For a fibre-conscious Christmas dinner, choose a currant or raisin bun that is explicitly labelled as wholemeal for that specific product, then compare fibre, sugars and salt per 100 g. Lidl lists mini wholemeal raisin buns that are only available in store, so check the label there before deciding. If you want to choose the ingredients yourself, baking with wholemeal wheat flour is an alternative, but it takes time to prepare. A standard currant bun is not automatically wholemeal.
You want to know whether the bun itself is wholemeal, rather than relying on the fact that it contains currants or raisins. Check the product description and ingredients, then compare the nutritional information per 100 g.
You’re looking for buns that are easy to serve to several guests. Consider whether you can pick up a suitable shop-bought option or would rather set aside time to bake your own.
If you need to consider allergens or other ingredients before serving, a wholemeal label alone doesn’t give you enough information. Read the label on the product you choose, including if you want to know what type of salt has been used.
Start by deciding whether the bun needs to be clearly labelled as wholemeal. Then choose between a shop-bought product and baking your own, depending on which ingredients you want to check and how much time you have to prepare.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for an explicit wholemeal label or wholemeal wheat flour in the ingredients. Then compare fibre per 100 g. | If wholemeal is a must for me, I don’t want to rely on the fruit filling. For around 42% of consumers, being certain a product is wholemeal matters most. |
| Serving and preparation | For shop-bought products, check the size and availability; if you’re baking your own, allow time for preparation and proving. | For Christmas dinner, I want to be able to serve the buns without having to make dough on the day. Around 25% of consumers prioritise ease of serving. |
| Ingredients | Check the label for allergens and any warnings. Compare sugars and salt per 100 g if those values matter to your choice. | If I need to consider what my guests eat, I want to be able to check the label before serving. Checking ingredients is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
The filling tells you nothing about the flour used. PLUS describes its standard currant buns as white wheat buns with raisins and currants; wheat flour is first on the ingredients list.
If the bun needs to be wholemeal, check the product description and ingredients before comparing fibre values.
A product name may confirm that something is sold as wholemeal, but it won’t give you the nutritional information and allergen details you’ll want to check for your guests.
For Lidl’s mini wholemeal raisin buns, check the current label in store and compare nutritional values per 100 g, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread doesn’t have to be made with baker’s salt. So you can’t tell whether it has been used just from the product category.
Check the ingredients on the packaging or, for unwrapped buns, ask the baker what type of salt has been used.
If you need to take allergens into account, you’ll need to check the specific product. Even if you found a product listing earlier, there’s no guarantee you’ll still be able to buy the same bun.
Check the label and availability when you do your shopping, so you can choose an alternative if needed.
Lidl lists 360 g mini wholemeal raisin buns as a product that’s only available in store.
Jumbo listed a product called Mini Wholemeal Raisin and Currant Buns, 9 pieces.
PLUS’s standard currant buns show why you can’t automatically assume a currant bun is wholemeal.
Check whether the specific product is explicitly labelled as wholemeal or lists wholemeal wheat flour in the ingredients. Then compare fibre per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends this unit for comparing products with different serving sizes.
Not necessarily: currants and raisins tell you nothing about the flour used. For example, PLUS describes its standard currant buns as white wheat buns with raisins and currants, with wheat flour as the first ingredient.
Baking your own is a good option if you want to choose the ingredients and have time to prepare the buns. Albert Heijn Allerhande’s wholemeal currant bun recipe uses wholemeal wheat flour; before baking, check that all the recipe ingredients are suitable for your guests.
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bread doesn’t have to be made with baker’s salt. Check the label on packaged buns or ask the baker about the ingredients in unwrapped buns.
Read the allergen information and any warnings on the current packaging of each bun you choose. Don’t assume the ingredients are the same as those in another brand or recipe, even if both products are labelled wholemeal.
