The Ins and Outs of Bread: Nutritionist reveals the best and worst types of bread for your health
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Nutritionist Susie Burrell has shared some useful information for those who are looking to get the most out of their bread.
Nutritionist Susie Burrell shared her expert advice on picking and consuming bread. Credit: Susie Burrell.
Bread is known for being a good source of carbohydrates and B group vitamins — essential nutrients for energy production.
Ms Burrell noted that less-processed varieties of bread — such as rye, wholegrain, and artisan sourdough — offer more health benefits than heavily-processed varieties of bread.
Some of the nutrients found in grain-based bread include dietary fibre, vitamin E, zinc, and iron.
Aside from the vitamins and minerals that are found in less-processed bread variants, it is noteworthy that grain-based bread contains a significantly lower glycaemic index (GI) compared to white bread, wholemeal, and flatbread, meaning they have lower sugar levels and are healthier.
Bread is an excellent source of carbohydrates and vitamin E. Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto.
Below are some of Ms Burrell's advice and notes on picking the perfect bread for you!
1. More grains the better
As previously mentioned, grain-based bread variants have more health benefits compared to heavily-processed varieties.
Ms Burrell said that consuming white bread can lead to regular glucose peaks and troughs, and subsequent insulin release.
She explained: "High insulin levels over time are related to weight gain and increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes."
"Generally speaking, the more grains the bread has, the better it will be for you."
Recommended varieties:
Varieties that you should avoid:
She said: "Its mixture of large serving sizes, holes that readily get filled with butter or margarine, and large amounts of white flour gives it its high GI and carbohydrate load.
2. Serving sizes
While the aforementioned recommended varieties offer an array of health benefits, you should keep in mind that large serving sizes can still affect your body.
Ms Burrell explained: "The average adult will need just two to four slices of bread each day and be mindful of the increasing sizes."
"Some large, thick slices of bread can contain up to double the number of carbohydrates and are really not necessary for the majority of us who would ultimately like to drop a few extra kilograms."
3. White bread
White bread has a high GI content. Credit: Getty Images.
White bread has a high GI content, which means that consumers will experience glucose peaks quickly after eating.
The nutritionist said: "White bread has a base of refined white flour, in which whole grains have been processed so both the bran and germ component of the grain is removed."
4. Wholemeal bread
Wholemeal bread retains more of its dietary fibre and nutrients compared to white bread as it is processed less.
However, the milling of the flour — which gives the bread a slightly darker appearance compared to white bread — means that its GI content is higher than wholegrain varieties of bread.
5. Rye
Darker rye loaves are better than lighter loaves. Credit: Getty Images.
It was said that the healthiest variety of rye bread are those with relatively darker loaves as darker colour indicates that it contains a higher percentage of rye flour.
Ms Burrell suggested: "So, where possible, seek out darker loaves of bread and as high a percentage of rye as a flour base as possible."
6. Sourdough
The nutritionist noted that choosing a loaf of sourdough bread is tricky.
She explained: "The slow fermentation phase involved in making sourdough helps to reduce the GI or digestion rate, while also increasing nutrient availability and digestibility."
However, she emphasised that sourdough slices made with white flour lack the essential nutrients that wholegrain bread offers.
"Sourdough slices are notoriously large, with the average slice equivalent to two small slices of wholegrain bread," she said.
The nutritionist advised that one should opt for small slices of wholegrain or rye sourdough bread instead.
7. Whole grain
Except for its low GI, whole grain bread offers a wide array of nutrients.
Ms Burrell said: "Bread made with whole grains are nutritionally denser, with higher amounts of dietary fibre, protein and key nutrients including zinc, B group vitamins and vitamin E."
"As a general rule of thumb, the greater the number of whole grains, and the denser the bread overall, the higher the nutrient content will be."
8. Low carb
It should be noted that low-carb loaves and wraps are becoming more popular, especially since a lot of people turned to fitness during the pandemic.
However, the nutritionist highlighted that "low-carb bread is generally not low calorie".
Aside from this caveat, Ms Burrell said that this variety offers health benefits to consumers.
She explained: "Most lower-carb loaves have been made using higher protein flours or additions such as soy, along with extra seeds and grains, that help to reduce the overall carbohydrate content."
9. Wraps
The nutritional benefits of wraps depend on the ingredients used in making them. Credit: Getty Images.
While wraps are often marketed and considered healthier and lighter alternatives to bread, it should be noted that most wrap varieties available in the market contain a relatively high GI.
It was said that the high GI content resulted from the "dense carbohydrate content and the refined flour used to create the dense consistency of the wrap itself".
Ms Burrell advised: "Wraps can also be extremely large and contain more than 50g of carbohydrate in a single wrap, the equivalent of more than three slices of wholegrain bread, so watch your portions and opt for mini’s where you can."
