Start with bread labelled brown or wholemeal, rather than focusing on the words ‘multigrain’ or ‘sourdough’: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends brown and wholemeal bread as the standard choice for school lunches. For a nursery lunch, check the ingredients, allergens, portion size and storage instructions. If a child needs to eat gluten-free, regular multigrain sourdough is not a suitable substitute; follow the child’s individual dietary plan and the nursery’s protocol.
You’re looking for bread for a child’s lunch and don’t want to confuse ‘multigrain’ with ‘wholemeal’. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends brown and wholemeal bread as the standard choice for school lunches. The product description and ingredients can help you assess whether a loaf fits the bill when you’re shopping.
Before packing the lunch, you need to check that the ingredients and allergens are suitable for the child’s individual dietary plan and the nursery’s policy. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergen information must be shown on the label of prepacked products.
You want to be able to portion and store slices when the number of children eating changes. Freezing individual portions can be useful; follow the storage instructions and bear in mind that quality may decline after longer periods in the freezer, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre explains.
A good fit when: you’re looking for wholemeal bread and gluten is suitable for the child under their dietary arrangements. Albert Heijn describes AH OerDesem donker meergranen as a wholemeal multigrain sourdough loaf.
Keep in mind: this regular bread contains gluten-containing cereals. Check the current packaging for other allergens too.
A good fit when: a smaller loaf and the option to bake it at home work for you. PLUS describes Korenlanders Kleintje as a part-baked loaf weighing 300 g.
Keep in mind: the ingredients list includes both wholemeal wheat flour and wheat flour. Here, ‘brown multigrain’ doesn’t mean that only wholemeal flour has been used.
A good fit when: a gluten-free option is needed and the specific bread is suitable for the child’s individual dietary plan and the nursery’s arrangements. PLUS describes Schär Meesterbakker Mehrkorn as gluten-free on its product page.
Keep in mind: gluten-free doesn’t mean free from other allergens. According to PLUS, this bread contains soya and may contain lupin, mustard and sesame.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it’s most relevant to |
|---|---|---|
| Brown or wholemeal | Read the product description and ingredients. Compare nutritional information, such as fibre, on the same basis: per 100 g. | I want to be able to tell whether the bread is brown or wholemeal for lunch, rather than relying on the word ‘multigrain’. Around 31% of consumers prioritise this when choosing bread. |
| Allergens and nursery arrangements | Check the current allergen information and make sure the bread meets the child’s individual dietary plan and any arrangements for cross-contact. | If a child needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know whether this bread meets the agreed requirements before I pack it. Around 39% of consumers prioritise this check. |
| Portions and loaf type | Check whether the loaf is sliced or part-baked, and how much bread you need for each lunch. | For a small lunch group, I want to prepare portions without making more bread than necessary. Around 15% of consumers prioritise this practical approach to portioning. |
| Storage and availability | Read the storage instructions, decide how much you want to freeze and, if necessary, check whether the bread is available in store. | When the number of children eating changes, I want to keep some bread in stock without having to use a whole loaf at once. Around 15% of consumers prioritise this kind of stock management. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, ‘multigrain’ means that at least three types of grain are used. On its own, this doesn’t tell you whether the bread is made entirely from wholemeal flour. ‘Sourdough’ doesn’t indicate how much wholemeal flour has been used either.
Start by checking the product description and ingredients. Then, if it’s relevant to your choice, compare the stated fibre content per 100 g.
Allergens vary from one loaf to another. For example, Albert Heijn lists gluten-containing cereals for AH OerDesem donker meergranen, while PLUS’s product information for Schär Meesterbakker Mehrkorn describes it as gluten-free but also lists soya.
Before packing the lunch, check the current packaging or the allergen information provided, and follow the arrangements for the child in question.
Gluten-free multigrain bread doesn’t automatically have the same ingredients as regular wholemeal bread and may contain different allergens.
Choose a gluten-free option if the child needs one, then check the other allergens and any arrangements for cross-contact too.
If the number of children eating changes, you may have bread left over. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre suggests freezing individual portions as a storage option, although quality may decline after a longer time in the freezer.
Work out how many slices you need for each lunch, then follow the storage and defrosting instructions for the rest of the loaf.
AH OerDesem donker meergranen is an example of regular wholemeal multigrain sourdough.
Jumbo also includes bruin meergranen sourdough in its rustic sourdough range.
Korenlanders Kleintje desembrood bruin meergranen is a 300 g part-baked loaf that you finish baking at home.
Schär Meesterbakker Mehrkorn is a separate multigrain option if a gluten-free product is needed.
ALDI lists a boeren volkoren meergranenbrood in its bread range.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, multigrain bread contains at least three types of grain, but that doesn’t confirm that all the flour used is wholemeal. For a nursery lunch, read the product description and ingredients rather than relying on the name.
Regular multigrain sourdough made with gluten-containing cereals isn’t a gluten-free option. To find a suitable alternative, check the child’s individual dietary plan, the current packaging, other allergens and the nursery’s arrangements for cross-contact.
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for prepacked bread should be shown on the label. For unpackaged bread, this information must be available in another way before you buy it. When packing the lunch, use the information for the bread you’ve actually chosen.
Freezing individual portions means you can take out only the number of slices you need. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping opened wholemeal sourdough for 2–4 days in a kitchen cupboard or 1–3 months in the freezer. Also follow the instructions on the packaging and bear in mind that quality may decline after longer periods in the freezer.
