Choose multigrain or sesame Melba toast if you want small toasts with a grainy or sesame flavour to add your toppings to. If a clearly stated seed content is your priority, a seed cracker is a better match, as long as you’re happy with its sturdier size. If you mainly want the topping to shine, try plain Melba toast. Whichever you choose, check the label for allergens and compare fibre and salt per 100 g.
You’re looking for a distinct seed flavour and are happy to serve a sturdier cracker instead of a small party toast. Check the ingredients or the seed percentage for the specific product rather than relying on its name alone.
You want to prepare small, crunchy bites and serve them in portions. In that case, the size and packaging matter too, alongside the flavour of the toast itself.
Check which allergens are in the pack you choose, as well as what it says about the possible presence of other allergens. Grains, sesame and soya are particularly worth checking in the products discussed here.
First decide whether you want seeds in the base itself or simply a sturdy base for your toppings. Then compare the size and, for the guests you’re serving, check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional information on the pack you buy.
A good fit if: you want small toasts with a grainy or sesame flavour to add your toppings to.
Worth considering: multigrain doesn’t tell you how many seeds a product contains. The Van der Meulen Multigrain version described by Albert Heijn contains, among other ingredients, wheat, sesame and soya.
A good fit if: a clearly stated seed content matters more to you than the classic party-toast size. Bolletje lists a seed content of 45% for its 45% Sunflower Seed Crackers.
Worth considering: a cracker is a sturdier, different type of base from a small Melba toast.
A good fit if: you want the flavour of the topping to take centre stage and aren’t specifically looking for seeded toast.
Worth considering: plain doesn’t mean free from allergens. Albert Heijn lists wheat, barley and soya in its Plain Melba Toast, and says sesame may be present.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should consider this? |
|---|---|---|
| Seeds and fibre | Check the seed content or ingredients list, and compare the fibre per 100 g. | If I want the base itself to contain a noticeable amount of seeds, I look beyond the word multigrain. For around 42% of consumers, choosing a seed-focused option comes first. |
| Size and serving | Check the size of the toasts, the number of packs and whether you’re choosing toast or a cracker. | If I want to serve different toppings on small bites, a handy toast size matters more than a high seed content. That’s the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Allergens and salt | Read the allergen information on the current pack and compare the salt per 100 g in similar products. | If I’m buying for guests with food allergies, I don’t rely on a name such as plain; I can also take salt into account when comparing products. This check is the deciding factor for around 25% of consumers. |
Multigrain toast may contain sesame, but its name doesn’t tell you how many seeds it contains. The seed percentage Bolletje gives for its 45% Sunflower Seed Crackers applies to that cracker only.
Read the ingredients list and, if seed content is your main reason for choosing a product, look for an explicit percentage for that specific product.
Albert Heijn lists wheat, barley and soya in its Plain Melba Toast, and says sesame, among other things, may be present. So the flavour name doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable for a guest with an allergy.
Check the allergens and any warnings about possible traces on the pack you’ll actually be serving.
The Van der Meulen Multigrain Melba Toast described by Albert Heijn lists both 9 g of fibre and 2.1 g of salt per 100 g. One nutritional value alone doesn’t give you the full picture when comparing products.
Compare similar toasts or crackers per 100 g for both fibre and salt, and take the ingredients into account too.
An ingredients list that mentions salt doesn’t tell you how much iodine that particular toast product contains.
Don’t use the toast category or salt information as product-specific iodine information. Check the details for the particular pack instead.
Multigrain Melba toast for small topped bites.
Seed crackers and breakfast crackers as an alternative if you’re looking for seeds in the base.
Plain Melba toast for when you want the topping to provide the flavour.
A range of toasts, including different types and sizes of Melba and other toast.
Toast, Melba toast and crackers in a range of varieties.
Melba toast as a simple base for toppings.
This sesame cracker is an option if you want seeds in the base for Friday afternoon drinks and aren’t looking for a classic Melba toast.
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A sesame cracker for anyone who wants to serve their toppings on something other than Melba toast.
Pack size: 190 g. If you’re serving guests with allergies, check the current label for grains, sesame and warnings about the possible presence of other allergens.
No, it depends on what you want to serve. A seed cracker is a good fit when seeds in the base are your priority; small Melba toasts work well when you mainly want to make topped bites. To compare nutritional values, look at similar products per 100 g and read the ingredients list.
Not based on the name alone. Albert Heijn lists wheat and barley in its Plain Melba Toast, as well as soya, and says sesame may be present. Check the allergen information on the pack you’re planning to buy.
Follow the storage instructions for the product you choose. Albert Heijn recommends storing its Plain Melba Toast in a sealed tin after opening; the Van der Meulen Multigrain version described should be stored in a cool, dry place.
No, you can’t use that to work out the iodine content of an individual pack of toast. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority sets out conditions for using iodine compounds in baker’s salt in bakery products. For information about your toast, check the details for that specific product.
