Bread sometimes gets a bad rap, but it’s a versatile carbohydrate that deserves a lot more love. Yes, bread can be part of a balanced diet. The key is to choose the right type of bread.
With an overwhelming selection of breads available at supermarkets and bakeries, how do you know which one to choose?
Health turned to three credentialed registered dietitians (RDs) and asked them to name their top pick. Here’s what they said.
To determine which type of bread is the best and healthiest, the nutrition experts we consulted considered various criteria when making their top choice.
They considered factors such as:
- Nutrients: The best type of bread should be high in vitamins and minerals.
- Fiber content: A healthy bread should contain a good amount of dietary fiber, which aids in digestion, makes you feel fuller faster, and is good for your heart.
- Protein content: A high-quality bread should contain protein, a nutrient that helps with satiety and bone, muscle, and skin health.
- How it’s made: The best type of bread should be unrefined and contain all parts of the grain (the bran, germ, and endosperm).
- Minimal or no sugar: A healthy bread should contain no or minimal added sugar. Excess sugar is linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
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Three dietitians selected 100% whole-grain bread as their bread of choice.
Whole-grain bread contains all parts of the grain kernel (which contains the most nutrients), making it a great source of vitamins and minerals, including fiber, protein, B vitamins, iron, selenium, and magnesium.
Why They Love It
- “Unlike white bread, which is stripped of most nutrients during processing, whole-grain bread keeps the bran, germ, and endosperm intact–so you’re getting the full package of nutrition that nature intended,” Lena Beal, RDN, LD, CCTD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Health.
- Grace Derocha, RD, CDCES, registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, recommends sprouted 100% whole-grain bread. She says the sprouting process improves nutrient availability, digestibility, and protein content, offering slightly more protein than traditional whole-wheat bread. It may also have a gentler effect on blood sugar.
- “Sprouting can slightly boost protein and lower the bread’s glycemic impact, compared with conventional whole-wheat bread,” Samantha Cassetty, RD, a registered dietitian and co-author of Sugar Shock, told Health.
Whole-grain bread is a nutritious choice because it contains the entire grain kernel as well as nutrients such as fiber, protein, B vitamins, and minerals such as iron and magnesium. In particular, sprouted forms of whole-grain bread make it easier for nutrients to be absorbed and also improve digestibility.
“Sprouting makes certain vitamins and minerals (like B vitamins, vitamin C, and iron) more bioavailable, meaning your body can absorb them more easily,” said Derocha. “Sprouting also breaks down some of the starches in the grain, which may make the bread easier to digest for some people, compared to standard whole-wheat bread.”
- Beal loves using whole-grain bread as the base for avocado toast, open-face sandwiches, and homemade croutons: “Just cube the bread, toss with olive oil and herbs, and bake for a fiber-rich salad topping,” she said.
- Derocha loves to use sprouted whole-grain bread as the base for avocado toast, French toast, sandwiches, and mini pizzas: “Toast sprouted bread, spread with marinara, top with mozzarella and veggies, then broil until bubbly. It’s a quick, family-friendly meal that sneaks in whole grains.”
- Cassetty likes to combine it with nut butter and chia fruit topping: “Spread a toasted slice of bread with some nut butter and an easy chia fruit topping. To make the topping, microwave half a cup of frozen fruit (such as blueberries) for about one minute until they release their juices and soften. Stir in about 2 teaspoons of chia seeds and let the mixture sit for 15 minutes, or until it begins to gel.”
All three of the dietitians selected 100% whole-grain bread as their top pick, with two giving a shoutout to sprouted whole-grain bread in particular.
While whole-grain bread is a healthy, delicious, and unrefined option on its own, the sprouted variety is the best way to enjoy it. The sprouted form improves nutrient availability and digestibility, offers slightly more protein, and may help control blood sugar better.
