Best bread for your blood sugar
If you monitor your blood sugar, you might have noticed your blood sugar spiking after enjoying a slice of bread. And standing in front of the bread options in the grocery store can feel overwhelming, and you may decide to put bread off the table. But we’re here to help you understand what makes certain bread better for your blood sugar. We want you to feel confident in your food choices.
So let’s dive into the different types of bread to examine how they can impact your blood sugar.
White Bread
White bread is made with refined white flour, and refining removes most of the grain’s protein, fiber, and other nutrients. This is the reason why white bread will spike your blood sugar.
Whole Grain Bread
Whole grain bread means the grain is still intact, unlike white bread. It still contains fiber, protein, and vitamins. People who consume more whole grains are at a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Sometimes a bread will list “made with whole grains” but still contain refined flour or added sugar as an ingredient, so you want to look closely at the ingredient list.
Sprouted Bread
Sprouted bread is made by soaking and sprouting whole grains, legumes, or seeds, grinding, and using these instead of flour. As a result, it usually contains lots of fiber and protein, making it a top blood sugar-friendly bread.
Sourdough Bread
Sourdough can impact blood sugar less because of the fermentation process, even though it’s made with white flour. The chemical structure of the flour changes during fermentation, potentially causing a healthier blood sugar response.
Organic Bread
Organic bread means that all the ingredients used to make the bread are organic, but it doesn’t describe how good or bad it is for your blood sugar.
Gluten-Free Bread
Like organic bread, gluten-free bread is not a description of how bread will impact your blood sugar. Gluten-free bread can be made with grains that are milled and refined in a way that matches the texture of white flour. Check your gluten-free bread label to ensure it isn’t made with white rice, another blood-sugar-raising grain.
We’ve created a four- step process to make a better bread choice:
- Start with the ingredient list. Take a look at the ingredients. If you see sugar, look for a different bread. If there’s no sugar included, look for any fiber-containing extras like chia or flax, or grains, nuts, or seeds.
- Next, check the nutrition table and look for carbohydrates. Total carbs will tell you all the carbs in the product, including any added sugars and fiber. The best options contain less than 15 grams of carbs per slice of bread.
- Check the fiber content. You’ll find fiber under carbs in the nutrition table. Anything less than 2 grams of fiber is more likely to spike your blood sugar.
- See if your bread contains protein. Since protein helps smoothen the glucose response, any protein from beans, nuts, and seeds makes it a better choice. Some of the seeded products can contain 5 grams of protein per slice.
Not all breads cause the same reaction in your blood glucose levels. Ensure you experiment with different options and find what works best for you.
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