Parents of children who are fussy about bread
If your child leaves denser bread uneaten, you could try fine wholemeal before making white bread a regular lunch choice. You’ll need to try it at home to see whether they like the taste and texture.
Who might find this bread choice useful?
Families comparing the nutritional value of different breads
If you want to keep an eye on fibre at lunchtime, compare the wholemeal label and the nutritional information per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends wholemeal and brown bread as lunch choices for children.
Families with changing lunch plans
If you won’t be having lunch at home every day during the school holidays, it can help to buy the amount you need or freeze the bread in portions as soon as you get home. The latter is also the storage advice from the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide which type of bread you want and how you plan to serve it. Fine wholemeal may be a different style of wholemeal bread. With brown, multigrain and white bread, assess the product description and nutritional information separately.
Fine wholemeal bread
When: if you want to try wholemeal bread without immediately choosing a denser variety.
Consider: a finer texture doesn’t mean your child will want to eat it. You could try half a loaf first.
Brown or multigrain bread
When: if switching straight from white to wholemeal feels like too big a step for now.
Consider: the colour and visible grains don’t tell you whether the bread is made entirely from wholemeal flour.
White bread
When: if a familiar type of bread is the main priority for a particular lunch.
Consider: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that white bread contains fewer nutrients, so it isn’t a nutritional middle ground between white and wholemeal bread.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal as the basis for lunch | Look for the wholemeal label and, if needed, compare fibre per 100 g on the packaging. | I want to choose wholemeal bread for lunch during the holidays too, rather than judging by a dark colour. For around 33% of consumers, wholemeal is the top priority. |
| Whether your child will eat it | Try fine wholemeal or half a loaf before buying a larger quantity. | If my child rejects a new bread texture, I want to make the change gradually. For around 27% of consumers, acceptance comes first. |
| Variety during the holidays | Consider other types of bread too, and check the product description for each one. | For varied lunches, I’m looking for something beyond the usual sandwich, without losing sight of the type of bread. For around 20% of consumers, variety comes first. |
| Quantity and storage | Choose a whole or half loaf to suit your plans; freeze any bread you’ll eat later in portions. | When our lunch plans change, I want to avoid having a whole loaf left over. Around 20% of consumers give having a manageable supply top priority. |
Common misconceptions
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Assuming dark or multigrain bread is wholemeal
The colour, seeds and the word “multigrain” don’t tell you whether the bread is made entirely from wholemeal flour. Albert Heijn describes wholemeal bread as being made from 100% wholemeal flour.
If you want wholemeal bread, look for the wholemeal label first, then consider the shape and flavour.
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Thinking of white bread as a nutritional middle ground
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre distinguishes between white bread and wholemeal or brown bread as lunch choices for children. The fact that a child enjoys white bread doesn’t make its nutritional value equivalent.
Think of a white-bread lunch as a conscious choice for that occasion, and try other types of bread separately to see which ones your child will eat.
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Buying a whole new loaf without a storage plan
When your plans change from day to day during the holidays, you may have bread left over before you get to eat it.
If possible, try a smaller quantity first, or freeze a whole loaf in lunch-sized portions as soon as you buy it, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
Bread that isn’t eaten in time or frozen may go to waste.
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Relying only on old product information online
Ingredients and allergen information can change. PLUS also highlights this in its bread information.
Check the current label every time you buy, especially if an allergen or a particular ingredient matters to your choice.
Brands to compare
Albert Heijn
A place to compare different types of wholemeal bread, including fine wholemeal.
- Albert Heijn also includes hearth-baked loaves, round loaves and toastie bread in its wholemeal range.
- Check the current ingredients and availability of each loaf at your local shop.
Jumbo
Worth considering if you want to compare fine wholemeal with white and brown bread.
- Jumbo also lists whole and half loaves of fine wholemeal bread, so you can choose an amount that suits a trial lunch.
- Compare the label and nutritional information for each loaf; the category alone doesn’t tell you enough.
Lidl
An option if you want to compare fibre information on packaged bread.
- Lidl says its packaged loaves have a fibre indicator.
- A fibre indicator doesn’t replace checking whether the bread you’ve chosen is labelled as wholemeal.
ALDI
Worth considering when comparing fine wholemeal with other breads in the fresh bakery range.
- ALDI lists Fine Wholemeal as sliced bread and describes its wholemeal breads as made with 100% wholemeal flour.
- Check the nutritional information and ingredients for each variety, even when the breads are sold in the same shop.
PLUS
A brand to look at if you’re after a round fine wholemeal loaf.
- PLUS lists a Whole Fine Wholemeal Round Loaf with a Nutri-Score A. That score doesn’t replace checking the ingredients and nutritional information.
- PLUS warns that ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change. Check the current packaging.
Dirk
Worth considering if you want to compare white, brown and wholemeal bread, as well as different loaf sizes.
- Dirk’s product range includes round white and wholemeal loaves, as well as square loaves.
- Choose based on the information for the specific loaf and check current availability.
Bread options at Joybuy
These two types of bread offer an alternative to an ordinary white sandwich: Lebanese flatbread labelled Whole Wheat, and a round loaf to defrost and bake. Neither is automatically a proven white-and-wholemeal blend that will suit a fussy eater. Check the ingredients and nutritional information on each pack.
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Souq Lebanese Flatbread Whole Wheat, 6 P
A different kind of bread for a lunch when you don’t want to serve an ordinary sandwich. This isn’t white bread or a confirmed white-and-wholemeal blend; check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.
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Lekhaven Bakery Whole Wheat Country Round Loaf, 550 g
A round loaf for a lunch where you have time to defrost and bake it first. Before choosing it as an alternative to fine wholemeal, check the preparation instructions, the proportions of wholemeal flour and white flour, and the nutritional information on the packaging.
Frequently asked questions
Is brown or multigrain bread the same as wholemeal bread?
No. The words “brown” and “multigrain” don’t, by themselves, mean that a loaf is made entirely from wholemeal flour. If wholemeal is what you’re looking for, check the label and read the ingredients for the variety you’ve chosen.
Should I check for baker’s salt in bread for my child?
If iodine from bread is a factor in your choice, check whether baker’s salt is listed in the ingredients. Don’t assume every loaf has the same ingredients. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre specifically mentions bread made with baker’s salt when iodine from bread is relevant.
What should I do with bread we won’t eat until later in the holidays?
Freeze the bread in portions as soon as you buy it, then take out what you need for lunch. This is the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s storage advice for wholemeal bread. Also follow the instructions on the packaging for your loaf.
How do I check bread if someone has a food allergy?
Check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging every time you buy. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out that common allergens must be listed, so check the specific variety of bread rather than relying only on the type of bread or previous information online.