For a lunch based on wholemeal, choose a currant or raisin bun with ‘wholemeal’ clearly stated on the packaging. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, when used for bread, this label means it is made from 100% wholemeal flour. Jumbo and PLUS, by contrast, describe their regular currant buns as white-wheat raisin and currant buns. So compare the fibre per 100 g too, and check the allergens on the pack you’re buying.
You want to grab a currant or raisin bun quickly, but don’t want to judge it by its dark colour. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains what ‘wholemeal’ means when used for bread. Use this label as your starting point, then check the product’s nutritional information.
For lunches at school, work or home, the number of buns and storage instructions matter. PLUS says its regular currant buns can be frozen on the day of purchase. For a different pack, follow the instructions on that packaging.
If certain ingredients aren’t suitable for you, check both ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ on the specific pack. The product information for the regular currant buns from Jumbo and PLUS lists wheat and milk, among other things.
If wholemeal is important for your lunch, start by checking for the ‘wholemeal’ label. Then compare the nutritional information per 100 g and see whether the size, availability and storage instructions fit your plans.
| What to look for | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging and compare the fibre per 100 g. The fibre figure alone doesn’t tell you whether the bun is wholemeal. | If you want to choose a demonstrably wholemeal bun for lunch, rather than one that simply looks dark, this is the priority to focus on. It’s the top priority for around 42% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Read the allergen information and compare sugars and salt on the same basis, preferably per 100 g. | If you need to avoid certain allergens or want to compare sugars and salt, you need to be able to rely on the label for the exact bun you’re buying. Composition comes first for around 33% of consumers. |
| Taking them with you and storage | Check the number of buns, current availability and the storage instructions on the packaging. | If you’re planning lunches for several days, you’ll want buns that you can take with you and store in a way that suits your plans. Convenience and keeping a supply in stock come first for around 25% of consumers. |
A dark colour or the term ‘multigrain’ isn’t as clear as ‘wholemeal’. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, when used for bread, ‘wholemeal’ means it is made from 100% wholemeal flour.
Check the label on the packaging first, then compare the fibre per 100 g.
Jumbo and PLUS describe their regular currant buns as white-wheat raisin and currant buns. A bun containing fibre isn’t automatically wholemeal.
Read the product description and ingredients for the variety you want to buy, even if the product photo looks like a wholemeal bun.
Jumbo lists its mini wholemeal variety as no longer available on the relevant online product page. Lidl lists its mini wholemeal raisin buns as an in-store purchase.
On the day you buy, check how you can get the variety you’ve chosen before planning your lunch around it.
Jumbo’s and PLUS’s regular varieties list wheat and milk; a different product may have different ingredients and allergen information. Nor can you assume that every currant bun contains iodised baker’s salt.
If you have a relevant allergy or a specific question about iodine, check the current information on the pack.
A regular currant bun, a wholemeal raisin bun and a wholemeal bun without currants are different products. So check the exact product name and packaging at each shop.
Jumbo lists regular raisin and currant buns, as well as a separate mini wholemeal variety.
Lidl lists 360 g packs of mini wholemeal raisin buns as an in-store product.
PLUS lists regular currant buns and separate wholemeal rolls.
ALDI lists regular raisin and currant buns, as well as wholemeal buns.
Albert Heijn has an online category for currant buns and muesli buns.
Look for the ‘wholemeal’ label on the bun’s packaging. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, when used for bread, this label means it is made from 100% wholemeal flour. A brown colour doesn’t tell you that.
Not necessarily: Jumbo and PLUS describe their regular currant buns as white-wheat raisin and currant buns. The regular Jumbo variety contains 2.8 g of fibre per 100 g, but the fibre figure alone doesn’t prove that a bun is wholemeal.
If you have a relevant allergy, always check the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements on the pack you’re buying. Jumbo’s and PLUS’s regular currant buns list wheat and milk, among other things. Don’t assume a different variety has the same ingredients.
You can’t assume that every currant bun does. Check the ingredients list for the specific product to see whether it mentions, for example, baker’s salt or iodised salt.
That depends on the product’s storage instructions. PLUS says its regular currant buns can be frozen on the day of purchase and used within one month. For a different variety, follow the instructions on its own packaging.
