Choose a half wholemeal loaf if you usually eat bread within a few days and don’t get through a whole loaf. If you want to buy enough bread for the whole week in one shop, a whole loaf could work if you freeze it in portions straight away. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2 to 4 days. Whichever option you choose, check that it’s labelled wholemeal and compare the packaging of the loaf you buy.
If you often have some of a whole loaf left over, a half loaf may better suit how much you’ll eat over the next few days. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2 to 4 days. Also check the storage advice on the packaging.
If you’d rather shop less often and eat bread on several days, you can freeze a whole loaf in portions on the day you buy it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises taking out only what you need each day.
The amount of bread isn’t the only thing to consider: you’ll also want to know whether it’s wholemeal and what ingredients, allergens, fibre and salt it contains. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing nutritional values per 100 g.
A good fit for: a household that won’t get through a whole loaf within a few days.
The trade-off: you may need to buy more bread sooner than you would with a whole loaf.
A good fit for: buying bread for several days if you have room to freeze it in portions straight away.
The trade-off: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread gets drier the longer it stays in the freezer.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity and freshness | Estimate how much bread you’ll eat over the next few days. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2 to 4 days. Also follow the storage advice on the packaging. | If I don’t eat bread every day, I don’t want a whole loaf sitting around until it goes stale. For around 42% of consumers, reducing leftover bread is the top priority. |
| Wholemeal and labelling | Check that it’s labelled wholemeal and read the ingredients and allergens. Compare fibre and salt per 100 g, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. | If I’m buying two half loaves, I want to see what’s in them rather than judging by the colour or name alone. Around 33% of consumers prioritise checking the label. |
| Weekly supply | Work out whether you’ll finish a half loaf before your next shop and whether you can freeze a whole loaf in portions straight away. | When I shop for the whole week, I want to be able to take bread out on several days without making another trip to the shops. That kind of planning comes first for around 25% of consumers. |
A smaller pack doesn’t change the storage advice. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2 to 4 days.
Work out how much bread you’ll eat over the next few days, and freeze any you won’t eat in time in portions as soon as you get home.
If you finish the half loaf sooner than planned, you may need to make an extra trip to the shops.
Colour and terms such as farmhouse or multigrain don’t in themselves mean that a loaf is made entirely from wholemeal flour. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, brown bread also contains white flour.
If you specifically want wholemeal bread, look for the wholemeal label on the packaging and read the ingredients list.
Ingredients, allergens and nutritional values can vary between half wholemeal loaves too. For example, PLUS lists 6.7 g of fibre and 1.03 g of salt per 100 g for its Boeren volkoren half.
Compare the current packaging per 100 g and check the allergen information for the loaf you choose.
A particular loaf may be discontinued, and its ingredients or nutritional information may change. So an online description alone doesn’t tell you what you’ll find when you buy it.
Check that the version you’ve chosen is available in your shop or basket, and read the current packaging before buying.
These brands and shops offer half wholemeal loaves to help you compare your options. Always check which loaf is actually available and what the packaging says.
A place to look if you want to compare half wholemeal loaves and their labels.
Jumbo offers several half wholemeal loaves, including fine and coarser varieties.
A place to look for a half farmhouse wholemeal loaf, with ingredients and nutritional values available to view.
An option if you want to look for a half wholemeal loaf at Dirk.
The fresh daily range includes options such as fine wholemeal half loaves and extra high-fibre wholemeal half loaves.
A place to look if you’re after a half wholemeal loaf.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping opened wholemeal bread in a kitchen cupboard for 2 to 4 days, or in the freezer for 1 to 3 months. Freeze bread in portions as soon as you buy it if you plan to eat it later, and follow the storage advice on the packaging.
No. Those words don’t in themselves mean that a loaf is made from 100% wholemeal flour. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour, while brown bread also contains white flour. So check that the packaging says wholemeal.
Read the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any warnings on the packaging of the exact loaf you’re buying. PLUS Boeren volkoren half, for example, lists wheat and wheat gluten. Don’t assume that another variety, or a pack bought at a later date, has the same ingredients.
Check the ingredients list of the specific loaf for baker’s salt or iodised salt. For example, Albert Heijn lists iodised salt for AH Boeren grof volkorenbrood half. The wholemeal label alone doesn’t tell you which salt has been used.
