What Is the Healthiest Bread?
Bread and grains are an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet. There are many people who decide to go without these in order to lose weight, but nutritionists say that this is not good for you.
Grains give you fiber and carbohydrates, which are essential to your body. You need to know what is the healthiest bread and learn how to consume it in a balanced way.
Some current weight loss diets make you leave foods behind that are necessary for your diet and health. An example of this would be bread that gives you not only fiber, but also amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
A good diet should always be varied. The healthiest and best bread will always give you great benefits. Let’s look at the most important aspects.
See also: The Healthiest Alternatives for Unhealthy Foods
Does bread make you fat?
It is definitely essential to keep a balance in everything you eat. For example, eating an orange or an apple a day is very healthy. However, if you eat 5 oranges, your sugar levels will start to rise and it won’t be healthy for you. With bread, the same thing will happen.
Bread, consumed in moderation, does not necessarily make you fat. But then, what is the recommended amount? The WHO (World Health Organization) states that the normal, daily amount is 250 grams.
As an example, we can say that 100 grams of white bread gives you 290 calories and 100 grams of whole wheat bread gives you 243 calories.
So, the problem occurs when you have something to go with the bread. You should be moderate and not go overboard with butter, cream cheese, or extra toppings. Here are some recommendations to follow when thinking about what bread to consume:
- Sliced bread is the least recommended. It has more fat, sugars, and additives in order for it to stay fresh for longer. It is less healthy than the traditional kind. But this does not mean that it is “bad”, it just means you should eat fewer amounts of it.
- The healthiest bread is the kind that has more grains and is made of 100% wheat flour. Look at the ingredients in order to find this out. It is also important that it has a good amount of grains.
To figure this out, look at this grain’s composition:
- Bran: the outer part of the grain, contains B vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
- Germ: the part of the plant that also grows new plants, contains vitamin B, minerals, and proteins.
- Endosperm: the inside part the grain with proteins and carbohydrates.
The healthiest types of bread
Whole wheat bread
Wheat bread is the most common type of bread and the most sold. It has insoluble fiber that helps prevent colon cancer.
You should check that it is whole grains and has whole wheat flour as well because it can be mixed with other kinds and not be as healthy. You can normally see it at first sight.
Simply get the kinds of bread that are the darkest because those are the ones that contain fewer ingredients and fewer additives. Recently, they have been selling a new type of bread with whole white wheat, which is made with white wheat instead of red. This is also a good option. It’s important to always know what ingredients it has.
Read: Flourless Dairy-free and Nutritious Banana Bread
Oat bread
- Oat bread is also very popular and just as healthy. It is usually combined with wheat flour, which makes it lighter, tastier, and less dry. It is made from a wheat base.
- Another interesting fact is that oat bread has soluble fiber, which is great for reducing cholesterol.
Rye bread
- Rye bread is not as common as wheat bread. Not many people like the taste and it is sold less. But you may not know is that it is a very healthy option.
- It is probably the best recommendation. This bread that has a good flavor that combines very well with sweet as well as salty. Rye bread is great for breakfast: a slice with a glass of orange juice, for example, will give you a good dose of energy, fiber, and vitamins.
- It has the most fiber and nutrients in it. It is an exquisite mixture of iron and B vitamins that take care of your health and that of your loved ones. Try to include it in your diet. This is one of the healthiest bread and it will help you to not gain weight.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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- Shewry, P. R., Hawkesford, M. J., Piironen, V., Lampi, A. M., Gebruers, K., Boros, D., … Ward, J. L. (2013). Natural variation in grain composition of wheat and related cereals. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf3054092
- Nagyová, L., Rovný, P., Stávková, J., Uličná, M., & Maďarova, L. (2009). Consumer perception of bread quality. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis. https://doi.org/10.11118/actaun200957030115
- Escudero Álvarez, E., & González Sánchez, P. (2006). Dietary fibre. Nutricion Hospitalaria. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.5249
