Choose finely or medium-sliced wholemeal bread if you mainly want to make sandwiches for breakfast or lunch, or toasties. Freeze portions as soon as you buy it if you won’t get through a whole loaf quickly. Melba toast is a better choice if you occasionally fancy something crunchy with a topping or dip and would rather keep supplies in the cupboard, but it isn’t necessarily a substitute for your everyday sandwiches. For both types of product, check the ingredients, allergens and storage instructions.
If you want bread for breakfast or lunch and also make toasties, finely or medium-sliced bread is a good fit. If it takes you a while to get through a loaf, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing portions as soon as you buy it.
If you occasionally fancy something crunchy with a topping or dip, but don’t want to freeze bread, Melba toast, crackers or crispbreads are alternatives worth comparing. Check the ingredients, nutritional value, allergens and storage instructions on each pack.
Read the product name and ingredients rather than judging by the brown colour alone. Compare fibre per 100 g across the types of product you actually want to use: sliced bread and Melba toast differ in shape and portion size too.
First, decide whether you’re looking for soft bread for everyday use or crunchy toast for an occasional snack. Then consider which pack size and storage method work best for your household.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday sandwiches | Check whether the bread is labelled wholemeal, which grains are listed in the ingredients and whether the slice thickness suits your toppings or toasties. | If I make sandwiches or toasties every day, I want a soft slice that’s suitable for the job. For around 40% of consumers, everyday use is the top priority. |
| Getting through a loaf | Compare half and whole loaves and check the storage advice. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends freezing bread in portions as soon as you buy it if you want to use it later. | If I live alone and won’t get through a whole loaf quickly, I want to be able to take out what I need. Reducing waste is the main priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Keeping supplies in the cupboard and getting a crunch | Check whether you’re buying toast or bread for the toaster. For toast, compare fibre and salt per 100 g, and follow the storage instructions once opened. | If I have limited freezer space and occasionally fancy something crunchy with a topping or dip, I want a pack that I can seal properly. For around 30% of consumers, cupboard convenience is the main priority. |
A brown colour or the word ‘multigrain’ won’t tell you how much wholemeal flour a product contains. For example, Jumbo lists 45% wholemeal wheat flour in Van der Meulen Melba Multigrain Toast.
Check the product name and ingredients, and compare the fibre per 100 g in the products you’re considering.
If you live alone and don’t eat sandwiches often, a whole loaf may be around for longer than you’d like.
See whether a half loaf suits your needs, or freeze a whole loaf in portions as soon as you buy it, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
Melba toast has a different texture and portion size from sliced bread. Jumbo lists 1.9 g of salt per 100 g for Van der Meulen Melba Wholemeal Toast; that figure applies to this particular variety, not all types of toast.
Choose toast when you want that crunchy texture, and compare its ingredients, allergens and nutritional value with bread for your everyday meals.
Supermarket range that includes finely sliced wholemeal bread and Melba toast.
Finely sliced wholemeal bread in both whole and half-loaf sizes.
Melba toast for crunchy snacks, including wholemeal and multigrain varieties.
A range that includes rusks, crispbread and crackers as alternatives to sliced bread.
This rye bread product could be worth considering if you’re looking for a different type of bread as well as sliced wholemeal bread. Check the product type and slice thickness if you specifically want bread for everyday sandwiches.
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An option if you’re looking for a rye bread product and its format suits the way you’ll use it. The pack contains 500 g; before buying, check that it’s the type of slices you want and read the latest ingredients, allergen and nutritional information on the packaging.
No, ‘toast’ can also mean crunchy toast or Melba toast. If you’re looking for soft slices to toast yourself, check that you’re buying sliced bread. If you’re unsure, look at the product type and image on the packaging.
Freeze it in portions as soon as you buy it if you won’t get through it quickly. Take out only what you need each time, and also follow the storage advice on the packaging.
Store toast in a cool, dry, dark place in a tightly sealed pack, as recommended by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Also check the instructions on the packaging of your product.
Check the latest ingredients and allergen information for the specific variety every time you buy it. The products reviewed have different ingredients, so don’t rely on the product category or information about another pack.
