Choose wholemeal bread if you want to serve bread made with wholemeal flour at coffee time: according to the Voedingscentrum, wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour. If a fussy eater finds a coarse texture off-putting, consider fine wholemeal bread. Brown bread can be a stepping stone, but it contains a mixture of wholemeal flour and white flour, so compare the fibre per 100 g too.
You want to try wholemeal bread with your coffee, but a coarse crumb or strong grain flavour puts the eater off. Fine wholemeal is one option to consider; check the label to make sure the bread is actually described as wholemeal.
You want to compare breads by their fibre content per 100 g. The product name and nutritional information will tell you more than the colour of the bread.
You’re looking for a loaf that suits what people eat at home. A half loaf can be handy if you’re not sure whether a fussy eater will take to a new variety.
First decide whether the bread needs to be wholemeal. Its texture and how much you want to buy can then help you choose something for coffee time.
When to choose it: Look for the wholemeal designation if bread made from 100% wholemeal flour is your priority.
Consider: A coarse crumb or strong flavour may put off a fussy eater.
When to choose it: Consider this if the coarse texture of wholemeal bread is the main concern.
Consider: The word ‘fine’ doesn’t tell you how much fibre the bread contains; check the packaging and compare.
When to choose it: Try this if the eater isn’t ready to eat wholemeal bread and you’re looking for a loaf made with both wholemeal and white flour.
Consider: According to the Voedingscentrum, brown bread isn’t the same as wholemeal bread; compare the fibre per 100 g for each product.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and fibre | Read the product description and compare the fibre per 100 g on the packaging. | I want to choose bread for coffee time that’s clearly labelled as wholemeal, because fibre is my priority. Around 42% of consumers would choose this as their main reason for buying. |
| Flavour and texture | Check whether the bread is called fine wholemeal, and look at the product description and ingredients. | If a coarse crumb is left uneaten, I’m looking for bread the eater will be willing to try. For around 33% of consumers, texture would be the deciding factor. |
| Packaging and range | Check which types of bread are available, and whether you can buy whole or half loaves. | I want to buy an amount that will get eaten at home, especially if everyone still needs to try a new type of bread. For around 25% of consumers, this practical consideration would matter most. |
A dark colour or a multigrain name doesn’t tell you whether all the flour used is wholemeal. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, bread can only be labelled wholemeal if all the flour used is made from whole grains.
Look for the product description on the packaging, then compare the ingredients and fibre per 100 g.
Finely milled flour doesn’t automatically mean a bread is free from wheat or gluten. The product information for Jumbo Fijn Volkoren and PLUS Rond fijn volkoren lists wheat and barley, among other ingredients.
If you have a relevant food allergy or dietary restriction, check the allergens on the current packaging; don’t rely on the word ‘fine’.
Recipes and packaging can change. PLUS notes in its product information that ingredients, nutritional values and allergens may change.
Check the packaging again when you buy the bread, especially if a particular ingredient or allergen affects your choice.
The range includes different types of wholemeal bread, including round loaves, tiger bread and hearth-baked loaves.
The range includes fine wholemeal bread and wholemeal bread with seeds.
Lidl’s range includes a wholemeal bread for children made with extra-finely milled wholemeal flour.
The range includes fine wholemeal, wholemeal and brown bread, including whole and half loaves.
The range includes round fine wholemeal, tiger wholemeal and farmhouse wholemeal bread.
This Lebanese bread is a different type of bread to consider for coffee time instead of a regular whole loaf. If you’re specifically looking for a fine crumb, check the texture before choosing it.
No image available
An option for coffee time if you’d like to serve Lebanese bread instead of a regular whole loaf.
Check the product description, fibre per 100 g and allergens on the current packaging. If a fine or soft crumb is important to the eater, consider the texture separately.
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour, whereas brown bread contains a mixture of wholemeal flour and white flour. So choose by the product description, not the brown colour.
Fine wholemeal is one option to try if texture is the sticking point. Lidl describes a wholemeal bread for children made with extra-finely milled wholemeal flour, but that description doesn’t apply to every fine bread. Check the product description and fibre per 100 g on each pack.
No, don’t assume that every loaf contains iodine. According to the Voedingscentrum, bread made without baker’s salt contains no iodine. Check the ingredients if the use of baker’s salt affects your choice.
Check the allergens on the current packaging before choosing bread. Fine wholemeal isn’t automatically free from wheat or gluten either; the product information for Jumbo Fijn Volkoren and PLUS Rond fijn volkoren lists wheat.
Try a smaller pack if you’re not sure whether the eater will like the bread, and follow the storage advice on the packaging. For example, PLUS advises storing Rond fijn volkoren in a dry, dark place; this isn’t storage advice for every loaf.
