For drinks, start by choosing bread labelled wholemeal, then check that the particular loaf you’ve chosen actually contains seeds. You can slice a whole loaf yourself; pre-sliced bread is more convenient if you want to prepare portions in advance. If you have allergies, check the latest product information, and don’t assume the bread contains iodine from baker’s salt without checking.
If you want to serve bread with cheese, dips or spreads, check whether the specific product mentions seeds. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, seeds can be added to bread; the name of the bread alone won’t tell you which ones it contains.
A dark colour or the word ‘multigrain’ isn’t enough. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that, for a product labelled wholemeal, all the grain ingredient must be wholemeal flour.
If you have an allergy, you’ll want to check the information for your chosen bread before buying, even if it’s sold loose. If you don’t use the whole loaf, you can freeze portions for another time.
Start with the wholemeal label, then compare the seeds, allergens and portion size that matter for your get-together.
| What to look for | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal base | Look for the wholemeal label on the specific product; don’t rely on ‘multigrain’ or a dark colour. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says the label means all the grain ingredient must be wholemeal. | If I want to put wholemeal bread on the drinks table, the grain base needs to be right, not just the appearance. Around 36% of consumers prioritise a wholemeal base. |
| Seeds | Check the product description and ingredients for the seeds you’re looking for. Choose a whole loaf if you want to cut it yourself, or sliced bread for even slices. | With cheese or spreads, I want the texture of seeds in the bread. That’s the top priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Allergens and baker’s salt | Read the label or ask about allergen information for bread sold loose. Separately check whether baker’s salt or iodised salt has been used if iodine is relevant to your choice. | If someone at the table has an allergy, I want to know what’s in the bread before buying it; sometimes information about baker’s salt matters too. This product information is a top priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Portions and storage | Decide how many slices or pieces you’ll need. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread in portions after buying it if you plan to use it later. | For a small get-together, I don’t want to be left with lots of unused bread. That’s why around 14% of consumers prioritise portion size and storing leftovers. |
Bread made with several types of grain, or with a dark crust, doesn’t automatically meet your need for a wholemeal base.
Check the label on the product. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, for a product labelled wholemeal, all the grain ingredient must be wholemeal flour.
If you’re buying for someone with an allergy, you can’t rely on the visible topping. Bread sold loose won’t always have the required information on packaging either.
Read the label or ask for allergen information about the specific bread before buying. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says this information must also be available for unpackaged food.
Baker’s salt contains iodine, but the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers aren’t required to use it. So you can’t assume a particular loaf contains iodine.
Check the ingredients for baker’s salt or iodised salt, or ask about it if you’re buying bread loose and it matters to your choice.
A whole loaf can be handy if you want to slice it yourself, but you’ll also need to decide what to do with any leftovers after your get-together.
Choose a size that suits what you’ll be serving. If you want to keep some bread, freeze it in portions after buying so you can use them separately later.
Albert Heijn’s wholemeal bread range includes different types of loaf, including an organic wholemeal sunflower seed loaf.
Jumbo describes its Schotel Meergranen Volkoren as a whole wholemeal multigrain loaf with seeds.
ALDI lists wholemeal loaves and also describes a multigrain bread with grains and seeds.
Lidl provides information about wholemeal products; if you’re looking for bread with seeds, the right choice depends on the specific product.
PLUS’s online wholemeal bread range includes several different types of loaf.
Dirk’s bread range includes, among other options, multiseed bread and wholemeal rolls.
If you’d like something crunchy for toppings on your drinks table instead of slices of soft bread, you could also consider crispbread. Compare it separately with wholemeal bread with seeds: it’s a different type of bread.
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This crispbread is a good fit for a get-together where you want a crunchy base for toppings, rather than a whole or sliced soft loaf.
Pack size: 265 g. Check the ingredients and allergens for the pack you choose, and look for information about seeds and baker’s salt if these matter to you.
No. Multigrain and seeds don’t in themselves confirm that the bread has a wholemeal grain base. Look for the wholemeal label on the specific loaf; according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, all the grain ingredient in a product labelled wholemeal must be wholemeal flour.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergen information must be available before purchase, even for bread sold loose. Ask if it isn’t clearly displayed, and check the information for the bread you’re actually buying.
No. Baker’s salt contains iodine, but the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says its use isn’t compulsory. For packaged bread, check the ingredients list; for bread sold loose, ask which salt has been used.
You can freeze bread in portions if you want to use it later. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread after buying it and taking out only what you need each time, so portion it according to how you plan to serve it.
