Sliced whole wheat bread

Keep it sealed at room temperature in its original bag or a bread bin, away from heat and moisture. Avoid refrigerating it, which can make it go stale faster.

Yes. Freeze the slices in a well-sealed bag, ideally with a little space between them; put a slice straight into the toaster from frozen, using a slightly longer setting than usual.

Look for fuzzy spots or an unusual musty smell. If you find mould on one slice, discard the whole loaf: mould can spread through soft bread beyond the visible patch.

Its nutty, slightly hearty flavour works with sharp cheddar, hummus, avocado, peanut butter or jam. It also makes a sturdy base for a cheese toastie or an egg sandwich.

It works both ways: the soft slices are easy to fold around sandwich fillings, while toasting brings out a nuttier flavour and gives the bread a crisper surface. For a hot sandwich, toast it in a frying pan over medium heat until golden on both sides.

Whole wheat bread is made with flour that includes the grain’s bran and germ, so it usually has more fibre and a denser, nuttier crumb. In the listed comparisons, sliced bread has 3.6 g of fibre per 100 g, against 6 g in sliced whole wheat bread.

Yes. Tear or pulse the slices into crumbs; use them fresh for a soft coating, or spread them on a tray and bake at 150 °C for about 10–15 minutes, stirring once, until dry and crisp.