How To Find The Healthiest Bread To Eat (Your Bread Buying Guide!)

This post may possibly include affiliate hyperlinks. Please study my disclosure.

There are so several varieties of bread lining supermarket shelves these days, it can be really hard to figure out which is the very best to get. This guide will enable you uncover the healthiest bread accessible today, what to take into account when shopping for bread, and what forms of bread to prevent!

One of the queries I get asked most usually is: do you consume bread?

And men and women are generally shocked when I say that bread is one particular of my preferred items to consume. Of course, I consume bread! I appreciate the smell of fresh bread in the morning, entire grains, and all of the techniques you can use bread in recipes.

Bread has gotten a definitely undesirable reputation due to the fact of many diet regime fads: no-carb, gluten-free of charge, paleo, and so forth. It’s been vilified as the bring about for almost everything from weight acquire, to inflammation, to diabetes, to digestion issues… the list could go on.

The truth is, most bread is generally processed, higher in sugar, and higher in easy carbohydrates – which can bring about weight acquire, heart illness, and other problems. Also, the most important difficulty with wheat (unless you have celiac illness or serious gluten sensitivity that has been diagnosed) is that we consume also considerably of it as a society in common.

Eating white bread, white crackers, white pasta, white rice (something with white flour) is the equivalent of taking a spoonful of sugar and dissolving it in your mouth. This is due to the fact when you consume a grain that has been refined into flour, your body immediately metabolizes it like sugar (any grain pulverized into a fine flour has a higher glycemic index – as considerably as sugar), and this causes your insulin to spike. This can make you acquire weight and contributes to diabetes and inflammation.

But there are forms of bread that can really be definitely superior for you and won’t bring about all of these complications! So how are you supposed to figure out which bread is the healthiest? And how can you prevent bread that appears healthier but really is not?

That’s exactly where this post comes in!

This is your guide to the healthiest bread on the industry.

I’m going to enable you discover the very best alternatives for bread, and enable you comprehend the several advertising and marketing labels on the distinctive forms of bread you will see at your neighborhood grocery shop. You’ll study no matter whether labels like “whole-grain bread,” “multigrain bread,” “12 grain,” “whole-wheat bread,” or “all-natural” definitely imply something, and what to appear for when shopping for bread. Read on for my list of the healthiest bread to get!

How To Choose The Healthiest Bread

Healthiest Bread Characteristics

• Sprouted grains (sprouted wheat or other entire grain merchandise are one particular of the very first components you should really appear for)
• No added sugar / no added sweeteners on the components list (significantly less than 2g sugar per slice)
• No higher-fructose corn syrup
• At least 2 grams of fiber per serving
• No more than one hundred calories per slice
• No components you can not pronounce – if you can not pronounce it, it is most likely a preservative or stabilizer that is not required in bread
• Healthy fats, such as olive oil, or avocado oil
• Organic healthier bread is normally a superior selection, if accessible
• Some breads add flax seeds for added omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber

Ingredient List To Stay away from When Buying Bread

• Anything with “enriched,” “bleached,” or “unbleached” as aspect of the very first ingredient. “Enriched wheat” basically suggests “White Flour”. Be wary of “wheat” or even “100% whole wheat” — some breads will have this as an ingredient but are not definitely produced with entire-grain flour, and are nevertheless very processed and refined.
• Anything with significantly less than 2g fiber per serving
• Anything with raisins, dried fruits, cinnamon, banana, honey, or vanilla listed on the packaging
• Dough conditioners (like azodicarbonamide, DATEM, monoglycerides, diglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate): these are just chemical compounds added to the bread to make the bread generating method more quickly and scalable to significant batches. They’re not required for true bread, and if these components are on the label, it is a superior sign that the bread is not definitely healthier.
• GMO components like soybean oil and corn oil (honestly, these are just not required to make bread)
• Preservatives (like calcium propionate) or stabilizers like maltodextrin: bread is not supposed to be capable to final on the counter for 1-2 weeks without the need of having really hard and moldy. If you see any components you can not pronounce, it is most likely a preservative so place the bread down and discover yet another solution.
• Added sugar: If your bread has yeast, it will most likely have a tiny bit of honey or sugar due to the fact you want sugar to activate yeast. That getting stated, something more than 2 grams per slice is unnecessary. Watch out for higher fructose corn syrup, any type of syrup or artificial sweeteners added to bread. This is specifically correct for light breads.
• Artificial flavors and coloring: Caramel coloring is usually added to fake “wheat” breads to make them look more brown. If you see this on the label, prevent that bread!

What Is The Healthiest Bread?

