Choose a gluten-free pita for a filled fakeaway and sliced gluten-free bread for a toasted sandwich, sandwich or toast. For a burger, choose a roll that suits the dish. If you’re cooking for someone with coeliac disease, first check that the finished product is labelled gluten-free, and take care to avoid cross-contamination during preparation. A wholemeal or multiseed name is no substitute for that check. If you eat gluten-free bread regularly, compare the nutritional information on the packaging too.
You’re cooking for someone with coeliac disease. As well as choosing a bread product labelled gluten-free, you need to prepare it in a way that keeps ordinary bread crumbs off the food, as the Dutch Coeliac Association emphasises.
You start by choosing the dish: a pita for a filling, a roll for a burger or sliced bread for a toasted sandwich. Then check that the chosen pack is labelled gluten-free and read its preparation instructions.
You eat gluten-free bread more often and want to compare its nutritional information. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the contribution ordinary wholemeal bread makes to your intake of nutrients such as fibre and iodine, while bakers are not required to use baker’s salt.
If you have coeliac disease, the finished product must be labelled gluten-free. After that, the dish and your eating habits will determine which other features matter most.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Especially important for |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free preparation | Check that the finished product is labelled gluten-free, and plan a preparation method that avoids shared crumbs and utensils. | If I’m cooking for someone with coeliac disease, I want to prevent gluten getting into the dish through the bread or the way it’s prepared. This is the top priority for around 45% of consumers. |
| Bread shape and heating | Choose a pita, roll or slices to suit the dish, and read the preparation instructions on the packaging. | For a filled pita or burger, I want a bread shape that suits the filling. Shape is the deciding factor for around 36% of consumers. |
| Nutritional profile | Compare fibre per 100 g and check whether baker’s salt or iodised salt is listed among the ingredients. | If I eat gluten-free bread regularly, I want to compare its fibre content and find out whether iodised salt has been used. This nutritional profile is a priority for around 19% of consumers. |
A bread name or dark colour doesn’t confirm that the finished product is gluten-free. Spelt contains gluten; according to the Dutch Coeliac Association, maize bread can also contain wheat.
If you have coeliac disease, choose a product whose packaging clearly says gluten-free, whatever type of bread it is.
According to the Dutch Coeliac Association, crumbs can get onto gluten-free food from a chopping board, knife or toaster.
Set up a clean, separate preparation area, and keep spreads and the bread you serve separate too.
Gluten-free breads vary in their ingredients. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also notes that bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt, so you can’t tell whether it’s been used from the bread’s name alone.
Compare the fibre content in the nutrition table. If iodine is something you’re keeping an eye on in your diet, check the ingredients for baker’s salt or iodised salt.
Albert Heijn warns that product ingredients, nutritional values and allergy information can change.
Check the current packaging when you buy, including the gluten-free label, ingredients and storage instructions.
This range from Albert Heijn includes sliced multiseed bread and gluten-free wholemeal pita breads. That gives you different bread shapes to choose from for a filled pita or a sandwich.
Jumbo lists Céréal Gluten Free Lactose Free Wholemeal Bread, 240 g – a clearly identified wholemeal option if you’re looking for sliced bread.
Jumbo’s Lekker Vrij range includes 500 g loaves of white and brown gluten-free bread. Sliced bread works well for a sandwich or toasted sandwich.
PLUS offers gluten-free bread options, including brown and multiseed varieties, if you want to match the bread to your dish.
No, wholemeal doesn’t mean gluten-free. Check that the finished product is labelled gluten-free, and take care to avoid cross-contamination from ordinary bread crumbs when preparing it.
Prepare and serve the bread without it coming into contact with ordinary bread or its crumbs. The Dutch Coeliac Association advises avoiding cross-contamination: use clean hands and clean or separate utensils, and take care with shared spreads too.
For AH Glutenvrij wholemeal pita breads, Albert Heijn says you can freeze them at home on the day you buy them and defrost them before use. For other pitas, follow the storage instructions on the pack.
No, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. Check the ingredients list for baker’s salt or iodised salt if you want to assess the role bread plays in your iodine intake.
