Choose wholegrain toast if fibre is your priority and your child enjoys the flavour and crunchy texture. Plain Melba toast may suit a preference for a light, neutral base, but the plain product reviewed contains less fibre per 100 g than the two wholegrain products reviewed. Check the packaging for the specific variety’s salt, ingredients and allergens too.
You’re looking for a crunchy lunch base for your child and want to know what a wholegrain option offers. Check the wholegrain description and the fibre content per 100 g, rather than assuming that all brown toast is the same.
If your child would rather eat something thin and crunchy than a sandwich, flavour, size and familiar toppings all play a part. You can compare plain and wholegrain Melba toast on these points without assuming they have the same nutritional value.
If ingredients or possible traces are a deciding factor, you’ll need to check the label for each variety. The toast products reviewed differ in their allergen information, including for wheat, sesame and soya.
Start with what matters most for this lunch: wholegrains and fibre, a texture your child will enjoy, or the ingredients in the specific product. Then compare varieties using the same nutritional basis.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Wholegrains and fibre | Look for the wholegrain description and compare fibre per 100 g; multigrain does not automatically mean wholegrain. | I want to choose a crunchy lunch base that prioritises fibre, even if the flavour takes a little getting used to. Around 46% of consumers give this need top priority. |
| Flavour and crunch | Compare plain and wholegrain options within the same type of toast; try the texture with a topping your child knows. | My child is more likely to eat something thin and crunchy than a substantial sandwich, so texture determines whether lunch works. For around 36% of consumers, acceptance comes first. |
| Ingredients and labelling | Check the allergen information and salt content per 100 g. If iodine is one of your reasons for buying, look for an explicit mention of baker’s salt or ask the manufacturer. | When choosing food for my child, the ingredients and allergens need to be suitable first; I also want to be able to compare the salt content. Checking the label is the top priority for around 18% of consumers. |
Voedingscentrum explains that multigrain bread is made from at least three types of grain. The name alone doesn’t tell you how much wholemeal flour or fibre a product contains.
If fibre is your main concern, check the product description, ingredients and fibre per 100 g.
Albert Heijn’s product information lists 3.9 g of fibre per 100 g for AH plain Melba toast. According to Jumbo, the wholegrain toast reviewed from Jos Poell and Van der Meulen contains 10 g and 9.7 g per 100 g respectively.
Choose plain toast for its flavour or texture if that suits you better, but compare the fibre content before choosing it as an alternative to wholegrain.
Wholegrain toast can contain allergens too. The allergen information varies between the products reviewed; Jumbo and Albert Heijn also list salt values that you can compare per 100 g.
Check the current label on the variety you’ve chosen before buying, especially if an allergen is relevant or you’re adding a savoury topping.
The Dutch Commodities Act defines baker’s salt as iodised table salt used in bread and other baked goods. A mention of salt alone doesn’t confirm which type of salt was used in a particular variety of toast.
If baker’s salt is important to your choice, check the packaging or ask the manufacturer.
A toast range that lets you compare plain, wholegrain and multigrain options within a similar product type.
AH plain Melba toast is an example of a light plain variety to compare with wholegrain toast.
Jos Poell Wholegrain Toast is a specific wholegrain product you can use to compare nutritional values per 100 g.
Bolletje Light Whole Grain Crackers are a crunchy alternative if you’d prefer a cracker to toast.
Below is one type of Melba toast for anyone looking for a light, crunchy option. The other products are crackers: possible lunch bases if crunch matters more than the specific shape of toast.
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A cracker to consider if you’re looking at crunchy lunch bases with toppings as well as toast.
300 g pack. A cracker isn’t necessarily the same size as, or used in the same way as, Melba toast. If you have allergies, check the current label.
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A cracker to compare if your child enjoys a thin, crunchy base with a topping.
300 g pack. Consider the texture separately from toast, and check the ingredients and allergen information if you have allergies.
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A wholegrain cracker to consider if you’re looking for a crunchy lunch base other than toast.
190 g pack. Compare the nutritional information and allergens on the current packaging before choosing; a cracker isn’t the same as Melba toast.
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A rye cracker to consider if you want to compare a crunchy alternative to toast for lunch.
235 g pack. A rye cracker may feel different to light Melba toast; check the current allergen label too.
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A type of Melba toast to consider if you want to pair a light, crunchy base with familiar toppings.
100 g pack. If wholegrains or fibre are your priority, check the description, ingredients and fibre per 100 g on the current packaging. If you have allergies, read the allergen information too.
If fibre is your main priority, the wholegrain varieties reviewed offer a clear difference: Jumbo lists 10 g of fibre per 100 g for Jos Poell Wholegrain Toast and 9.7 g for Van der Meulen Melba Wholegrain Toast, compared with 3.9 g for AH plain Melba toast according to Albert Heijn. If flavour and texture matter most to your child, try the variety that works best with familiar toppings.
No, the term multigrain doesn’t in itself mean that toast is wholegrain. Voedingscentrum explains that multigrain bread is made from at least three types of grain. Check the wholegrain description, ingredients and fibre per 100 g on the toast you buy.
No, a mention of salt alone doesn’t confirm that baker’s salt was used in the toast. The Dutch Commodities Act defines baker’s salt as iodised table salt used in bread and other baked goods. Check the packaging or ask the manufacturer if this matters to your purchase.
Read the allergen information on the specific pack, as the varieties reviewed list different ingredients and possible traces. For example, Jumbo lists wheat, sesame, soya, barley and rye among the ingredients for Van der Meulen Melba Wholegrain Toast. Check the current label on plain varieties too, rather than relying on the flavour name.
