Finding the best high Fiber bread option begins by knowing what you’re looking for. I’ll show you what to look for on the nutrition facts label and some good high fiber bread options.
- Why Eat Bread?
- What is Fiber?
- The Benefits of Fiber
- The Basics of Wheat Grain
- Why Choose a High Fiber Bread?
- How to Find a High Fiber Bread
- High Fiber Bread Options
- High Fiber Gluten Free Bread
- The Best Bread to Choose
- The Differences in These Breads
- Using Bread in Recipes
- Advice From a Dietitian
- The Best High Fiber Bread Options Takeaways
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Why Eat Bread?
Bread is a staple in many homes. It is an easy source of carbs, rounds out a meal, and just straight up tasty!
Carbohydrates are necessary to keep your body going and keep you nourished. With bread being a great carb option, you should eat bread!
What is Fiber?
Fiber is a type of carb that your body can’t digest. It’s actually called dietary fiber, but typically known just as fiber. Not to make it even more confusing but there are two types of fiber: insoluble and soluble.
Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool and promotes regularity. This type of fiber can be found in plant based foods such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and veggies.
Soluble fiber is both similar and different from insoluble fiber. It will dissolve in water and create a gel-like substance. Soluble fiber can be found in foods such as oats, beans, and again, fruits and veggies!
The Benefits of Fiber
There are massive amounts of benefits from consuming the recommended amount of fiber! The recommended amount of fiber to have everyday is 25-30 grams, depending on your sex and age.
First off, fiber can keep you regular (you know, a regular in the bathroom). Having at least the recommended amount of fiber for yourself can also lower your risk of heart disease, help control blood sugar levels, promote satiety and potentially weight loss, support digestion, and the list goes on!
If this doesn’t inspire you to eat more fiber in your day, i’m not too sure what will!
If you want a more in-depth run down of fiber read my article: Fiber, an Important Carbohydrate.
The Basics of Wheat Grain
The fiber in bread comes from the seed of the wheat plant. The image to the right is a diagram of the seed of a wheat plant. The seed is made up of three parts: the bran, the endosperm, and the germ.
The bran is the outer layer. It provides the fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This is a reason why you want bread with whole grain. By having the whole grain you get the fiber from the bran portion!
The endosperm is the middle of the seed. This is mainly just carbs with some protein.
Ther germ is the very inner part of the seed. This is a small portion of the seed yet includes much of the B vitamins, healthy fats, and again, some protein.
Why Choose a High Fiber Bread?
Now, you know that fiber is an important component to a healthy diet. Bread is a staple in many people diets. So, by opting for a high fiber bread option you can easily add a few more grams of fiber to your day without even trying!
How to Find a High Fiber Bread
One way to find a high fiber bread is to peruse the following list. I lay it all out for you, including a table to easily compare the pro’s and con’s!
Another way to find a high fiber bread option is to know what to look for on the nutrition facts label.
Start by looking at the top where it says the serving size. The serving size for this bread is two slices. This means in order to get the nutrition on this label you must consume two slices.
Next, we can look at the calorie count. This bread has 110 calories in two slices. A normal slice of bread is typically around 100 calories for a single slice. That means this is a very low calorie bread.
Now, we can check out how much fiber this bread has. Look right under the total carbohydrate row. There is a row entitled dietary fiber. This product has 3g of fiber for two slices of bread. This is low in fiber. You will normally find a single slice of bread to have 3 grams of fiber.
Lastly, we may as well check out the protein content while we’re at it! Near the bottom thick line it plainly states there are 5g of protein in two slices. This is something to take a peek as because there are new bread options with high amounts of protein. This one is low in protein.
High Fiber Bread Options
Dave’s Killer Bread: This brand of bread has a ton of different options high in fiber with some extra protein! There is 110 calories, 5g of fiber, and 6g of protein!
Food for Life Bread: This is a smaller slice of bread but, accordingly, only has 80 calories, 3g of fiber, and 4g of protein in a serving!