What variety of bread is your favourite? Share them with us in the comments below!
Nutritionist Susie Burrell shared her expert advice on picking and consuming bread. Credit: Susie Burrell.
Bread is known for being a good source of carbohydrates and B group vitamins — essential nutrients for energy production.
Ms Burrell noted that less-processed varieties of bread — such as rye, wholegrain, and artisan sourdough — offer more health benefits than heavily-processed varieties of bread.
Some of the nutrients found in grain-based bread include dietary fibre, vitamin E, zinc, and iron.
Aside from the vitamins and minerals that are found in less-processed bread variants, it is noteworthy that grain-based bread contains a significantly lower glycaemic index (GI) compared to white bread, wholemeal, and flatbread, meaning they have lower sugar levels and are healthier.
Bread is an excellent source of carbohydrates and vitamin E. Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto.
Below are some of Ms Burrell's advice and notes on picking the perfect bread for you!
1. More grains the better
As previously mentioned, grain-based bread variants have more health benefits compared to heavily-processed varieties.
Ms Burrell said that consuming white bread can lead to regular glucose peaks and troughs, and subsequent insulin release.
She explained: "High insulin levels over time are related to weight gain and increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes."
"Generally speaking, the more grains the bread has, the better it will be for you."
Recommended varieties:
- Soy and linseed loaves
- Sourdough
Varieties that you should avoid:
- Wholemeal bread
- Turkish
She said: "Its mixture of large serving sizes, holes that readily get filled with butter or margarine, and large amounts of white flour gives it its high GI and carbohydrate load.
2. Serving sizes
While the aforementioned recommended varieties offer an array of health benefits, you should keep in mind that large serving sizes can still affect your body.
Ms Burrell explained: "The average adult will need just two to four slices of bread each day and be mindful of the increasing sizes."
"Some large, thick slices of bread can contain up to double the number of carbohydrates and are really not necessary for the majority of us who would ultimately like to drop a few extra kilograms."
3. White bread
White bread has a high GI content. Credit: Getty Images.
White bread has a high GI content, which means that consumers will experience glucose peaks quickly after eating.
The nutritionist said: "White bread has a base of refined white flour, in which whole grains have been processed so both the bran and germ component of the grain is removed."
4. Wholemeal bread
Wholemeal bread retains more of its dietary fibre and nutrients compared to white bread as it is processed less.
However, the milling of the flour — which gives the bread a slightly darker appearance compared to white bread — means that its GI content is higher than wholegrain varieties of bread.
5. Rye
Darker rye loaves are better than lighter loaves. Credit: Getty Images.
It was said that the healthiest variety of rye bread are those with relatively darker loaves as darker colour indicates that it contains a higher percentage of rye flour.
Ms Burrell suggested: "So, where possible, seek out darker loaves of bread and as high a percentage of rye as a flour base as possible."
6. Sourdough
The nutritionist noted that choosing a loaf of sourdough bread is tricky.
She explained: "The slow fermentation phase involved in making sourdough helps to reduce the GI or digestion rate, while also increasing nutrient availability and digestibility."
However, she emphasised that sourdough slices made with white flour lack the essential nutrients that wholegrain bread offers.
"Sourdough slices are notoriously large, with the average slice equivalent to two small slices of wholegrain bread," she said.
The nutritionist advised that one should opt for small slices of wholegrain or rye sourdough bread instead.
7. Whole grain
Except for its low GI, whole grain bread offers a wide array of nutrients.
Ms Burrell said: "Bread made with whole grains are nutritionally denser, with higher amounts of dietary fibre, protein and key nutrients including zinc, B group vitamins and vitamin E."
"As a general rule of thumb, the greater the number of whole grains, and the denser the bread overall, the higher the nutrient content will be."
8. Low carb
It should be noted that low-carb loaves and wraps are becoming more popular, especially since a lot of people turned to fitness during the pandemic.
However, the nutritionist highlighted that "low-carb bread is generally not low calorie".
Aside from this caveat, Ms Burrell said that this variety offers health benefits to consumers.
She explained: "Most lower-carb loaves have been made using higher protein flours or additions such as soy, along with extra seeds and grains, that help to reduce the overall carbohydrate content."
9. Wraps
The nutritional benefits of wraps depend on the ingredients used in making them. Credit: Getty Images.
While wraps are often marketed and considered healthier and lighter alternatives to bread, it should be noted that most wrap varieties available in the market contain a relatively high GI.
It was said that the high GI content resulted from the "dense carbohydrate content and the refined flour used to create the dense consistency of the wrap itself".
Ms Burrell advised: "Wraps can also be extremely large and contain more than 50g of carbohydrate in a single wrap, the equivalent of more than three slices of wholegrain bread, so watch your portions and opt for mini’s where you can."
What variety of bread is your favourite? Share them with us in the comments below!
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