The healthiest bread to consume is Sprouted-Wheat and Sprouted-Grain Breads!

Sprouted grains are really, technically, vegetables or legumes. To start the sprouting method, you soak the complete grain in water till it starts to sprout into a tiny plant. These sprouts are then ground up to make bread. Also, when grains are sprouted, starches and proteins are converted into smaller sized molecules that are much easier to digest.

That suggests sprouted bread provides more essential nutrients like necessary amino acids, iron, minerals, and B vitamins than regular entire-grain or even one hundred% entire wheat varieties. Sprouting grains also decreases their carb content, which suggests that sprouted breads can enable with blood sugar manage. They can also be a superior supply of protein – one particular slice of bread can include up to 5 grams of protein!

My two individual favorite sprouted grain loaves of bread are the Ezekiel Bread – 4:9 Sprouted Flax Bread, and the Silver Hills Bakery Little Big Bread. There are no preservatives in these loaves of bread, so I freeze them and take out slices as I want them.

This kind of bread is accessible in most overall health meals retailers and standard grocery retailers in the freezer section. But there are other fantastic possibilities also – so you should really be capable to discover at least one particular of the loaves of bread in the list under at your neighborhood grocery shop!

Top 12 Healthiest Bread Brands You Can Buy (Sprouted Grains and Gluten-Free Breads)

The Healthiest Sprouted Grain or Flax Breads

• Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread – Food for Life – All varieties except their Cinnamon Raisin bread are superior possibilities.
• Manna Organics – I advocate the Sunseed, Multigrain, Millet Rice, or Whole Rye Bread
• Alvarado St. Bakery – All varieties except their Cinnamon Raisin bread
• Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery – All varieties. The tiny significant bread wide variety is the lowest calorie solution.
• Dave’s Killer Breads – No higher fructose corn syrup, no artificial components, no artificial preservatives. Organic and non-GMO, with 5 grams of fiber per slice. I advocate any of their sprouted breads that have significantly less than 2 grams of sugar per serving. Some of their varieties are also low in calories and have only about 60 calories per slice.
• Trader Joe’s Brand Sprouted Breads – Any of their sprouted wholegrain breads except their Cinnamon Raisin bread
• Angelic Bakehouse Breads and Wraps – All breads and wraps are produced with sprouted entire grains and are fantastic to get.
• Healthy Joy Bakes Omega Power Bread – Two slices of this bread actually have 18g protein and 8g fiber total. The bread is produced with flaxseeds, so it has that flax-gummy texture immediately after chewing.

The Best Gluten-Free Loaves of Bread

• Happy Camper’s – Made with a mix of gluten-free of charge flours, this bread is each organic, higher in protein, higher in fiber and gluten free of charge. All varieties are a healthier selection for bread!
• Food For Life Gluten-Free – Brown Rice Bread, Rice Almond Bread, Rice Millet Bread or Exotic Black Rice Bread
• Note: I haven’t located a superior almond flour bread but that tastes like conventional bread, but almond flour bread could also be a superior solution for these who are gluten free of charge.

The Worst Popular Bread Brands To Buy

Take a appear at the components lists in these well-known bread brands. DO NOT Purchase THESE, or brands like these. They are the equivalent to just consuming refined grains and sugar!

Sara Lee Classic one hundred% Whole Wheat Bread: Whole wheat flour, water, wheat gluten, sugar, yeast, soybean oil, salt, molasses, wheat bran, calcium propionate (preservative), datem, monoglycerides, calcium sulfate, cellulose gum, monocalcium phosphate, cornstarch, soy lecithin, citric acid, grain vinegar, potassium iodate

Pepperidge Farm one hundred% Whole Wheat Bread: Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Wheat Berries, Wheat Gluten, Sugar, Yeast, Sugarcane Fiber, Honey, Unsulphured Molasses, Contains 2 Percent or Less of: Soybean Oil, Wheat, Nonfat Milk (Adds a Trivial Amount of Cholesterol), Lower Sodium Natural Sea Salt, Calcium Propionate and Sorbic Acid to Retard Spoilage, Salt, Distilled Monoglycerides, DATEM (Dough Conditioner), Chicory Root Fiber, Soy Lecithin.

