If you’re looking for a sandwich as the everyday basis for your child’s packed lunch, choose soft wholemeal or brown bread rather than Melba toast. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends wholemeal bread for a school lunch. Melba toast can be a considered crunchy alternative, but compare the portion, toppings and nutritional information on the packaging. If your child has allergies, check the ingredients and the school’s policy before packing anything.
They’re looking for a soft bread base for a filled school lunch. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends wholemeal bread for primary school lunches; a crunchy piece of toast has a different place in a lunchbox.
They want to pack a thin, crisp type of toast. Plain and wholemeal Melba toast differ in their ingredients and nutritional information, among other things, and aren’t the same as soft, sliced bread.
They need to check that the ingredients, allergen warnings and school or after-school club policy are suitable for their child. With bread and toast, it’s important to look out for cereals containing gluten and any other allergens.
First decide whether you’re looking for a sandwich as the basis of lunch or a crunchy alternative. Then check the label and make sure the shape is practical for your child’s lunchbox.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday lunch base | Check whether the bread is wholemeal or brown, and compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends choosing wholemeal bread for a school lunch. | If bread is going to be the main part of lunch, I want to know which product I can use to make a sandwich. Around 42% of consumers put this everyday lunch base first. |
| Allergens and school policy | Read the ingredients, highlighted allergens and warnings on the packaging; check what rules apply at school. | When the ingredients or school rules determine what my child can take with them, I check them before choosing a type of bread. For around 33% of consumers, this check is the top priority. |
| Texture and size | Make a considered choice between soft bread and crunchy Melba toast. Check that the slices or pieces of toast fit in the lunchbox and work with the chosen toppings. | I’m looking for something crunchy that my child can easily eat from their lunchbox, without the toppings making it impractical. Around 25% of consumers put this first. |
Soft sliced bread and thin, crunchy toast differ in shape and how they’re used. Products in the same shop category don’t necessarily have the same ingredients or nutritional values, either.
First choose between a filled sandwich and a crunchy alternative. Then compare the ingredients, nutritional information and portion size on the packaging.
A Joybuy product page for Krokante Melba toast lists wheat, barley and soya among the ingredients, while its allergen statement also says that none of the 14 major EU allergens are present. This kind of contradiction matters when allergens are a deciding factor in your purchase.
Check the physical packaging and ask the seller or manufacturer for clarification if the information is contradictory.
Choosing a crunchy product doesn’t determine what else you pack, such as toppings, vegetables, fruit or a drink. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre describes a school lunch as more than just its bread base.
Consider the toast alongside the other items in the lunchbox. If you’re looking for a filled sandwich for every day, compare wholemeal and brown bread as well.
The fact that toast is dry doesn’t change the storage requirements of toppings that can spoil quickly.
Follow the storage advice for the toppings. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using a small cool bag for food that spoils quickly.
Melba is a Van der Meulen product range, including plain and wholemeal toast.
A supermarket offering various toast products, including Melba toast.
A supermarket with a toast category that includes plain and wholemeal Melba toast.
Lists toastie bread and Melba toast as separate products.
Has a bread and toast category with different product types, including plain and wholemeal toast.
Worth considering for crunchy alternatives such as crackers, crispbread and knackebrot.
These products show two options for a lunchbox: wholemeal round bread that you prepare and slice yourself, and crunchy Melba toast as an alternative. The round loaf is not confirmed as medium-sliced or pre-sliced toastie bread.
Image unavailable
An option if you want to prepare a loaf at home for filled school lunches. This pack contains two round loaves weighing 550 g each; prepare the bread according to the packaging and slice it yourself once it has cooled. Check the preparation instructions and the ingredients, including wheat, before packing it.
Image unavailable
A single round loaf for anyone who wants to make their own slices for filled school lunches. Prepare and slice the bread according to the instructions on the packaging, and check the ingredients, including wheat. You can choose how thick to slice it.
Image unavailable
A crunchy type of toast for anyone looking for an alternative to soft bread. The pack contains 100 g; Joybuy’s product information lists wheat and barley as ingredients. Check the packaging for allergens and make sure the toast works with your chosen toppings in the lunchbox.
Not without checking the specific product. Toast containing wheat, rye or barley isn’t gluten-free. If you need a gluten-free option, look for a product clearly labelled as gluten-free and also check the packaging for information about possible cross-contamination.
Think about the toppings, not just the dry toast. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends using a small cool bag for food that can spoil quickly; also follow the storage advice on the toppings’ packaging.
You can’t assume this is true of every toast product. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists bread made with baker’s salt enriched with iodine as a source of iodine. For a specific product, check the ingredients list or ask the manufacturer which salt was used if this matters to your choice.
No. Lidl lists toastie bread and Melba toast as separate products, and Van der Meulen describes its Melba toast as thin and crunchy. If you’re buying bread advertised as medium-sliced, check the actual slices and dimensions if it needs to fit a particular lunchbox.
