Looking to swap white bread for an Italian evening, and keen to get more fibre? Choose bread labelled ‘wholemeal’: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour. Then decide whether you’d like to serve thin slices, a loaf to share or bake-at-home rolls. Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the packaging of your chosen option.
If you’re looking for a wholemeal alternative for an Italian evening, the bread’s colour or visible seeds aren’t enough to go by. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour, so look for the ‘wholemeal’ label.
If you’re serving bread alongside antipasti, soup or pasta, its shape and ease of serving matter too. Lidl’s rustic wholemeal sourdough loaf and Dirk’s wholemeal batard are examples of shapes worth considering.
If you’d rather serve slices than a rustic loaf, fine wholemeal bread is worth considering. Jumbo describes its Rond Fijn Volkoren as wholemeal wheat bread; check that the version you buy is labelled accordingly.
First decide whether wholemeal status, serving style or checking the ingredients matters most to you. Then compare the specific breads on their packaging: a loaf that’s easy to share isn’t necessarily wholemeal too.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and fibre | Look for the ‘wholemeal’ label. If you’re comparing two wholemeal breads, you could also compare the fibre per 100 g. | If I want to replace white bread, I want to see on the packaging that the bread really is wholemeal; this would be the most important consideration for around 50% of consumers. |
| Texture and shape | Choose between thin slices, a loaf to share or bake-at-home rolls; follow the cooking instructions for bake-at-home rolls. | When serving bread with antipasti, I want to be able to choose between slices and a loaf to share; the shape of the bread would be the priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Check the current ingredients, allergens and salt content per 100 g. Check the label too if iodine information is important to you. | If ingredients or allergens determine my choice, I want to read the packaging for that specific bread; this check would be the main consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
A dark colour, seeds or the word ‘multigrain’ in the name doesn’t confirm that the bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour. You could end up choosing a different type from the one you had in mind.
Look for the ‘wholemeal’ label first, then compare the texture and shape. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre defines wholemeal bread as bread made from 100% wholemeal flour.
The rules on iodine compounds in bread don’t tell you which ingredients a particular loaf contains.
According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, iodine compounds may only be present in bread, bread substitutes and other baked goods if they are added via baker’s salt. Check the packaging or ask your baker about a specific loaf.
‘Wholemeal’ describes the flour used, not all the ingredients. For example, PLUS lists wheat, barley and soya in its Boeren volkoren heel.
Check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging you choose every time you buy.
A whole loaf may be more than you need for one meal, especially if you’re serving other dishes too.
Choose a size that suits the number of people you’re feeding, or freeze portions you won’t use straight away.
A good place to start if you want to look at both wholemeal bread and bake-at-home rolls.
Worth considering if you want to compare fine wholemeal breads with other styles.
An option if you’re looking for a loaf to share or wholemeal bake-at-home rolls.
Worth considering if you want to compare fine wholemeal bread with a separate wholemeal option that makes a fibre claim.
Worth considering if you want to check the nutritional values and allergens of a specific wholemeal bread.
A good place to start if you’re looking for a wholemeal batard or a wholemeal floor loaf to serve at the table.
This bread is a good fit if you’d like to share some bread alongside an Italian meal. It’s a different style from sliced white bread; check the packaging if wholemeal status, nutritional values or allergens are important to your choice.
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A flatbread to share with your meal, rather than sliced white bread. The product name says Whole Wheat; check the packaging for the ingredients, nutritional values and allergens for this version.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, wholemeal bread is made from 100% wholemeal flour, while brown bread also contains white flour. So check for the ‘wholemeal’ label on the packaging rather than judging by colour alone.
Not if by white bread you mean the usual type made with white flour: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre distinguishes this from wholemeal bread made from 100% wholemeal flour. If you’d prefer a finer texture, look for fine wholemeal bread and check the label on the packaging.
Yes. Wholemeal doesn’t tell you what other ingredients the bread contains. PLUS lists wheat, barley and soya in its Boeren volkoren heel; check the current allergen information for the version you’re buying.
You can’t tell from the general rule alone. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, iodine compounds may only be present in bread, bread substitutes and other baked goods via added baker’s salt. Check the packaging or ask your baker about a specific loaf.
Freeze any portions you won’t use straight away. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends keeping wholemeal bread for 2–4 days in a kitchen cupboard or 1–3 months in the freezer; also follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
