If you’re keeping an eye on fibre
You want a crunchy base for toppings and are specifically looking for a wholemeal option. Look beyond the product’s colour: check its name and compare the fibre content per 100 g on the packaging.
Who is this choice relevant for?
Students putting together a light meal
You want to top small toasts without choosing a pack that’s too big for the amount you’ll use. Check the pack size and consider whether you’ll use the rest for another meal.
If you check ingredients carefully
If salt, allergens or the use of baker’s salt matter to you, read the label for the specific variety. Compare nutritional values on the same basis: per 100 g.
What should you look for when choosing?
First decide whether you want topped toast, a bread-based meal or a crunchy alternative. Then compare products within the format you’ve chosen.
Wholemeal Melba toast
Best for: small, thin toasts to top individually or serve with a spread.
Consider: Melba toast has a different shape and portion size from sliced bread for a meal. Check the salt and allergen information for the variety you choose.
Fresh wholemeal bread
Best for: a traditional bread-based meal rather than individually topped pieces of toast.
Consider: bread doesn’t give you the same thin, crunchy base as Melba toast. Check that it’s described as wholemeal; brown bread isn’t necessarily wholemeal bread.
Crispbread or crackers
Best for: a crunchy base for toppings when you’re not specifically looking for Melba toast.
Consider: size, texture and ingredients vary by product. A cracker containing wholemeal ingredients isn’t necessarily the same as a product described as wholemeal.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Wholemeal and fibre | Read the product name and ingredients; compare fibre per 100 g across similar products. | I want a crunchy base, but I’m specifically choosing wholemeal and want to compare the fibre content. This is the top priority for an estimated 31% of consumers. |
| Pack size | Check the pack weight and how much you’ll use for your meal. | For a light student meal, I want a pack whose contents I can use later too. This is the top consideration for around 31% of consumers. |
| Meal format | Decide between individually topped toast, sliced bread and crispbread before comparing varieties. | I want to know whether I’m making small topped bites or having a bread-based meal; the product format determines what I serve. This is the first consideration for an estimated 23% of consumers. |
| Label and ingredients | Compare salt per 100 g and read the allergen declaration; check for baker’s salt if necessary. | If I need to avoid an ingredient or watch my salt intake, I read the label before choosing a variety. This is the top priority for around 15% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming brown or multigrain means wholemeal
The colour and visible seeds don’t tell you whether toast is described as wholemeal. A product may also contain only some wholemeal flour.
Check the exact product name and read the ingredients list. The Voedingscentrum also explains the wholemeal description for toast and crackers.
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Looking only at fibre
The fibre content alone doesn’t tell you how much salt the same toast contains or which allergens it includes. This information may be decisive when choosing which variety to buy.
Read the nutritional information per 100 g and the allergen declaration on the pack, even if the front says it’s wholemeal.
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Assuming all toast contains baker’s salt
According to the Voedingscentrum, using baker’s salt when baking bread isn’t compulsory. So don’t assume you know the ingredients of a toast product just from its format.
Check the ingredients list for the specific toast if baker’s salt is relevant to your choice.
Brands and ranges to consider
These examples help you distinguish between product formats and labels; the brands mentioned aren’t a guide to the Joybuy range.
Van der Meulen
Melba Toast Wholemeal is an example of thin toast for toppings or dips. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list it in a 120 g pack.
- Worth considering if you specifically want to make small topped toasts.
- The product information lists ingredients including wheat, barley, rye, sesame and soya. Check the packaging if you have a relevant allergy.
Jos Poell
Wholemeal toast is another option in the same product format; the Albert Heijn listing gives a pack size of 90 g.
- The smaller pack size may suit you if you don’t use many toasts at a time.
- The product information lists wheat and gluten, and mentions possible traces of egg, milk, soya and sesame. Read the label on the pack you buy.
Sansepolcro
An example of toast whose Albert Heijn ingredients list specifies 36% wholemeal wheat flour.
- The stated percentage shows what proportion of the wheat flour listed is wholemeal.
- If you’re looking for a product described as wholemeal, don’t rely solely on the words ‘wholemeal flour’ in the ingredients list.
Bolletje
Bolletje makes wholemeal crispbread: a different product format from thin Melba toast.
- Worth considering if a crunchy base for toppings matters more to you than the size of the toasts.
- Bolletje lists ingredients including wheat, rye, barley and sesame in its wholemeal crispbread. Check the ingredients on the pack you choose.
ALDI-eigen assortiment
ALDI Netherlands lists wholemeal toast alongside other types of toast in its range overview.
- A good option if you want to compare different product formats in store.
- Compare the specific variety using the packaging: check the wholemeal description, nutritional information and allergens.
Crunchy alternatives on Joybuy
These products suit you if you’re considering crispbread or crackers as a base for toppings, rather than thin Melba toast or fresh wholemeal bread. Check each pack to make sure its ingredients and nutritional information match what you’re looking for.
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Bolletje wholemeal crispbread, 265 g
For anyone looking for a crunchy base for toppings instead of thin Melba toast.
265 g pack. If you have an allergy, check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.
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Wasa High-Fiber Crackers, 300 g
A cracker option if you’d like to serve toppings on a crunchy format other than toast.
300 g pack. Don’t assume the product name tells you its nutritional value: compare fibre and salt using the information on the packaging.
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Wasa Rustic Crispbread, 215 g
A crunchy base for toppings when you don’t need the shape of Melba toast.
215 g pack. If you want to compare fibre, check the nutritional information on the packaging; if you have an allergy, check the ingredients too.
Frequently asked questions
Is brown or multigrain toast the same as wholemeal toast?
No, those descriptions don’t automatically mean the same thing. Look for ‘wholemeal’ in the product name and check the ingredients; a stated percentage of wholemeal flour doesn’t in itself mean the whole product is wholemeal.
Is Dutch toast always made with iodised baker’s salt?
No, you can’t tell from the word ‘toast’ alone. The Voedingscentrum says that using baker’s salt in bread isn’t compulsory; check the ingredients list for the toast you choose, or ask the manufacturer.
How do I compare toast for a light student meal?
First choose the product format that suits your meal, then check the pack size and how much you’ll use. Compare the nutritional values of similar products per 100 g so that differences in portion size don’t distort the comparison.
Which allergens should I check in wholemeal toast?
Always read the allergen declaration for the specific variety. The product information for Van der Meulen Melba Toast Wholemeal lists ingredients including wheat, barley, rye, sesame and soya; for Jos Poell Wholemeal Toast, it also mentions possible traces of egg and milk.