If you’re buying toast for a small get-together, a compact pack of around 90–120 g is a sensible choice if you want to avoid leftovers. A larger pack with individual portion sachets is better if you’d like to serve toast at future get-togethers without opening everything at once. As well as the pack weight, consider the shape of the toast for your toppings, and check the current packaging if you have any allergies.
If you want to have little left over after one get-together, compare compact packs with larger packs where you only need to open one sachet. Albert Heijn and Jumbo offer examples with different pack weights and portion sizes.
Plain Melba toast makes a good base for a variety of toppings. If you choose a more strongly flavoured variety, check that it goes well with the rest of your spread. For heavy or moist toppings, also consider the shape and size of the toast.
Ingredients, allergens and nutritional information matter to you just as much as the amount of toast. Albert Heijn’s product information shows that even plain and wholemeal varieties can contain different grains and other allergens. Check the current label before you choose.
First decide whether you’re buying toast for one get-together or several occasions. Then compare the shape, nutritional information and label, keeping in mind who’ll be sharing it.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Amount and leftovers | Compare the total pack weight with the number of individual sachets and the number of toast slices in each sachet. | If I’m only planning one small get-together, I don’t want to be left with lots of opened toast. Avoiding leftovers would be the main consideration for around 36% of consumers. |
| Shape and flavour with toppings | Check whether the toast is plain or flavoured, and whether its shape and size suit your toppings; you can’t tell how sturdy it is from the name alone. | For a spread with a variety of toppings, I want the toast’s flavour and size to go well with them. This combination would come first for around 29% of consumers. |
| Nutritional information | Compare fibre and salt per 100 g in the nutrition table, and read the ingredients list if you’re looking for wholemeal toast. | When I’m choosing between varieties, I want to compare their nutritional values on the same basis. This kind of comparison would be the main reason to buy for around 21% of consumers. |
| Allergens and dietary requirements | Read the current ingredients and allergen information for the specific variety. | If someone at the table needs to avoid certain ingredients, I need to know whether this particular toast is suitable. This would be the first thing to consider for around 14% of consumers. |
The name doesn’t tell you how much toast is in a pack or how much you need to open at once. Products at Albert Heijn and Jumbo are listed by pack weight and, where applicable, by the number of sachets and toast slices.
Compare those details on the packaging rather than relying on the term ‘half loaf’.
A 240 g pack may be too much for one get-together, but individual sachets mean you can open just some of it. Albert Heijn lists AH Melba toast naturel as containing 12 packs of 6 toast slices.
This kind of pack is best if you expect to use the unopened portions at future get-togethers.
‘Plain’ doesn’t mean allergen-free or low in salt. According to Albert Heijn, AH Melba toast naturel contains wheat, soya and barley, and has 1.93 g of salt per 100 g.
Check the current ingredients, allergens and nutritional information, especially if you’re buying toast for guests.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers in the Netherlands aren’t required to use baker’s salt. So you can’t assume a product contains iodine-enriched baker’s salt just because it’s in this category.
Read the ingredients list for the specific toast if this matters to your choice.
Melba toast in a range of sizes, including 90 g plain rounds listed by Jumbo and a 120 g wholemeal variety at Albert Heijn.
AH Melba toast naturel is a 240 g pack for anyone who wants to serve toast on several occasions.
The range of toast and Melba toast gives you options for comparing pack weights, shapes and flavours.
ALDI lists Sun Snacks Melba Toast Naturel in a 240 g pack.
These products include compact packs for a small get-together, as well as a larger pack for anyone who wants to serve toast more often. Compare the pack weights and check the packaging for individual portions.
Image unavailable
A 65 g pack of rice toast to consider if you only need a little for a small get-together.
If you have allergies, check the current label, particularly the information about sesame and soya.
Image unavailable
This 100 g pack of Melba toast is a compact option if you’re buying for one get-together.
If you only want to open a few toast slices at a time, check the portion sizes on the pack. If you have allergies, read the current label too.
Image unavailable
A 100 g pack for a small get-together where you’d like to serve round Melba toast.
Consider whether the round shape suits your toppings. Check the packaging for portion sizes and, if needed, allergen information.
Image unavailable
This 240 g pack is worth considering if you’d like to have toast after your first get-together too.
Check how much you need to open at once and, if you have allergies, read the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging.
Don’t use ‘half loaf’ to work out how many toast slices you’ll get. Instead, compare the pack weight and portion sizes: listings from Albert Heijn and Jumbo include packs of 90 g, 120 g and 240 g, some with individual sachets.
Not if you use the individual portions later. Albert Heijn lists AH Melba toast naturel as containing 12 packs of 6 toast slices, and Van der Meulen Melba toast volkoren as containing 6 packs of 6 toast slices. Before buying, check that the total pack weight suits the occasions you have planned.
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging. Albert Heijn advises storing opened AH Melba toast naturel in a sealed container. If the toast comes in individual sachets, you can open only what you need for a small get-together.
No. Check the allergens for the specific toast on the current packaging. Albert Heijn lists wheat, soya and barley in AH Melba toast naturel; the Van der Meulen wholemeal variety lists, among other things, sesame and soya, as well as gluten-containing grains.
Don’t assume that a specific toast has to contain it. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bakers aren’t required to use baker’s salt. Check the ingredients list if this is important to your purchase.
