If you’re looking for medium-sliced bread for your packed lunch, don’t treat melba toast as an equivalent substitute: it consists of thin, crisp toasts, not bread with a confirmed medium slice thickness. If you’d rather take something crunchy with you, wholemeal melba toast suits a preference for wholegrains and fibre, while the original variety offers a more neutral base for different toppings. For either option, check the ingredients and allergens on the packet, and consider how you’ll keep the toast dry and sealed after opening.
You want to be able to check whether your toast is genuinely wholemeal and how much fibre it contains per 100 g, for lunches you pack regularly. The taste of the original variety matters less to you.
You’re looking for a neutral, crunchy base for sweet or savoury toppings, perhaps for a shared office supply. The pack size should suit how quickly you get through it.
You need to be able to check the ingredients and allergen information on the exact packet. A label such as “original” isn’t enough to tell you this.
First decide whether you’re looking for slices of bread or crunchy melba toast. If you choose melba toast, compare the wholemeal labelling, the ingredients list and the packaging to find an option that suits how you’ll use it at work.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholegrains and fibre | Look for the wholemeal label on the packet and compare fibre and salt per 100 g across the varieties you’re considering. | If toast is often in my packed lunch, I want to know I’m choosing genuinely wholemeal toast rather than judging by its brown colour. Around 40% of consumers prioritise wholegrains and fibre. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the ingredients and both the “contains” and “may contain” statements on the current packet. | When we share a supply, I want to make sure a colleague doesn’t assume a product is suitable based on the name “original” when the label lists a relevant allergen. For around 30% of consumers, checking the ingredients matters most. |
| Packaging and storage | Compare the pack size and any individual packs; check whether you can keep the toast dry and sealed after opening. | If we share a packet at work, I want the quantity to suit how quickly we’ll get through it and the toast to be easy to store properly. Around 30% of consumers prioritise this convenience. |
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, toast can only be labelled wholemeal if it is made entirely from wholemeal flour. Its colour or a general mention of grains doesn’t confirm this.
Check that the packet says “wholemeal”, then compare the nutrition information per 100 g.
The AH Melba toast naturel product reviewed contains, among other things, gluten-containing cereals and soya. The Van der Meulen wholemeal variety reviewed also lists several allergens.
Check the label on the specific product every time you buy it, especially if you’re sharing the toast with colleagues for whom allergens are a concern.
A pack intended for sharing needs a dry place and an airtight container. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends storing toast in a cool, dry, dark place in a well-sealed container.
Choose a pack size that suits how quickly you’ll get through your office supply.
A pack that takes a long time to finish and isn’t sealed properly can lose its crunch and go to waste.
Jumbo listed the own-brand variety reviewed as no longer available; Lidl described its melba toast as a product available to buy in store.
If you reorder regularly, check the current product listing and check the label again if you choose a different variety.
A brand to consider if you’re specifically looking for wholemeal melba toast.
An own-brand option if you’re looking for original melba toast in a 240 g pack.
A supermarket listing where you can compare product information for both Van der Meulen melba toast and an own-brand variety.
A listed 240 g original variety to consider if you’re looking for a larger pack.
An in-store option for melba toast in a 240 g pack.
A brand to consider if other crunchy lunch products besides melba toast are also an option.
These two Joybuy products are melba toast options for anyone looking for a crunchy base for their office lunch. Don’t choose them on the assumption that they have a medium slice thickness or are wholemeal; check the label if fibre or allergens are important to you.
Image unavailable
An option if you’re looking for melba toast to serve with a range of toppings at lunch, rather than medium-sliced bread.
Pack size: 100 g. Check the current label for ingredients, allergens and fibre per 100 g before choosing.
Image unavailable
Round melba toast for anyone looking for a crunchy base for lunch; its shape differs from medium-sliced bread.
Pack size: 100 g. If you have relevant allergies, check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packet.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, toast can only be called wholemeal if it is made entirely from wholemeal flour. Look for the label on the packet, not just the colour or a mention of grains.
Keep opened melba toast in a cool, dry, dark place in a well-sealed container. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says toast can be kept in a kitchen cupboard for around a month under suitable storage conditions; check its smell, taste and crunch too. For its original variety, AH recommends storing the toast in a sealed container after opening.
Yes. “Original” or “vegan” doesn’t mean a product is free from ingredients such as gluten-containing cereals, soya or sesame. Check both the ingredients and the information about possible allergens on the specific packet; the AH original toast and Van der Meulen wholemeal melba toast reviewed differ in this respect.
No. The information from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority does not indicate a general requirement for every packet of toast. The NVWA says iodine compounds may be present through the use of baker’s salt in bread, bread substitutes and other baked goods. Check the ingredients on the specific packet if the type of salt used affects your choice.
Use the product page as a starting point, but check the current listing and the packet before repeatedly buying the same toast. Jumbo listed the own-brand variety reviewed as no longer available, while Lidl describes its listed melba toast as a product available to buy in store.
