For a filled lunch sandwich, soft sliced bread is a better choice than crisp Melba toast, which is designed for small open sandwiches. Choose between white, wholemeal and a high-protein alternative based on the type of bread you want, the nutritional information and the ingredients. Check the slice size too, as ‘medium sliced’ doesn’t indicate a set thickness.
You’re looking for soft bread for a regular lunch, but you also want to consider the type of bread and its fibre content. Voedingscentrum recommends replacing white bread with wholemeal or brown bread as much as possible.
You want whole, soft slices that you can wrap around a filling. White toastie bread could be a good fit; compare the fibre content if you also use it regularly as the basis for an everyday lunch.
You might check the ingredients and allergens, or compare protein and carbohydrates per 100 g. The name ‘toast’ or ‘wholemeal’ doesn’t tell you everything about a specific pack.
First decide whether you want to make a soft, filled sandwich or a crisp open sandwich. Then, when choosing soft toast bread, compare the type of bread, the slice size and the information on the label.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Type of bread and fibre | Read the exact bread description and compare fibre per 100 g across similar toast breads. | For my everyday lunch, I want soft bread, but the type of bread and fibre matter more than they would for an occasional toastie. Around 42% of consumers put this first. |
| Soft slices and size | Check the product format, the number of slices or portions, and whether it’s described as suitable for toasties or sandwiches. | For a filled sandwich, I want whole, soft slices rather than small, crisp toasts. This is the main concern for around 33% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | Check allergens and ingredients; if you have a specific protein or carbohydrate target, compare the values per 100 g. | If certain ingredients aren’t suitable for me, or I want to compare nutritional values, I need the label to provide the answers before I buy. Around 25% of consumers prioritise these checks. |
Melba toast consists of thin, toasted slices. It’s crisp and quite different from soft slices for wrapping around a lunch filling.
For a filled sandwich, choose soft sliced toast bread; use Melba toast for small open sandwiches with toppings.
‘Wholemeal’ or ‘protein’ on its own doesn’t tell you which ingredients or nutritional values apply to a particular loaf. For example, the wholemeal toastie bread described by Albert Heijn is also labelled as half wholemeal wheat bread.
Read the full bread description and ingredients list, and compare the nutritional information per 100 g across similar breads.
Even high-protein or differently formulated toast bread may contain wheat or gluten. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains which allergens must be listed on the label.
If you need to follow a specific dietary restriction, check both the ingredients and the allergen information on the pack you’re buying.
If you only make a lunch sandwich occasionally, you may not use all the slices while they’re still fresh.
Choose a pack that suits how you use it. Voedingscentrum recommends freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it and taking out only what you need each time.
Albert Heijn describes soft white and half-wholemeal toastie breads for toasties and club sandwiches, among other things.
Van der Meulen wholemeal Melba toast makes a crisp base for small bites; it isn’t soft sandwich bread.
Biaform Provital offers a Protein Toast Sandwich for anyone looking to compare protein and carbohydrate content specifically.
Don’t assume it does: check whether the ingredients list for the specific bread includes iodised salt, iodine salt or baker’s salt. The 2008 baker’s salt agreement from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport describes the promotion of iodised salt in bread-making; it doesn’t guarantee that every pack contains it.
Read the ingredients and allergen information for the bread you’re planning to buy. The white and half-wholemeal toastie breads described here contain wheat and soya; ingredients may differ in other varieties. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that any allergens required by law must be listed on the label.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack. If you want to use the bread later, it’s best to freeze it in portions as soon as you buy it. Voedingscentrum recommends taking out only as much as you need from the freezer each time.
