For a small household, a half loaf of sliced toastie bread is a practical choice if you eat sandwiches or toasties but don’t get through a whole loaf. You can also freeze slices in portions. Compare white and wholemeal bread by taste, ingredients and fibre per 100 g. Dry toast is ideal for crunchy snacks, but it isn’t a replacement for sliced bread for everyday use.
If there are one or two of you and you don’t eat bread every day, a half loaf may be a better fit for what you use. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread in portions and only taking out what you need.
If you want to choose a half loaf based on its nutritional information, check the fibre per 100 g. Jumbo lists 6.4 g of fibre per 100 g for its half loaf of wholemeal toastie bread and 2.3 g per 100 g for the white version.
If you’re after toast for soup, topped snacks or drinks with friends, dry toast is suited to a different occasion than sliced toastie bread. When choosing, check the product type and pack size.
First decide whether you need sliced bread or crunchy toast. If you’re choosing bread, then consider how much you’ll use, the nutritional information and the label.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portions and storage | Check that it’s a half loaf and read the storage instructions. Think about how many slices you can freeze. | If I don’t eat bread every day, I don’t want to keep throwing some away. Around 33% of consumers put reducing leftover bread first. |
| How much you’ll use | Compare the pack weights and choose an amount that suits how you’ll use the product. | I want to make sure the food I buy actually gets eaten, whether I’m buying bread for toasties or toast for snacks. For around 27% of consumers, getting the right amount to use is the most important factor. |
| Fibre and wholemeal | Read the product name and ingredients list, and compare the fibre per 100 g. Don’t judge by colour alone. | When I choose sliced bread, I want to know whether the wholemeal version suits my preferences. For around 27% of consumers, this comparison is their top priority. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the latest allergen information. Check the ingredients list to see whether baker’s salt has been used, if that’s relevant to your choice. | If I have a relevant allergy, I need to be able to check what’s in the product. I may also want to check which salt has been used. Around 13% of consumers put this label information first. |
Melba toast and other crunchy toast products are different in shape and occasion from slices for sandwiches or toasties.
Start by deciding what you’ll use the product for. Compare dry toast with other toast products, and a half loaf of toastie bread with other sliced bread.
A larger amount won’t help a small household if bread is left over and goes uneaten. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says you can freeze bread in portions.
Choose an amount that suits your eating habits, and freeze slices individually or in portions if you won’t use them in time.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So you can’t tell whether it’s present from the type of product alone.
Check the ingredients list to see whether baker’s salt is listed. If you’re buying unpackaged bread, ask about the ingredients.
A brown appearance doesn’t, by itself, mean that bread is wholemeal. Allergen information can also vary between products.
Read the product name and ingredients, and check the fibre per 100 g. If you have a relevant allergy, also check the latest allergen information and any warnings.
Jumbo lists a half loaf of white and a half loaf of wholemeal toastie bread, so you can compare two options within the same product type.
ALDI lists a range of half-size fresh loaves, including white and wholemeal options.
Lidl lists a 375 g loaf of toastie bread, as well as a half loaf of extra wholemeal bread.
Albert Heijn has a dry toast category, which is a different product type from a half loaf of sliced toastie bread.
Bolletje’s product range includes rusks and crackers.
Jumbo lists Van der Meulen Melba Toast in plain and wholemeal versions.
Check the ingredients list to see whether baker’s salt is listed. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers aren’t required to use it; if you’re buying unpackaged bread, ask about the ingredients.
Freeze the bread in portions and take out only the slices you need, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Also follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
Check the allergen information for the version you’re buying. Jumbo lists wheat and gluten for the half loaves of white and wholemeal toastie bread it has checked; the wholemeal version also contains barley. If you have a relevant allergy, check any warnings on the current label too.
No. Don’t judge by the colour or appearance of the packaging. Check the product name and ingredients list, and compare the stated fibre per 100 g if you wish.