Oroweat 100% Whole Grain Bread: This bread is a classic. It has a great balance of price, asseccabilty, and nutrition. A single slice has 110 calories, 3g of fiber, and 4g of protein.
Pepperidge Farm: There are 130 calories per slice, with 4g of fiber, and 5g of protein.
Nature’s Own: This loaf boats 60 calories, 3g of fiber, and 4g of protein.
Alvarado St. Bakery: This bread may be difficult to find but it does have 6g of protein with just 100 calories! Sadly, there is only 2g of fiber, though.
Sara Lee Delightful 45: This one may surprise you. The classic Sara Lee Delightful 45 bread unexpectedly has only 45 calories with 2g of fiber and 3g of protein!
High Fiber Gluten Free Bread
Finding a high fiber gluten free bread is a bit more difficult. Because of the nature of creating a gluten free product, the fiber tends to go down.
The highest fiber in gluten free bread is BFree Brown Seeded Sandwich Loaf. It has 4 grams of fiber per slice with only 60 calories! The issue is that it may be a bit more difficult to find.
The Best Bread to Choose
Deciding which loaf you want to pick depends on a lot of factors- You must ask yourself what you can afford? What can you find in your store? Which do you like the taste of? Maybe you prefer one for certain recipes and another for a different recipe.
The Differences in These Breads
Here are some simple pro’s and con’s with the amount of fiber in each of these breads. Use this table to help you decide which loaf to try next!
| Bread Name | Grams of Fiber | Pro of this Bread | Con of this Bread |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dave’s Killer Bread | 5g | High fiber | Typically expensive |
| Pepperidge Farm | 4g | Easily found | Higher in calories |
| Oroweat | 3g | Easily found | Higher in calories |
| Food for Life | 3g | Nutrient dense | Difficult to find |
| Nature’s Own | 3g | Cheap | Taste |
| Alvarado St. Bakery | 2g | High protein | Difficult to find |
| Sara Lee | 2g | Low calorie | Airy |
| BFree Gluten Free | 4g | Gluten free | Difficult to find |
Using Bread in Recipes
Peanut Butter Banana Toast
Imagine a tasty slice of high fiber bread topped with creamy peanut butter, caramelized banana, and drizzled with honey. This would make a sweet breakfast but also a tasty cure to your afternoon sweet tooth!
Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
Take your regular old french toast to the next level by stuffing it with strawberries and topping with powdered sugar and maple syrup. Jennifer from CarlsbadCravings has definitely created magic with this recipe. C’mon, look at that!
Garlic Bread Cheese Bread
Okay, start with transforming your slices of high fiber bread into garlic bread by baking it with butter, garlic powder, and a dash of garlic salt. Once you have your garlic bread, make your grilled cheese as you please. This is a easy way to add extra fiber into an indulgent meal.
A Classic Sandwich
Who says you need to go to your local deli for a delicious sandwich? Make your go-to sandwich at home using a high fiber bread. This way you are still getting the food you love with some extra good nutrition!
Advice From a Dietitian
The best nutrition is the nutrition you consume! If you prefer one type of bread that is lower in fiber or protein than another, that is totally okay.
The Best High Fiber Bread Options Takeaways
- Consuming the recommended amount of fiber has many health benefits.
- You want to have a whole grain bread because it includes the bran portion of the wheat seed. This is the portion that contains the fiber.
- Consider the serving size, calorie count, amount of fiber, and protein when selecting a high fiber bread.
- There are many different high fiber bread options on the market, although they all have their pro’s and con’s.
- Gluten free high fiber breads are more difficult to create, but they are available!
- A nutritious food is no good unless you eat it!
If you have another type of high fiber bread you love be sure to leave it in the comments below!
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Disclaimer: Be sure to speak with your doctor or registered dietitian before making any lifestyle or nutrition changes.
The post The Best High Fiber Bread Options From A Registered Dietitian first appeared on The Michigan Dietitian.
