Bread and jam, bread and eggs, sandwiches these are some of the staple breakfast options the world over. Experts agree that a good breakfast can help you kickstart the day in the right way by providing you energy, boosting metabolism, and may actually help burn calories through the day. In fact, people who eat a healthy breakfast actually end up eating fewer calories through the day. Picking up a loaf of bread, buttering up a few slices, we all agree bread is a convenient option, especially for busy bees who do not have time to prepare elaborate breakfast and rely on grab-and-go bites in the morning rush hour. And how many calories can a few slices of bread have? Does not matter if it’s white, brown or any other color. But when you are looking at breakfast that nourishes – wanna find out which bread fares better? Let’s find out: You have every right to know why your butter deserves a better companion than white bread:
Why White Bread is Not a Healthy Breakfast Option?
White bread cannot be a healthy breakfast option because it leaves you hungry soon after. Also, because it has high glycemic index, it raises blood sugar, gets quickly digested, and with its low fiber content, will make you hungry soon after once the blood sugar slumps. Made entirely of refined flour, sugar, low in fiber, everything about white bread is unhealthy and you are de-railing your weight loss journey, if you are starting your day with bread and jam as breakfast.
Why Brown Bread is a Good Breakfast Option?
Brown bread is made with whole wheat, with bran intact, with better fiber content and better nutrient profile. It also has a lower glycemic index than white bread, hence does not spike up blood sugar.
Now comparing white bread with brown bread:
A slice of white bread:
80 calories
14 gm carbs
0.3 gm fiber
A slice of Brown Bread:
44 calories
8.25 gm carbs
1. 1 gm fiber.
So, if you are trying to lose weight, here are some points to keep in mind while picking up bread:
You should go for “100% whole grain” or “100% whole wheat” breads.
A bread slice should ideally have at least 3 grams of fiber.
Don’t buy bread which contains more than 3 gm of sugar.
You should also make sure there is no transfat, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners in the ingredient list of your bread. If it contains any of the following, simply skip buying that.
In fact, here are some weight-loss friendly bread options:
1. Wholemeal bread: This bread is far better for weight loss when compared to white bread since it comes free of processed flour. It is made from a more unrefined version of flour that contains relatively higher amounts of fibre, vitamins and minerals. Other than that, this bread scores lower on the GI index than white bread which implies that eating this bread will reduce your hunger cravings and will benefit you on your weight loss journey. Just make sure it has 100% whole wheat flour mentioned on the label.
2. Wholegrain bread: This is another class of healthy bread option that you can eat for weight loss. Made from 100% whole grain, it would have a good amount of fiber.
3. Sourdough bread: High in fiber content, it helps to control cravings. This bread is prepared by fermenting the dough for several days and good for gut health as well.
4. Flaxseed Bread: Another great option for people trying to lose weight. This bread has huge nutritional benefits as it comes loaded with useful vitamins and minerals like manganese, potassium and selenium, essential fatty acids, dietary fiber and phytoestrogens. It helps the body to easily burn calories and repels storage of body fat. Anyway, if you love flaxseeds, you can easily incorporate this bread in your diet.
5. Sprout Bread: Low in calories, high in fiber, with lower carbs, this bread type does not spike up blood sugar or insulin. It also has more nutrients compared to other bread types. Also read: “50 Healthy Food Swaps That Everyone Should Absolutely Try.”
Summing up, white carbs are bad for weight loss, so is white bread. If you absolutely love bread, switch to brown bread or other options mentioned above. Also, don’t fall for marketing strategies of some brands which use healthy-sounding words, like “natural” or “multigrain” for white bread. Always, go through the ingredients list to pick up the right kind of bread to butter up.
Also, if you want to know better healthy breakfast options to lose weight, check out our Speed Slim challenge on Rati Beauty app.
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