What Is the Healthiest Bread to Stay Slim?

Spend a few minutes in a supermarket, and you will see infinity shelves with endless loaves of various kinds of bread: Pitas, hotdog buns, buckwheat bread, round loaves, matzah, gluten-free bread, keto bread, potato buns. It can’t be that all these options are bad for your waistline! Check out what kinds of bread are safe for your diet and which ones can even boost your weight loss.

Sprouted whole grain

Many kinds of bread contain lots of sugar, but not the sprouted whole grain. It doesn’t increase blood sugar as much as others, and it’s also rich in fiber and protein, which keep you full for longer.

Sourdough

Sourdough bread is considered a probiotic because of the fermentation processes necessary to make it rise. It improves digestion, protects your gut microbiota, and helps you lose weight(1).

100% whole wheat

If you’re looking for fiber-dense options, 100% whole wheat is considered one of the healthiest bread versions. It contains less refined flour and therefore doesn’t provoke insulin response as much as white-flour processed bread.

Oat bread

Oats are high in magnesium, iron, and zinc and have even been shown to lower cholesterol. What’s more, pure oat is gluten-free. If you’re looking for gluten-free options to nourish your body with micronutrients, consider oat bread.

Flax bread

Flax bread is full of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. Studies also show that people who eat flaxseed and flax bread decrease their chances of developing breast cancer(2).

100% sprouted rye bread

Those whose body produces too much insulin might consider this bread as an option. It has been shown to reduce the body’s insulin response, thus becoming a good choice for people with diabetes.

Healthy gluten-free bread

Many kinds of gluten-free bread are full of refined flour and sugar. However, there are healthier alternatives, namely almond and coconut flour bread.

How to choose the best bread?

Look for loaves with no added sugar and with 100% whole grain listed as the first ingredient. The labels should indicate 3-5 g of fiber and 3-6 g of protein per slice. To stay on the safe side, you can try baking bread yourself, adding fruits, vegetables, and nuts to it. By doing so, you will get a healthy loaf full of vitamins and nutrients!

Sources

• Brusaferro A., Cozzali R., Orabona C., et al. (2018, November). Is It Time to Use Probiotics to Prevent or Treat Obesity? Nutrients. DOI: 10.3390/nu10111613
• Calado A., Neves P. M., Santos T., et al. (2018, February). The Effect of Flaxseed in Breast Cancer: A Literature Review. Frontiers in Nutrition. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2018.00004