Udi’s Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread: Udi’s Best Blend (Tapioca &amp Potato Starch, Brown Rice &amp Teff Flour, Modified Tapioca Starch), Water, Non-GMO Vegetable Oil (Canola or Sunflower or Safflower), Egg Whites, Evaporated Cane Juice, Tapioca Maltodextrin, Tapioca Syrup, Yeast, Flax Seed, Zantham Gum, Salt, Baking Powder, Cultured Corn Syrup Solids (Natural Mold Inhibitor), Dry Molasses, Enzymes

Nature’s Own one hundred% Whole Wheat Bread: Stone ground entire wheat flour, water, yeast, brown sugar, wheat gluten, consists of 2% or significantly less of every single of the following: salt, dough conditioners (consists of one particular or more of the following: sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium stearoyl lactylate, monoglycerides, mono- and diglycerides, distilled monoglycerides, calcium peroxide, calcium iodate, datem, ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides, enzymes, ascorbic acid), soybean oil, vinegar, cultured wheat flour, monocalcium phosphate, ammonium sulfate, citric acid, sodium citrate, soy lecithin, natamycin (to retard spoilage).

Why Are Whole Grains Important?

What is a entire grain? A “whole grain” suggests that the complete grain is nevertheless intact.

The grain is produced up of 3 components: the germ, endosperm, and bran. The bran is the outer layer of the grain, and it is exactly where most of the nutrients are! The bran and germ with each other include protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber. The endosperm, on the other hand, is generally refined starch. That’s why entire grains are greater in fiber than white grains, due to the fact processed white grains have removed the bran and germ.

Whole grains are essential due to the fact they have a wide variety of overall health advantages such as decreasing the danger of heart illness and diabetes.

Is Sourdough Bread Healthy?

Sourdough is healthier than white bread. It is produced by way of a fermentation method which utilizes each bacteria and yeast to enable make the dough rise. Fermentation creates an enzyme referred to as phytase, which assists to reduced phytate levels in the bread. This is essential due to the fact phytates in bread bind to other minerals like iron and zinc, and impair their absorption in the body.

Additionally, sourdough consists of prebiotics that assists preserve your gut bacteria in balance, and tends to make the bread more very easily digestible. Prebiotics are “food” for probiotics, which are healthier bacteria – and the two with each other market gut overall health. Consuming sourdough, specifically entire wheat sourdough, is also significantly less most likely to spike your blood sugar levels, due to the fact it is digested more gradually than conventional bread.

Is Rye Bread Healthy?

Rye bread when produced at household, or shop-purchased produced without the need of preservatives, and added sugars, is a healthier option to white bread. It is generally produced with rye flour, and wholemeal flour, each are significantly less processed than white flour. Rye grain bread is darker in colour and has a sour and earthy flavor. It also tends to have more fiber, and micronutrients, such as B vitamins. It is also more filling than standard bread, and is significantly less most likely to bring about your blood sugar to spike.

Is Pita Bread Healthy?

Most conventional pita bread is produced with white flour, so it is not healthier and is more of a refined grain. But entire wheat or even sprouted wheat pita bread is a healthier selection and will act similarly to sprouted wheat bread in your body. One entire pita bread is commonly greater in calories than 1 slice of sprouted wheat bread, so preserve that in thoughts when you are arranging your meals.

What Is The Healthiest Bread At Subway?

To be fairly sincere, none of the breads at Subway are definitely entire grain breads. All of them are produced with refined grains, and are not the healthiest solution. However, if you are at Subway there are nevertheless much better alternatives you can make! The healthiest bread at Subway is most likely the 9-grain Wheat. It’s the lowest in calories at 180 calories, has 4 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein.

Can I Eat Bread And Still Lose Weight?

The most important problems when it comes to bread and weight loss are due to refined grains and portion manage. If you are consuming 4 servings of white grains / white bread per day, it will be pretty tough to drop weight due to the fact that bread is just converted to sugar in your body. And, consuming also considerably sugar contributes to weight acquire. However, if you pick out sprouted wheat bread and stick to 2 slices per day (max), along with a balanced diet regime with lots of fresh create, you can completely consume bread and nevertheless drop weight!

What Is The Healthiest Bread For Weight Loss?

Any sprouted wheat bread will be the very best bread for weight loss. Ezekiel / Food For Life Bread or Dave’s Killer breads are quite broadly accessible, so I would advocate these to start off! I wouldn’t necessarily pick out gluten-free of charge bread for weight loss particularly unless you have a diagnosed allergy to gluten.

Final Thoughts

If you ever overlook these distinct bread brands, just try to remember to appear for: sprouted grains, no preservatives or dough conditioners, and no components you can not pronounce. Another fantastic rule of thumb to preserve in thoughts: if the bread is in the freezer section it is a superior sign that it is healthier. I hope this assists you navigate the ever-confusing bread aisle at the grocery shop!

More Healthy Food And Grocery Store Guides!