Choose sesame Melba toast if you’re looking for a small, crisp toast with a nutty note for a Mother’s Day sharing board. If you’re mainly comparing grains and fibre, check the ingredients and nutritional information for multigrain and wholegrain options: seeds don’t automatically make toast wholegrain. Before serving, also check which allergens are relevant to your guests.
You’re looking for small, crisp toasts to serve with a variety of toppings. Sesame Melba toast adds a visible scattering of seeds to the board; do check whether sesame and the other ingredients are suitable for your guests.
You want to assess the ingredients and fibre as well as the texture. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, seeds and the term ‘multigrain’ are not, in themselves, proof that bread is wholegrain.
You take allergens into account when choosing, or want to compare the salt content of different toasts. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the importance of label information for food allergies, so read the packaging of the product you’re serving.
Start with the toppings and the guests around the table. Then compare the ingredients, fibre and salt per 100 g on the packaging of suitable toasts.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and presentation | Check which seeds are listed in the ingredients and whether the size of the toast suits your chosen toppings. | For a sharing board of small bites, I want a crisp base that goes well with my toppings. Around 40% of consumers prioritise flavour and presentation. |
| Grains and fibre | Compare fibre per 100 g and read the ingredients; ‘multigrain’ does not automatically mean ‘wholegrain’. | If I choose a grain-based variety, I want to be able to compare the fibre content rather than rely on the product name. Around 30% of consumers prioritise this comparison. |
| Allergens and salt | Read the current allergen information and compare salt per 100 g on the packaging. | When serving toast to guests, I want to know which ingredients they need to avoid and what salt content is shown on the label. Around 30% of consumers prioritise checking the label. |
A toast may contain seeds and several grains while wheat flour is listed first in the ingredients. That distinction matters if you’re specifically looking for wholegrain toast or a particular fibre content.
Check the ingredients and fibre per 100 g separately; don’t use the presence of seeds as a substitute for this information.
The sesame toasts examined list sesame and wheat, among other ingredients; soya is also worth checking for in these products. The name ‘sesame toast’ alone doesn’t tell you everything a guest needs to know.
Ask guests about relevant allergies in advance, read the current packaging and keep it to hand while serving the toast.
The presence of seeds or several grains doesn’t tell you how much salt a toast contains. The salt levels listed by Albert Heijn differ between the varieties examined.
Compare salt per 100 g on the packaging of the products you’re choosing between.
Albert Heijn listed the Van der Meulen Melba toast 7-grain bread examined as no longer in its range. Its ingredients profile may help you make comparisons, but it tells you nothing about what the shop you’re buying from now has in stock.
Before putting your board together, check which varieties are available and read the packaging of your chosen product again.
These names can help you compare specific toast varieties; the features of one product don’t necessarily apply to an entire brand or range.
Products sold under this name include sesame, multigrain and wholegrain Melba toast. Compare the individual varieties if you’re looking for a different seed or grain profile for your board.
AH Biologisch Melba toast with sesame seeds is a useful point of comparison if you’re looking for sesame toast with an organic designation.
Jumbo’s toast section is a handy place to compare different types of toast and the Van der Meulen varieties listed there.
No. Seeds or the term ‘multigrain’ don’t prove that toast is wholegrain. Read the ingredients and compare the fibre per 100 g if this distinction matters to your choice.
Read the allergen information on the current packaging of the toast you plan to serve. The sesame varieties examined mean it’s worth checking at least for sesame, wheat and soya; don’t assume other varieties have the same ingredients.
Follow the storage advice on the packaging and add toppings as late as possible. For the AH sesame toast examined, Albert Heijn advises storing it in a sealed tin after opening.
