For small bites with modest toppings, choose ready-made mini toasts or Melba toast. If you want a thicker base for generous toppings, consider thicker-sliced bread that you toast yourself, and try it first with your chosen topping. The word ‘toast’ tells you nothing about slice thickness or how much it can hold. Ask about allergies and dietary requirements before buying, and check what’s allowed at the school or after-school club if you’re bringing in a treat.
If you’re using toppings such as cream cheese or vegetables, you’ll want to know whether your chosen base will stay intact as you prepare each bite. Try a pack with the topping you plan to use: you can’t tell how thick it is from the product name.
If each child is having a small bite, it’s useful to compare the shape of the mini toasts and the number in each pack. Match the quantity to the group and to what else you’ll be serving.
Ask in advance which ingredients the children can’t or don’t eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends asking about allergies and dietary requirements when preparing treats for children. Then check the packaging of both the toast and the toppings.
Choose this: if you want to serve individual, bite-sized snacks.
Bear in mind: the product name doesn’t confirm whether a piece of toast is thick enough for your chosen topping.
Choose this: if you want to decide how thick to cut the base yourself.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to set aside time to toast it, and you should still try it with your chosen topping.
First, ask about allergies and dietary requirements. Then decide how much your base needs to hold with your chosen topping, and how many bites you want to serve.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sturdiness for toppings | Check the shape and any stated thickness. If in doubt, try a piece of toast with your chosen topping. | If I want to add generous toppings to mini toasts, I want the base to stay intact as I prepare them; around 45% of consumers would say sturdiness is their main purchasing priority. |
| Ingredients and dietary requirements | Ask about specific dietary restrictions and read the current packaging for both the toast and each type of topping. | If children can’t or don’t want to eat certain ingredients, I want to know what’s in the whole bite; around 33% of consumers would make this their top priority. |
| Portions and serving | Compare the number of pieces and the pack size with the group size and what else will be served. | When I’m serving a group, I want manageable bites without lots left over; around 22% of consumers would say portion size matters most. |
A product name or pack weight won’t tell you how much topping an individual piece of toast can hold. With generous or moist toppings, a bite may break or go soft as you prepare it.
Look at the product itself and, if possible, try it in advance with the topping you plan to serve.
Spreads, cheese, sauces and decorations can also contain ingredients a child doesn’t eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that checking the label is important when dealing with food allergies.
Ask about dietary restrictions in advance and check the current packaging for every part of the bite. Keep the packaging handy while you’re serving.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says schools may have their own rules about birthday treats. A venue may also choose to celebrate without edible treats.
Before buying anything, ask the school, after-school club or party venue whether you can hand out food and what rules apply to the group.
If edible treats aren’t allowed, the packs you’ve already bought may go unused.
Jumbo features mini toasts and mini crackers in its toast range.
Albert Heijn lists toast, crackers and party toast among its products.
Melba toast is an option for individual, crunchy bites.
ALDI lists Sun Snacks Melba Toast Natural and Van Vlegelaar crunchy wheat toast.
Bolletje also lists crackers, bagel crackers, crispbread and rusks, which are different options from mini toasts.
Yes. Ask in advance which ingredients the children can’t or don’t want to eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends doing this when preparing treats. Then check the current packaging for the toast and every type of topping.
No. First, check the treat policy at the school or after-school club. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says venues may have rules about what can be handed out, or may choose to celebrate without edible treats.
Consider the number of children, how many bites you want to serve and what else will be on offer. Then compare the number of pieces in each pack. The total pack weight alone won’t tell you how many bites you can make.
No. You can’t tell from the word ‘toast’ which salt has been used in a particular product. If the ingredients matter to your choice, check the packaging.
