If fibre is your priority at lunchtime, choose a bread product explicitly labelled wholemeal and compare the fibre information on the label; a multiseed croissant isn’t automatically wholemeal. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives an average of 1.1 g of fibre per 45 g croissant, while PLUS lists 7.8 g per 100 g for its Korenlanders wholemeal multigrain rolls. Compare products on the same basis, and bear in mind that a roll will have a different texture and may contain allergens.
Wants to check whether a product is wholemeal and how much fibre it contains when choosing lunch at university. An explicit product description and nutritional information are more helpful than its colour or visible seeds.
Would like to enjoy a croissant, but wants to know what the multiseed label says about its ingredients. The name alone doesn’t confirm that a croissant is wholemeal.
Needs to check the ingredients and allergens of the specific product before buying it. Even a wholemeal multigrain roll may contain ingredients that don’t suit their dietary requirements.
First decide whether you mainly want a croissant or a lunch option whose wholemeal ingredients you can check. Then compare the nutritional information for the products actually available to you.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal ingredients and fibre | Check that the product is explicitly labelled wholemeal and compare fibre per 100 g as well as per portion eaten. | If I want to choose my lunch based on fibre, I want to know what’s actually in the bread product, even if a croissant contains seeds. For around 50% of consumers, fibre is the top priority. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information for the specific product, asking staff at the counter if necessary. | If I have an allergy, I need to know whether I can eat the product before considering its taste or fibre content. For around 30% of consumers, checking this is the top priority. |
| Convenience and portion size | Check the portion size, and compare fibre, saturated fat and salt on the same basis. | During a short lunch break, I may simply want something I can eat straight away, without losing sight of its nutritional information. For around 20% of consumers, convenience or portion size matters most. |
Seeds on a croissant don’t tell you whether the flour used is wholemeal. The name of the AH Multiseed Croissant doesn’t confirm that either.
Look for an explicit wholemeal label on the specific product, and check the ingredients and fibre per 100 g.
Comparing just one nutritional value can hide other differences. For an average 45 g croissant, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre also lists 5 g of saturated fat and 0.53 g of salt; the values for a specific product may differ.
Compare fibre, saturated fat, salt and portion size together using the current label.
Wholemeal and multigrain don’t tell you which allergens a product contains. According to PLUS, its Korenlanders wholemeal multigrain rolls contain, among other things, cereals containing gluten, milk, soya and sesame.
Before eating, check the current allergen information for the product you’re buying or being served.
A brand to consider if you’re looking for a croissant with seeds: Albert Heijn lists an AH Multiseed Croissant.
A brand to browse when you’re mainly looking for a croissant for lunch.
A specific bread alternative if being able to check the wholemeal ingredients matters more to you than having a croissant.
A brand to consider for wholemeal bread products as an alternative to a croissant.
A brand where you can compare a croissant and wholemeal rolls as different lunch options.
If you’d like a bread option instead of a croissant for your university lunch, you could consider this whole-wheat flatbread. It’s not a croissant or a wholemeal roll.
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A bread alternative for anyone who doesn’t need a croissant with lunch and wants to compare the fibre content of the product they choose.
Check the portion size and the latest ingredients and allergen information before eating.
No. The name ‘multiseed’ doesn’t mean the flour is wholemeal. Check the explicit product description and ingredients of the croissant you want to buy.
Compare fibre, saturated fat, salt and portion size on the label. For an average 45 g croissant, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives 1.1 g of fibre, 5 g of saturated fat and 0.53 g of salt; the values for your croissant may differ.
Before buying, ask for the latest ingredients and allergen information for the product being served. Don’t rely on the words wholemeal or multigrain alone, and don’t use information about a different product as a substitute.
