A half-sized wholemeal loaf is a good fit if you’re a student who eats only a few slices and doesn’t want bread to go to waste. If you eat bread regularly and can freeze it in portions straight away, a whole loaf could work too. Whichever you choose, check the ingredients and allergens; according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, not all bread is made with baker’s salt.
If you live alone or don’t eat at home regularly, a half-sized loaf may be a better match for the number of slices you get through. If you can freeze bread, you could also buy a whole loaf and freeze it in portions. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it.
For these students, what matters is how much bread they actually eat after buying it. So compare a half loaf with a whole loaf based on the amount that suits your eating habits, and consider whether you have room to freeze any leftover slices.
If you want to know which grains and allergens a loaf contains, check the information for that specific product. Nutritional values, ingredients and whether baker’s salt is listed can vary from loaf to loaf; according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, baker’s salt isn’t used in every type of bread.
First, work out how many slices you’ll get through and whether freezing is practical for you. Then compare the labels on the loaves you’re considering.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Amount per purchase | Check the weight or number of slices and compare it with how much you usually eat. | With a tight food budget, I want to buy an amount that suits how much I eat. For around 36% of consumers, the amount they buy each time is the main consideration. |
| Bread waste | Check whether you can freeze a whole loaf in portions straight away, or whether a half loaf better suits how much you eat. | If I only eat bread occasionally, I don’t want the rest to go to waste. For around 36% of consumers, reducing bread waste is the deciding factor. |
| Label information | Check the product description, ingredients and allergens; you can also compare fibre and salt per 100 g. | I want to know whether the bread is wholemeal and what ingredients it contains before choosing it. For around 28% of consumers, checking the label comes first. |
A larger pack isn’t helpful if some of the bread goes uneaten. A half loaf should still match the number of slices you eat.
Choose an amount you expect to finish, or freeze the bread in portions as soon as you buy it, as advised by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, not all bakers use baker’s salt. So the type of bread alone won’t tell you which salt was used in a particular loaf.
For packaged bread, look for baker’s salt or iodised salt in the ingredients list. If the bread is unwrapped, ask the baker.
The colour and visible grains don’t tell you how a loaf is described or what ingredients it contains. Added grains and seeds can also matter if you’re checking for allergens.
Read the product description and the latest ingredients and allergen information for the bread you want to buy.
Jumbo’s range of bread products includes Fijn Volkoren Half and a full Fijn Volkorenbrood loaf.
PLUS lists several half-sized wholemeal loaves, including Grof Volkoren Half and Boeren Volkoren Half.
The product information for AH Boeren grof volkorenbrood half shows what you can check when buying a half loaf.
A half-sized wholemeal loaf is a better fit if you eat only a few slices and can’t freeze the rest of a whole loaf. If you have room in your freezer, you can freeze a whole loaf in portions as soon as you buy it and take out what you need.
Ideally, freeze the bread in portions as soon as you buy it and take out only what you need. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends storing opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for two to four days, or in the freezer for one to three months. Freezing it for longer can make the bread drier.
No, not all wholemeal bread is made with iodised baker’s salt. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. For packaged bread, check the ingredients list; for unwrapped bread, ask which salt was used.
Read the latest ingredients and allergen information for the specific variant. The loaves mentioned contain different grain ingredients, so don’t rely on the name or colour to find out what’s in a loaf.
