that all bread contains iodine. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority describes rules on using iodine compounds in baker’s salt, but that doesn’t tell you which salt was used in a particular loaf. Check the ingredients of the product you choose.
Read the current allergen declaration for the specific loaf. The Jumbo and PLUS breads reviewed list wheat and barley, among other ingredients; the PLUS bread mentioned also lists soya. Don’t assume other varieties contain the same ingredients.
