The first to be cut out in low-calorie and slimming diets, bread is the most demonized of carbohydrates. Yet this comforting, fragrant, crunchy and delicious food is the backbone of thousand-year-old culinary traditions not only of the West, but also the rest of the world. From the French baguette to the Indian naan, the Mexican tortilla, Eritrean himbasha and German pumpernickel, the types of bread baked at the same time every day from one end of the world to the other are endless. But in the craze to avoid carbohydrates that has recently gripped the Western world, this staple food is often set aside to the detriment of the palate, and perhaps even of a balanced diet. And the bread basket at the table is now seen as enemy number one. But is it rightly so? Is bread really bad for you? Does it make you fat as is typically believed? And again, which do you choose, if we don’t want to do without it? And which is the healthiest and most nutritious? Rose Ferguson, nutritionist and functional medicine doctor, helps answer these questions.
The idea that bread is essentially a food that is not healthy for you and makes you fat is a simplification. The key is the selection and portion control. Not all bread is the same and understanding this difference is necessary to making healthier choices. The gap between a heavily processed white loaf and a seeded rye sourdough bread, for example, is huge in terms of nutritional value. White loaf, often made with highly processed wheat flour, lacks the nutritional benefits of its whole-wheat counterparts. This processing strips out essential nutrients and fiber, resulting in a product that causes blood glucose levels to spike, contributing to energy crashes, and potentially encouraging a cycle of unhealthy food cravings, overeating, and weight gain.
The issue with refined wheat flour extends beyond simple loss of nutrients: as already mentioned, its impact on blood glucose levels is significant. Foods prepared with these processed flours can lead to rapid increases in blood sugar, putting a strain on your metabolic health over time. This is in contrast to the slower and more balanced energy release of the better, healthier types of bread, which offer a more complex nutritional profile and are better for our overall well-being, i.e. wholemeal bread and seeded bread.
As a culture, we are very dependent on grain-based foods, due to their convenience. It is often easier to prepare a sandwich than to grill fish or meat with vegetables. However, this convenience comes at a cost to our health. Ferguson says grains and breads have their place in our diet, but the predominance of processed grains and the huge amount of grain-based foods we consume is an issue we must address.
When selecting bread, give priority to wholemeal variants. These contain the entire grain – the bran, germ and endosperm – and offer the full spectrum of nutrients and fibre. Ferguson also says to select bread with a short list of recognizable ingredients: this generally indicates less processing. Choose bread that includes nuts and seeds, which amounts to proteins and healthy fats, which helps make us feel fuller for longer. Avoid breads with added sugars, excessive sodium, unnecessary preservatives or artificial colors. These additives can detract from the nutritional value of bread and, if consumed in excess, can cause health issues.
The healthiest and most nutritious types of bread:
- 100% wholemeal bread: rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals, promotes digestive health and helps regulate blood sugar levels
- Pumpernickel: made with whole rye cereals, it has a low glycemic index, useful for controlling blood sugar
- Sourdough bread: the fermentation process reduces phytates, improving mineral absorption, and helps break down gluten proteins, making them more easily digestible for some
- Rye bread: rich in fibre, promotes a sense of satiety
- Oat bread: also provides good fiber and is gluten-free
- Sprouted bread: sprouting increases nutrient levels and decreases antinutrients, making it an excellent choice if you can find it
- Buckwheat bread: it is gluten-free, dense and rich in nutritional values. Furthermore, buckwheat is not wheat, it is not even a cereal, it is a seed
- Bread with seeds: such as flax, chia, pumpkin and sunflower seeds
These bread products are made specifically for those who cannot tolerate gluten or who have chosen to avoid it. Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and others. For those who do not suffer from gluten-related disorders, opting for gluten-free bread does not automatically entail health benefits, and can lead to a less nutritious diet.
In reality, in many cases for gluten-free bread flours containing gluten are replaced with alternatives such as rice or tapioca flour, which can result in a product with a lower content of fiber and essential nutrients such as iron, B and folate, compared to their whole grain counterparts. Additionally, in order to achieve a great texture and flavor, some gluten-free breads may contain higher levels of sugars and low-quality fats, which could add to unwanted weight gain and other health issues if consumed in excess. They are therefore not inherently healthier, but there are some good options that are. Breads made with flours like buckwheat are truly a healthier choice. They offer a robust profile of vitamins, minerals and fiber, without the unnecessary additives found in many commercial bread options, gluten-free or otherwise. Ferguson says opting for these healthy, minimally processed gluten-free breads is a far superior choice for everyone.
Selecting the right type of bread can add to our intake of essential nutrients such as dietary fiber which promotes digestive health, and nutrients such as B vitamins, iron and selenium.
beauty beauty trends celebrities celebrity celebrity news christmas christmas movies coffee dating fall fashion fashion fashion designers fashion trends fashion week hailey bieber hair trends halloween harry potter health Instagram Justin Bieber kate middleton King Charles meghan markle mental health milan fashion week movies music netflix new york city paris fashion week pregnancy prince harry princess diana prince william relationships royal family royals skincare street style television tiktok travel valentine's day wellness
