Melba vs. WASA

My husband has been eating WASA Crispbread with his snacks instead of Melba Toast and today I made that substitution, too. I didn't ask the doctor if that was OK. I have seen that other HCG personal blogs list it as something that they do. I guess I just went ahead and made an executive decision.


WASA is a Swedish crispbread that is made with whole grains. It is almost tasteless and I never liked it without something yummy like artichoke spread or cream cheese on it. My husband always has some in the house. It's very commonly eaten in Europe and I suppose he got very used to eating it when he lived & went to college in Germany. He eats it with sour cherry jam or with butter and fresh herbs or with feta.

There are several reasons that I thought this substitution was in keeping with both the rule and the spirit of Dr. Simeon's protocol. For one, WASA is very high in dietary fiber, 2 grams vs. Melba's 1 gram per serving, and I have more than an inkling that the need for fiber on this diet is the reason that the Melba toast (or breadstick) was included in the protocol. Second, WASA is lower in overall calories by almost half; WASA 35 cal. vs. Melba 60 cal. Melba has WASA beat in fat, though. One slice of WASA has 0.5 grams of fat. Melba has none. WASA's fat is non-saturated and non-trans, which is very good, but it's still fat. WASA has 60 mg of sodium vs. Melba's whopping 110 mg - it's easy to see who wins by a longshot in the salt category.

Overall, I would have to say that the WASA is healthier and should be a good substitute for the Melba toast. My husband is going to stick with the WASA full time and I'm going to trade off depending on what I feel like having for that meal or snack.

Did you know that Melba toast was named for the same person that the dessert Peach Melba was named after? Dame Nellie Melba was an Australian opera singer. It is thought that when she became somewhat ill the toast was made for her by her personal chef and became a staple of her diet thereafter. He created the Peach Melba, too. It would have been awfully nice if that had become a staple of the diet instead of the toast.


The crazy thing is, I've learned to like them both - the Melba toast and the WASA, that is. I never thought I'd be so darn happy to eat something that tastes like cardboard. This diet really changes your perspectives, hmmm?