For a baby who is just starting to eat bread, soft bread without the crust is a more suitable choice than crisp wholemeal toast. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bread should only be introduced once your baby is used to tasting small amounts of food and some coarser textures; after that, you can gradually move on to wholemeal bread. Consider toast or rusks only for a child who already manages coarser textures, and check the salt and allergens on the packaging too.
Your baby is still practising with small tastes of food and coarser textures. At this stage, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s advice to start with bread without the crust is more relevant than a wholemeal label on a crisp toast.
Your baby already eats bread and can manage coarser textures. You want to make the switch to wholemeal, while keeping an eye on the product’s texture and any seeds or grains.
You want to know which ingredients are listed on the packaging, whether you’re at home or packing something for childcare. Check the current information for ingredients including cereals containing gluten, sesame, egg, soya and milk, if they’re relevant to your child.
Start by considering which texture is right for your baby’s stage with bread. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises offering bread without the crust once a baby is used to tasting small amounts of food and some coarser textures; you can then gradually switch to wholemeal bread.
When: Your baby is used to tasting small amounts of food and is starting on bread; choose bread without the crust, seeds or grains.
The trade-off: This isn’t the step to wholemeal yet; build towards that as your child gets used to eating bread.
When: Your baby already eats bread and you want to introduce wholemeal gradually.
The trade-off: As well as checking for the word ‘wholemeal’, look at the texture and any seeds or grains; make the switch gradually.
When: Your child is already used to bread and coarser textures, and you can assess how they manage a dry, crisp product.
The trade-off: Crisp textures are not a substitute for soft bread when first introducing bread. Check the salt and allergens too.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Eating skills and texture | Check whether your baby is used to tasting small amounts of food and eating coarser textures. When first introducing bread, choose soft bread without the crust rather than crisp toast. | If my baby is still practising with coarser textures, I don’t want their first experience of bread to be a crisp toast. For around 42% of consumers, a texture suited to this stage of eating comes first. |
| Introducing wholemeal gradually | Check the wholemeal label, the ingredients and the texture; when first introducing bread, look out for seeds and grains too. | When my child already eats bread, I want to introduce wholemeal step by step, in a texture they can manage. Around 25% of consumers give this gradual switch top priority. |
| Salt and allergens | Check the salt content per 100 g and read the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging you buy. | When packing food or dealing with a relevant allergen, I want to know what’s in the product and be able to take its salt content into account. For around 33% of consumers, checking the label is the most important consideration. |
The word ‘wholemeal’ tells you nothing about how your baby will manage a dry, crisp texture. For starting on bread, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends bread without the crust once a baby is used to tasting small amounts of food and eating coarser textures.
At this stage, start with soft bread without the crust, seeds or grains. Consider toast or rusks later, once your baby is ready for their texture.
A fibre claim doesn’t tell you the salt content. The figures listed by Albert Heijn for Van der Meulen Melba Toast Volkoren and Jos Poell Volkoren Toast are 1.9 g and 1.64 g of salt per 100 g respectively; Jumbo lists 0.47 g per 100 g for Bolletje Volkoren Beschuit. These are different products, so this isn’t a judgement based on just one nutritional value.
Compare the current nutritional information per 100 g and consider the portion you’re offering too.
Different allergens may be relevant in toast and rusks. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that allergens must be listed on the labels of prepacked foods.
Read the packaging of the product you’re actually using. If you’re packing food for childcare or school, ask about their policy too.
These product ranges show why the category matters: wholemeal toast and rusks are crisp products, while the advice for a baby’s first bread is about soft bread.
Melba Toast Volkoren is a thin, crisp wholemeal toast.
Volkoren Toast is a crisp toast product, not the same as soft wholemeal bread.
Volkoren Beschuit is a rusk, not toast or soft bread.
These Joybuy products are wholemeal rusks, not toast or soft bread for a baby’s first tastes of bread. Consider a crisp product only once your child is used to bread and coarser textures; assess the texture and read the packaging before use.
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Rusks are worth considering only once your child is used to bread and coarser textures, not for their first tastes of bread.
Pack of 13. Before use, check the current packaging for ingredients, allergens and nutritional information.
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Consider this rusk only for a child who already manages bread and coarser textures; soft bread is a better choice when first introducing bread.
Pack of 10. Before offering it, check the current packaging for any seeds, allergens and nutritional information.
Crisp wholemeal toast isn’t an obvious first choice of bread. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises offering bread without the crust only once your baby is used to tasting small amounts of food and some coarser textures; you can soften the bread with breast milk or formula if you like.
Make the switch gradually once your baby is already eating bread and can manage coarser textures. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends moving to wholemeal bread step by step; when choosing, consider the texture and any seeds or grains too.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging you’re using. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains how allergens must be listed on prepacked foods; look out for cereals containing gluten and any other allergens relevant to your child. Before packing food for childcare or school, ask about their policy.
No. A fibre claim won’t tell you whether the texture is right for your baby’s stage of eating, how much salt the product contains or which allergens it includes. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving salty foods to babies aged four months to one year; check the current nutritional information and consider the product as part of your baby’s overall diet.
