Looking for the healthiest bread in the supermarket aisle? I’m sharing my expert nutrition tips on choosing nutritious sliced bread with a focus on whole grains, fiber, and less sugar and sodium.
The Healthiest Breads at the Grocery Store: Dietitian Tips on What to Look For
Packaged multi-grain sliced bread, rustic freshly baked loaves at the bakery counter, ready-to-bake Italian bread. Oh, there are just so many choices in the bread aisle of supermarkets! So, how can you choose the best loaf of the bunch when it comes to your healthy eating goals? With so many options in the bread aisle, choosing the healthiest sliced packaged bread at the supermarket can be overwhelming. From “whole grain” to “multigrain” to “keto,” the labels don’t always tell the full story. As a dietitian, I help people decode nutrition labels and pick breads that are actually good for you — not just marketing hype. I’m sharing exactly what to look for when choosing sliced bread, including tips on whole grains, fiber content, added sugars, sodium, and other key ingredients to watch out for.
Top 7 Tips for Picking Out the Best Bread
Follow these tips to guide you to the best loaf in the supermarket aisle.
1. Look for Whole Grains
One of the most important strategies for picking out the healthiest bread is to ensure it is filled with whole grains, which provide all the original nutrients inherent in the grain. Refined grains miss out on much of its fiber, protein, micronutrients, and phytochemicals, and the carbohydrates are more readily absorbed into your blood stream. It may seem like a slam-dunk to locate whole grain breads, but labels can be deceiving. For example, “multi-grain” indicates breads are made with more than one grain, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re whole grains. And “made with whole grains” doesn’t quantify how much of the flour is whole grain. Look for “100% Whole Grain” on the label and check out the ingredients list, which is listed in order by weight. If the first ingredient is whole grain flour, such as whole wheat or oat (which is always whole grain), that means you have a good source of whole grains.
2. Push the Fiber
Your daily bread can be a good contribution of fiber to your diet, which contributes to heart health, good digestion, blood glucose control, and healthy weight. Look for at least 3 grams of fiber per serving on the nutrition facts label. Keep in mind that many breads today are fortified with fiber ingredients. While they can help you increase your fiber intake, it’s important to get a variety of naturally-occurring fibers through an array of whole plant foods, including whole grains.
3. Keep the Lid on Salt and Sugar
You might be surprised to learn that bread can contribute a significant amount of sodium to your diet—each slice can add up to 200 milligrams per day, providing 18% of your daily budget for two slices. Not to mention added sugars, as some pack in 7 grams per slice. How to cope with those unwanted add-ins? Just scan the nutrition facts label for “Sodium” and “Added Sugars” and keep these numbers as low as possible (below 10% DV).
4. Go for Sourdough
Sourdough breads have gotten a lot of buzz, and rightly so. This practice, which relies upon a sourdough starter utilizing wild yeasts, has been around for thousands of years. Today we know that sourdough fermentation of bread yields potential benefits for better blood glucose control, increased sense of fullness, and less gastrointestinal discomfort. Keep in mind that not all sourdough breads are created equal—if they start with refined grains you won’t get the same benefits as whole grains. And some contain high levels of added salts.
5. Increase Diversity of Ingredients
Consider adding more variety—and nutrients—to your diet through your bread selection. Look for other whole grain ingredients, like sorghum, barley, rye, millet, oats, spelt, and einkorn. Note that sprouting grains can increase the bioavailability of nutrients and the digestibility of carbohydrates, so breads made with sprouted grains are beneficial. Look for added ingredients in the bread recipe, such as nuts and seeds—think walnuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and flaxseeds. These tiny plant foods provide a dose of healthy fats, fiber, and protein.
6. Get Good Gluten-Free Bread
If you’re looking for gluten-free bread because of celiac disease or a gluten or wheat sensitivity, it can be challenging to find whole grains in products. Indeed, gluten-free breads are often filled with less nutritious alternative flours, such as refined rice, sorghum, and potato flours with binding agents. But don’t give up on finding gluten-free, whole grain, nutrient-rich breads! Today, many breads incorporate healthy gluten-free ingredients, such as whole grain buckwheat, quinoa, millet, sorghum, and teff flours; and pulse and nut flours, such as chickpea or almond flour.
7. Top Bread Picks
While you can find numerous breads that meet these recommendations, here are a few of my favorite brands you can try with confidence: Food for Life Ezekiel Breads, Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat, Simple Kneads (gluten-free), and Happy Campers Classy Slice (gluten-free).
Top 10 Homemade Vegan Bread Recipes
Check out some of my favorite, easy home-made vegan bread recipes, including buns, rolls, quick breads, focaccia, and muffins.
Herb Focaccia
Classic Vegan Skillet Cornbread
Swedish Saffron Rolls
Sunshine Whole Wheat Orange Rolls
Vegan Zucchini Bread with Dates and Walnuts
Get Nutty Vegan Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Easy Vegan Orange Bread
Lemon Scones with Currants
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Pumpkin Seeds
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