Want to take chocolate toast to the office? First decide whether you need a ready-to-eat product or a combination you put together yourself. For ready-made chocolate-coated toast, the label, allergens and nutritional information of the specific product are what matter. With plain toast and a separately chosen chocolate component, you can assess each item individually. Homemade chocolate toast takes preparation and is not the same as a packaged snack that’s ready to eat.
You’re looking for something crunchy with a chocolate flavour to enjoy alongside your usual lunch. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion, and consider how the toast fits in with everything else you’re taking. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre doesn’t present sweet snacks as an obvious substitute for a varied lunch.
If you’re buying for yourself or a colleague with an allergy, the packaging of the exact product matters more than its flavour name. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority highlights the allergen information on labels; the allergens listed can vary from one type of toast to another.
You want to be able to eat the toast straight from your lunchbox, without preparing anything. Lidl’s double chocolate toast recipe uses ingredients including toasted bread and a toasted sandwich maker, so it takes different preparation from a packaged, ready-to-eat product.
First decide whether you need something ready to eat or can prepare it in advance. Then check the nutritional information and allergens for both the toast and any chocolate component.
When to choose it: If you find a specific packaged product that you can add to your lunchbox without preparing it.
Consider: Check that the product really is toast coated in chocolate, and read the ingredients, allergen and nutritional information.
When to choose it: If you want to choose and assess the toast base and sweet topping separately.
Consider: You’ll need to put the combination together and pack it yourself; plain or wholemeal toast isn’t chocolate-coated toast.
When to choose it: If you can prepare the toast in advance or have access to the equipment you need.
Consider: Lidl’s recipe uses several ingredients and a toasted sandwich maker; it isn’t packaged toast that’s ready to eat.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is it relevant to? |
|---|---|---|
| Lunch and portion size | Compare fibre, sugars, saturated fat and salt per 100 g and per portion; also consider what else you’re taking for lunch. | If I’m having chocolate toast with my lunch, I want to know how much I’m taking and what else my lunch includes. Around 42% of consumers prioritise this balance of lunch and portion size. |
| Allergens | Read the ingredients list, highlighted allergens and any warnings on the current packaging. | If I’m packing something for a colleague with an allergy, I need to be able to check the exact product rather than rely on its flavour name. Around 33% of consumers prioritise checking allergens. |
| Ready to eat | Check whether it’s a packaged product or a recipe, and whether it needs to be prepared or requires equipment. | Without a kitchen at the office, I want to be able to open my lunchbox and eat straight away. Being able to eat it immediately is the main consideration for around 25% of consumers. |
Sweet toast on its own tells you little about the overall balance of your lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s lunch advice includes wholegrain products and a variety of toppings.
Decide what you’re taking as the basis of your lunch, then assess the chocolate toast as part of the whole meal. Use the nutritional information table to compare products and portions.
Iodised baker’s salt is available, but according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, not every baker uses it. So you can’t tell how much iodine toast contains just from its product category.
If iodised salt is relevant to your choice, check the ingredients list for the specific product.
The flavour name doesn’t tell you about every ingredient. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergens in pre-packaged foods must be clearly identifiable on the label.
Read the current packaging, even if you’ve bought the same brand before. If you have an allergy, also check for any warnings about traces.
Lidl’s double chocolate toast is a recipe using toasted bread, chocolate, butter, marmalade and a toasted sandwich maker—not packaged chocolate-coated toast.
Choose this option only if you can make it in advance or use the necessary equipment. If you want something ready to eat, look for the packaging of a specific ready-made product.
Making it yourself also takes time and requires separate ingredients.
According to its product range, Bolletje sells items including crackers and rusks.
Melba sells products including plain toast; Jumbo lists Van der Meulen Melba Toast Naturel as a separate product.
Albert Heijn’s toast category includes Melba toast and other types of toast.
Jumbo’s toast category includes Melba toast and its own-brand toast.
Lidl publishes a recipe for double chocolate toast and sells separate chocolate products.
ALDI lists Gourmet Borreltoast in savoury flavours, including parsley and garlic, and tomato and oregano.
Chocolate toast isn’t automatically a complete lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre includes wholegrain products, a variety of toppings, and vegetables or fruit among the components of a lunch. So consider what you’re taking alongside the toast and compare the nutritional information for the portion you’ve chosen.
No, not all toast contains iodised baker’s salt. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, not every baker uses this salt. If it matters to your choice, check the ingredients list for the specific product.
Read the ingredients list and allergen information on the current packaging for both the toast and any separate chocolate component. According to Jumbo, Melba Toast Naturel contains cereals containing gluten and soya, and may contain sesame, but that information doesn’t automatically apply to other toast or chocolate products.
Yes, if you can plan the preparation and decide for yourself how you want to pack the toast. Lidl’s recipe uses toasted bread, white and dark chocolate, butter and marmalade, and requires a toasted sandwich maker. So it isn’t a ready-made product you can pack without any preparation.
