Want to choose wholemeal bread for everyday meals, but find that a fussy eater prefers a less coarse texture? Fine wholemeal bread is worth considering. Check the packaging to make sure the bread is labelled wholemeal; this doesn’t guarantee a soft texture. For a coffee break, white bread may be a better fit if you prefer a familiar, mild flavour. Brown or multigrain bread isn’t automatically wholemeal, so compare the ingredients, nutritional information and quantity you need for each loaf.
With coffee and cake, you may want a familiar bread texture, but perhaps you’d also like to try something other than white bread. Fine wholemeal bread is one option to consider. Check that it’s labelled wholemeal and assess the texture of the specific loaf.
If you also buy bread for breakfast or lunch, you can compare the wholemeal labelling and fibre per 100 g. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the fibre in wholemeal bread; the nutritional information shows what’s listed for each individual product.
For a few coffee breaks, half a loaf may be a better match for the amount you need. If you want to use a whole loaf over several occasions, check the packaging to see whether and how you can freeze it.
Choose it when: you’re looking for wholemeal bread but want to avoid a noticeably coarse texture.
Bear in mind: fine doesn’t tell you how soft a loaf actually is; this varies from product to product.
Choose it when: you want to try a different style of bread and compare the ingredients of different products.
Bear in mind: according to Albert Heijn, these breads may contain white flour as well as wholemeal flour. Their colour and the number of grains they contain don’t prove that they’re wholemeal.
Choose it when: a familiar, mild-tasting slice is what matters most for your coffee break.
The trade-off: for everyday meals, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says wholemeal bread provides more fibre and nutrients than white bread.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for the wholemeal label on the bread and compare fibre per 100 g in the nutritional information. | For my everyday sandwich, I mainly want to know whether the bread is genuinely wholemeal rather than judging it by its colour; around 45% of consumers put this need first. |
| Mild flavour and texture | Check the bread description and ingredients; words such as fine or soft don’t, on their own, tell you anything about its fibre content. | With coffee and cake, the bread should feel familiar to a fussy eater. For around 33% of consumers, this mild-tasting experience matters most. |
| Quantity and storage | Compare half and whole loaves, and read the storage instructions before freezing bread. | If I only serve bread with coffee now and then, I don’t want lots left over; around 22% of consumers prioritise having the right amount and being able to store it. |
A dark colour or several types of grain won’t tell you how much wholemeal flour the bread contains. You could end up taking home something other than the wholemeal bread you were looking for.
Check the wholemeal label on the specific loaf and, if in doubt, read the ingredients list.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the conditions under which iodine compounds may be present in bread through the use of bakers’ salt. This doesn’t mean that every loaf contains iodised salt.
To find out what kind of salt a loaf contains, read the ingredients list on the current packaging.
If you only need a few slices, you may have a lot of bread left over. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists bread as one of the foods that is often wasted.
Compare a half loaf with a whole one. If you want to freeze portions, follow the instructions on the packaging you choose.
Ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change from product to product. A description you viewed earlier may not match the loaf you have in your hands.
Check the current packaging, especially if an ingredient or allergen is important to your choice.
A place to compare different styles of bread and the details of individual loaves.
The bread category features white, brown, multigrain and wholemeal options, including half and whole loaves.
Its fresh-baked bread information shows white and wholemeal loaves in different sizes.
Lidl distinguishes between different types of bread and describes a fibre scale on its packaged loaves.
The product information for PLUS Boeren volkoren heel is useful for checking the ingredients and storage details of a whole wholemeal loaf.
The bread category shows white, brown and wholemeal options, as well as different sizes.
No, brown bread isn’t automatically wholemeal. According to Albert Heijn, it may contain white flour as well as wholemeal flour. Check the label on the bread and read the ingredients list rather than judging it by its colour alone.
Yes, fine wholemeal bread is an option if you want to try wholemeal without choosing a coarse loaf straight away. Check the wholemeal label; fine doesn’t guarantee a particular flavour, softness or fibre content, so compare the specific loaf.
No, don’t assume this is the case for every loaf. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may be present in bread through the addition of bakers’ salt. Read the ingredients list to check whether the bread you’ve chosen lists iodised salt.
A half loaf may be a good fit if you only use a few slices. If you want to freeze portions of a larger loaf, follow the product’s instructions. For example, PLUS says its Boeren volkoren heel can be frozen at home on the day of purchase.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging of the bread you’re buying. The grains and other allergens listed vary by product, and online descriptions you viewed earlier may also have changed.
