If you have a small household and occasionally serve a few pieces of toast with your afternoon coffee, choose a small pack or toast with individually wrapped portions. Also check the label for salt, fibre, ingredients and allergens. The type of packaging alone won’t tell you whether the toast is suitable for your guests and the rest of the food you’re serving.
If you serve only a few pieces of toast at a time, a small pack or a pack with individually wrapped portions may suit the way you use it better. Think about how much you open at once, then follow the storage advice on the pack.
If you want the toast to fit in with the rest of the food you’re serving, compare factors such as fibre and salt in the nutrition table. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights getting enough nutrients as an important consideration in older people’s diets. One toast product won’t determine the nutritional value of someone’s overall diet.
Check the ingredients and allergens for the variety you’ve chosen before serving it, even if you know the brand. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens in pre-packed foods must be listed in the ingredients list.
First, work out how much toast you’ll get through at a coffee break. Then compare the packaging, nutrition information and ingredients of the varieties that suit your needs.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Amount used at a time | Compare the net weight, number of individually wrapped portions and storage advice. Albert Heijn lists Van der Meulen Melba toast naturel in a 120 g pack containing six packs of six pieces of toast; ALDI Nederland lists Sun Snacks Toast Cups Naturel at 100 g. | If I’m only serving a few pieces of toast, I don’t want to open the whole pack at once. For around 36% of consumers, having a small amount available at a time is the main priority. |
| Salt and fibre | Check both values per 100 g in the nutrition table, and consider the toppings you’re serving too. | When putting together a coffee spread, I want to take salt and fibre into account alongside the rest of the food. Around 29% of consumers give this nutritional profile the highest priority. |
| Serving with toppings | Check whether the flavour of your chosen toast goes with the toppings, and how many pieces you’ll open at once. Bolletje describes its Ciabatta Snack Crackers Tomaat & Kruiden as being packed in pairs; they’re snack crackers, not plain melba toast. | For a small coffee break, I want to serve something that goes with the toppings I’ve chosen. For around 21% of consumers, serving considerations matter most. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients list, the highlighted allergens and any warnings about traces on the pack. | If a guest has a food allergy, I need to know whether this variety is suitable to serve. For around 14% of consumers, this is the main question when buying. |
A 120 g pack with individually wrapped portions calls for a different consideration from a 100 g pack that you open all at once. If you use toast occasionally, it also matters how much is left after opening.
First decide whether you want a small total amount or small portions in each inner pack. Then check how to store the toast once opened.
The wording on the front of the pack doesn’t tell you how much salt a particular toast contains. Fibre content also varies between varieties.
Compare salt and fibre separately per 100 g on the current packaging, and take the toppings into account.
Ingredients and warnings about possible traces can vary between toast varieties. A picture of the front of the pack won’t show you all the information you need.
Read the allergen information on the pack you’re going to serve, especially if a guest has a food allergy.
According to Albert Heijn, the 120 g pack of Melba toast naturel contains six packs of six pieces of toast.
Jumbo describes Haust Krokant Toast, 100 g, as twice-baked toast with a coating of herbed breadcrumbs.
Bolletje offers Ciabatta Snack Crackers Tomaat & Kruiden as snack crackers packed in pairs.
ALDI Nederland lists Toast Cups Naturel, 100 g, and Melba Toast Naturel, 240 g, under this brand.
These products come in different quantities, whether you’re having a small coffee break or use toast more regularly. The toasted bread snack has a different flavour and use from plain melba toast, so don’t choose based on pack weight alone.
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A 100 g pack to consider if you occasionally serve a small amount of melba toast. If fibre and allergens are important to your choice, compare the information on the pack.
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The 65 g pack may suit you if you want to buy only a small amount of toast at a time. Check the current ingredients and allergens before serving this rice toast to someone with a food allergy.
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The 240 g pack is worth considering if you serve toast regularly. If you only use a little at a time, check how to store the opened pack and read the allergens on the label.
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This 42 g toasted bread snack is an option for a small amount to enjoy with coffee, but its buttery flavour makes it less neutral as a base for toppings. Check the ingredients and compare nutritional values only when the stated quantity is clear.
Individually wrapped portions are especially useful if you open only a few pieces of toast at each coffee break; a small pack limits the total amount you bring home. According to Albert Heijn, Van der Meulen Melba toast naturel comes in a 120 g pack containing six packs of six pieces of toast. Choose based on how often you serve toast, and follow the storage advice once opened.
Before serving, read the current ingredients list and allergen information for that specific toast variety. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergens must be listed in the ingredients list for pre-packed foods. Also look out for any warnings about possible traces.
No. The term ‘multigrain’ alone doesn’t tell you how the nutritional values of one toast variety compare with another. Compare salt and fibre per 100 g on the pack, and consider the toast alongside its toppings and the rest of the food. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre stresses that getting enough nutrients is an important consideration for older people.
No, that rule doesn’t prove that an individual toast product contains iodine. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that iodine compounds may be present in bread, bread substitutes and other bakery products only through added bakers’ salt, with a maximum of 65 mg of iodine per kg of salt. For information about a specific product, contact the manufacturer.
