For a family picnic, choose a pack with individually wrapped portions if you want to serve the toast at different times. A pack without separate portions may be fine if you plan to open everything at once. Then think about which toast will go best with your toppings, and check the ingredients, allergen information and nutritional details for the exact variety.
If everyone isn’t eating at the same time, you can open only the packs you need. Albert Heijn lists its 240 g Melba toast naturel as containing twelve packs, each with six pieces of toast. Take an airtight container for any opened toast.
When you’re bringing spreads, cheese or other toppings, it’s not just what you put on the toast that matters: check the ingredients in the toast itself too. The Albert Heijn and Van der Meulen varieties reviewed list ingredients including cereals and soya; the Van der Meulen wholemeal variety also contains sesame.
If you want to compare fibre or salt, you’ll need the information for the exact pack. Albert Heijn lists 3.9 g of fibre per 100 g for its naturel variety reviewed; Jumbo lists 9.7 g of fibre per 100 g for the Van der Meulen wholemeal variety reviewed. The ingredients and allergens also differ.
First, decide how much toast you want to open during your picnic. Then compare the type of toast with your toppings and read the label on the variety you plan to take.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Portions and storage | Check the number of inner packs and pieces of toast, not just the weight. Albert Heijn lists its 240 g Melba toast naturel as containing twelve packs of six pieces; store opened toast according to the pack instructions. | If my family won’t eat it all at once, I want to keep some portions unopened. For around 40% of consumers, portioning is the top priority. |
| Type of toast and toppings | Choose a shape and ingredients that suit the toppings you want to bring. Compare fibre per 100 g on the exact pack; Jumbo lists 9.7 g of fibre per 100 g for the Van der Meulen Melba Volkoren Toast variety reviewed. | I want the toast to go well with what we’re serving on it, and I also look at the fibre content. Around 30% of consumers give this combination top priority. |
| Ingredients and labelling | Read the allergen information and salt content for the exact variety. If you’re checking for iodine, don’t assume the general rules on baker’s salt apply to the product; check the product information instead. | If someone at the table needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know what’s in the toast before we leave. For around 30% of consumers, checking the label is the most important factor. |
A 240 g pack doesn’t tell you how many pieces of toast or individual packs it contains. That’s what determines how much you need to open during a picnic.
Compare the number of inner packs and pieces of toast with the number of people eating and how many times you plan to serve it.
The Van der Meulen Melba Volkoren Toast listed by Jumbo contains ingredients including sesame, wheat, barley, rye and soya. Fibre content doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable for someone with an allergy.
Check the label first for everyone who’ll be eating; only then compare the nutritional information of suitable varieties.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains the conditions under which iodine may be present in bakery products through the use of baker’s salt. This doesn’t prove that it’s in a specific toast product; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt.
If iodine matters to your choice, use the ingredients information on the exact pack as your guide.
A product shown online isn’t necessarily available through every sales channel. Lidl lists its 240 g Melba toast as an in-store product.
Before you go shopping, check how you can buy the variety you want, and add an alternative to your list.
Albert Heijn lists a 240 g multipack of AH Melba toast naturel.
Jumbo lists Van der Meulen Melba toast in naturel, wholemeal, multigrain and sesame varieties, among others.
ALDI lists Sun Snacks Melba Toast Naturel in a 240 g pack.
This 240 g Melba toast is an option if you’re taking toast for toppings. If portioning matters to your family, check the pack for the number of pieces of toast and any individual packs.
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Melba toast to take along as a base for your picnic toppings.
Contents: 240 g. Check the pack for the number of pieces of toast, any inner packs, and the ingredients and allergen information, especially if someone at the table has an allergy.
Keep the pack tightly closed after opening.
No: 240 g tells you the pack’s weight, but not how many individual portions you can open. Albert Heijn lists its 240 g Melba toast naturel as containing twelve packs of six pieces of toast; for other packs, check how they’re portioned and how many people are eating.
Leave any unused inner packs sealed, and store opened toast tightly closed, following the advice on the pack. For the Melba toast naturel variety reviewed, Albert Heijn recommends storing it in a sealed container after opening.
No, always check the exact variety. For its Melba toast naturel variety reviewed, Albert Heijn lists gluten-containing cereals and soya, and warns that sesame may be present. According to Jumbo, the Van der Meulen wholemeal variety reviewed contains sesame, wheat, barley, rye and soya, among other ingredients.
No, don’t assume this applies to a specific pack. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may be present in bakery products through the use of baker’s salt, up to a maximum of 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt, so check the ingredients in the toast you buy.
