For camping provisions that don’t need refrigerating, melba toast in small individual packs is a practical choice, as long as you can keep any opened toast sealed and dry. If you plan to eat it with toppings regularly, compare salt and fibre per 100 g and check that the shape works with your toppings. If you follow a strict diet, always check the ingredients and allergens on the pack you buy.
You’re looking for toast you can eat straight away and store somewhere dry. Once the pack is open, being able to seal the rest properly becomes especially important. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends choosing foods with a longer shelf life for camping.
If toast is more than an occasional snack, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s comparison method recommends checking the nutritional information per 100 g. Pay particular attention to fibre, salt and what the packaging means by ‘wholemeal’.
You need to check the ingredients and allergens on the exact pack. Ordinary melba toast may contain wheat, barley and soya. If you need to follow a strict gluten-free diet, look for an explicit ‘gluten-free’ label or the Crossed Grain symbol, advises the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
First, think about whether you can store the toast somewhere dry and how much you’ll open at each mealtime. Then compare the nutritional information and allergens of the options that suit your needs.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Storage after opening | Check the inner packaging and storage instructions, and consider how you’ll keep opened toast sealed and dry. | If I’m using a pack over several days of camping, I don’t want the rest to go soft from damp. For around 33% of consumers, being able to store food easily after opening comes first. |
| Fibre and salt | Compare fibre and salt per 100 g, and check the wholemeal label. | If I regularly use toast as the base for lunch, I want to know what’s in both the toast and the topping. For around 27% of consumers, this daily nutritional comparison matters most. |
| Gluten and allergens | Read the ingredients and allergens on the exact pack. If needed, look for an explicit gluten-free label. | If I have to avoid certain ingredients strictly, I can’t rely on the word ‘toast’ alone. For around 20% of consumers, checking this is the top priority. |
| Pack size and how you’ll use it | Compare the net weight and consider whether you’ll use up a larger pack in time or can store it in portions. | If we’re eating with several people, I want to bring enough without letting an opened pack go stale. For around 20% of consumers, choosing the right quantity is the deciding factor. |
Toast can go soft from damp or lose its flavour after opening, even if there’s still plenty left in the pack.
Choose individual packs if you only use small amounts, or bring an airtight container and store the toast somewhere dry and cool.
A storage container takes up extra space in your camping kit.
The name and colour don’t tell you how much fibre or salt a toast contains. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a product can only be labelled ‘wholemeal’ if all the flour used is wholemeal.
Check the label on the pack and compare the nutritional information per 100 g.
The ordinary melba toast options mentioned contain wheat and barley. Other allergens or traces may also vary from product to product.
Read the current label on the exact product and, if you need to eat gluten-free, look for an explicit gluten-free label or the Crossed Grain symbol. Keep ordinary toast and gluten-free products separate if crumbs could pose a risk.
Savoury toppings can also contain salt, so the nutritional value of topped toast depends on more than just the toast.
Compare the salt per 100 g in the toast and check the nutritional information for the toppings you’re taking with you.
Van der Meulen offers melba toast in varieties including plain, wholemeal and multigrain. The plain version is worth considering if you’re looking for small portions.
AH Melba Toast Naturel comes in a larger own-label pack, which may suit you if you’re sharing toast between several people or mealtimes.
ALDI lists Sun Snacks Melba Toast Naturel in a 240 g pack, a size to consider if several people will be eating it.
Lidl lists a 240 g pack of melba toast as a supermarket product.
Jumbo listed Melba Toast Tomaat & Basilicum, 100 g, as a flavoured option for enjoying with toppings.
These products offer different shapes and pack sizes for enjoying toast while camping. Rice toast, soft Danish toast and melba toast aren’t necessarily interchangeable with a medium-thick slice of bread, so choose a shape that works with your toppings and storage options.
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An option if you’d like to take a small amount of rice toast rather than sliced bread toast.
The product information lists two packs totalling 65 g. If you follow a strict diet, check the label: the information about sesame and soya is unclear.
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The four separate portions may suit different mealtimes. According to the product description, this is soft Danish toast, not crisp melba toast.
The information says to store at room temperature and consume within 24 hours of opening. It also lists wheat, milk, egg, soya and sesame as allergens.
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This 100 g pack may suit you if you want to take classic melba toast and can keep the opened contents sealed and dry.
The product information lists wheat, barley and gluten, and possible traces of sesame, soya and mustard. If you use the toast regularly, compare salt and fibre per 100 g on the label.
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A 240 g pack is worth considering if you’ll be sharing it with several people and can keep it sealed and dry after opening.
The allergen information in the product description is contradictory: it claims the product is free from allergens, but wheat, barley and soya are listed in the ingredients. Base your dietary choices on the current pack label.
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This 100 g pack of round melba toast is an option for smaller topped toast bites, rather than if you’re looking specifically for a medium-thick slice of bread.
The product information lists wheat, barley and gluten, and possible traces of sesame, soya and mustard. Check the nutritional information per 100 g and seal the pack well after opening.
Store opened toast somewhere dry and dark, in a well-sealed container. For opened toast, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives a storage guideline of around one month in a kitchen cupboard. Also follow the instructions on your pack and look out for softness or a musty smell.
It depends on the variety, the shape and how often you eat it. Compare salt and fibre per 100 g, and check that the toast is large enough for the toppings you want to take with you. ‘Multigrain’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘wholemeal’.
Don’t assume it’s gluten-free: the ordinary melba toast varieties mentioned contain wheat and barley. If you need to follow a gluten-free diet, look for an explicit gluten-free label or the Crossed Grain symbol, as advised by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, and check the label on the exact product.
No, you can’t assume that all toast does. Check the ingredients on the pack, or ask the manufacturer which type of salt is used in that particular variety if iodine is important to your choice.
No. Toppings may have different storage requirements from toast. Choose toppings that suit the refrigeration you have available while camping, and follow the storage and usage instructions on the packaging.
