Why bread is the low-fat, healthy food you need in your diet
'Bread can 100% be part of a healthy diet.'
After years of misinformation, dietitians are trying to bust the biggest myth of all: that bread is bad for us.
Even more than that, dietitian and nutritionist Aveen Bannon says there is no such thing as ‘bad’ food.
“There is no such thing as a good or bad food, only good or bad diets and bread can 100% be part of a healthy diet,” she says.
“Bread got some bad press for a long time, people became nervous of carbohydrates and things like but carbohydrates are a basic fuel that our body needs. When we look at our overall diet, we want people to get 50% of their energy from carbohydrate foods. Bread is a really good source of that.”
New research by SuperValu shows that sales of healthier bread options, including chia seed loaves, increased by 20% in the last 12 months and 45% of respondents say they purchase bread once a week, and 36% buy it every second day. However, Aveen says she sees people trying to replace bread in their diets by opting for wraps or adding grains to salads, but she says not only does bread have the carbohydrates needed in our diets, it’s also low in fat.
“You'll see people who will have fancy salads at lunchtime but they’ll have grains in it because they're avoiding bread. But an average slice of bread is only about 80 to 90 calories, it's quite a low-calorie food and it’s low in fat but it gives you carbohydrates and it gives you fuel and if you go for a higher fibre option you'll get the benefit of fibre as well.
“I work with teenagers a lot and they’ll say: ‘I won't have a sandwich I'll have a wrap’. What's the difference? They say it’s healthier and when I ask why they say: ‘I don't know’. It's amazing when you really question people about why they think a food is bad, they can’t give you an answer. I’m just trying to reassure people that there’s no such thing as a good or bad food.”
But what about the bloating that bread causes, you ask? Aveen says that’s another myth.
“Often people think that bread will cause bloating and to be honest, most of the research shows that that's not the case. Bread doesn't cause bloating. Sometimes people may find if they go for a sourdough option or something that is more digestible, it’s easier for them on their stomach,” she says. Sourdough in particular has grown in popularity, with SuperValu's research showing sales of it have increased by 30% in the past year.
“Bread is associated with causing bloating, which it doesn't, or being unhealthy, which it’s not. It's actually a very normal staple food, we've been relying on it for thousands of years and it’s eaten worldwide. The nervousness around it probably was more to do with the anti-carb movement years ago.
There’s no easier breakfast than a slice of toast on a busy morning and sandwiches have been a go-to lunch for generations. Aveen says adding bread to your meals is fine, but try to choose one with as much fibre as possible.
“There’s definitely a role for bread in your daily diet, whether it's lunchtime or breakfast time. When you're picking your bread, try to go for one that has slightly higher fibre content. White bread isn’t bad for you, it's fine and it's good to have a combination of both white and brown bread of your diet, but it’s an opportunity to get a fibre-rich source of food into your diet.
“Of the common myths, one would be that white bread is bad and it’s not bad. Brown bread has more fibre which is important in the diet but we’re not pitching one against the other but one might be a slightly healthier option.”
