Wholemeal, rye, high-fibre, low GI, gluten free, sourdough, soy and linseed are only some of the different types of breads available. Deciding which bread to choose can be very difficult and confusing. Here’s a guide to help you along the supermarket aisle or at the local bakery.

Why eat bread?

It’s nutritious and filling, low in fat and contributes fibre and protein. With the high extraction rate for milling white flour in Australia, all bread is a good source of three B vitamins (thiamin, niacin and folate), which we need for energy release. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommends 3-12 serving of grains and cereals per day (mostly wholegrain), depending on age, gender and physical activity level. This means that most adults should eat between four and eight servings per day. Two slices of bread are considered one serving. A slice of bread (even white bread) spread with peanut butter or jam makes a healthier snack than cracker biscuits or salty packaged snacks like potato crisps.

Which bread is best?

Here are three top tips for choosing and eating bread:

• Choose mostly wholegrain or wholemeal breads
• Enjoy white or flat bread varieties occasionally - they are healthier than most crackers biscuits or snack foods
• Eat a variety of breads

Checking the nutrition panel

When choosing which bread to purchase, it is important to check the nutritional information panel and choose breads that are high in fibre, that is containing more than 5g of fibre per 100g. You should also choose breads that are low in sugar and fat, containing less than 10g of each per 100g. Please refer to the Reading Food Labels fact sheet (in Resources below) for more information.

Fortified breads and speciality breads

Folate and Iodine in bread

In 2009 fortification of bread with iodine and folate became mandatory in Australia. Folate is a B vitamin required for healthy growing, in particular for the nervous system. This policy was introduced to prevent nutrient deficiencies, in particular in pregnant women as their folate requirements increase during pregnancy and when breastfeeding. An adequate folate intake is needed to prevent neural tube defects in babies.

Soy & linseed

These breads are made by adding soy grits or soy flour and linseeds (flaxseeds) to a white or wholemeal bread dough. These breads are high in fibre and are a source of the plant omega 3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and folate, which is important for pregnant women or women wishing to conceive.  These breads tend to be higher in fat (eight or nine per cent) and have a moist texture, which keeps well.

Fibre-increased and Low GI white bread

Fibre-increased white bread has extra fibre added to boost the fibre content without affecting colour, taste or texture. The sources of fibre are usually soy hulls, white lupin hulls or Hi-Maize – a unique flour high in resistant starch that acts like fibre in the body.

Low GI (low Glycaemic Index) white breads typically have resistant starch, vegetables gums and soy flour added to them to reduce the glycaemic index of the bread and provide additional fibre. Glycaemic index is a measure of the effect of a food on blood sugar levels, and is not necessarily related to the sugar content or the total carbohydrate. Foods considered to be low GI will raise blood sugar slowly and may satisfy hunger for a longer period. Low GI foods can help people with diabetes to control their condition and can also be helpful for weight loss.

How do high fibre and low GI white breads compare with wholemeal?

White fibre-increased bread is not as nutritious as a wholemeal as it still doesn’t contain all the parts of the original wheat grain so lacks the B vitamins, minerals and phyto-nutrients from the bran and germ. It matches the fibre content of a wholemeal but that’s all. This puts it up above regular white bread. It’s a good compromise for children who refuse to eat wholemeal bread.

White bread with iron, calcium or omega-3

These breads appear to have it all – soft, smooth, square, sliced bread with no ‘bits’ and yet offering those important extras! Remember, however, that you’re not getting the benefits of a true wholemeal with all the grain. You get some fibre and a handful of added vitamins, iron or calcium but none of the other grain antioxidants that keep us healthy – Often the quantity you get from the bread is only a fraction of what you’d find in a food that is a rich source of antioxidants. Additionally, these speciality breads are expensive and less accessible.

Think of these breads as a ‘top-up’ only and regularly include foods that naturally contain iron, calcium and omega 3 in your diet. Examples of such foods include:

• Iron: Beef, chicken, fish, eggs, beans and lentils
• Calcium: milk, yoghurt, cheese and smaller amounts can be found in nuts (such as almonds), seeds (such as sesame seeds) and tofu
• Omega 3: Fish (such as salmon, mackerel, herring, anchovies, sardines, tuna and trout), oils (flaxseed, canola, walnut) and nuts and seeds (butternut, flaxseed, walnut)

Further resources

Fact sheets

Healthy eating

Nutrition and health for women at midlife

Reading food labels

Books

Choosing the Right Stuff: the official shoppers' guide to food
by Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Nutrition for Life
by Catherine Saxelby

Zest - over 120 recipes
by Catherine Saxelby & Jennene Plummer

Websites

Food Standards Australian and New Zealand

Content updated June 2011