European Dietitian Recommends Eating Whole-Grain Bread Several Times a Day

Bread has unfairly found its way onto the list of foods many people try to avoid when losing weight. However, carbohydrates themselves do not cause weight gain, and high-quality whole-grain bread can be an important part of a healthy diet, according to Adrienne Szabó, a dietitian at Semmelweis University, as reported by Medical Xpress.

According to international dietary guidelines, carbohydrates should provide around 40–60% of a person’s daily energy intake. Weight gain is caused not by carbohydrates themselves but by consistently consuming more calories than the body uses. According to the expert, people in Hungary often consume excessive amounts of energy from fats instead.

Bread is more than just a source of carbohydrates, unlike foods such as sugar. It contains zinc, selenium, magnesium, B vitamins, plant-based protein, and significant amounts of dietary fiber. However, these benefits apply primarily to whole-grain varieties.

In Hungary, a product can be labeled as whole-grain if it contains at least 60% whole-grain flour. During the production of this flour, the bran and germ of the grain are retained.

Research shows that regular consumption of whole-grain foods is associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and colorectal cancer. Therefore, whole-grain bread can reasonably be included in the diet several times a day.

When choosing bread, Szabó says that the ingredients are more important than the preparation method. Clinical studies indicate that the health benefits of bread are determined to a greater extent by the quality of the grain than by the baking technology.

Sourdough bread can indeed have some advantages over rapidly produced yeast bread. During fermentation, certain components become easier to digest, while some minerals become more bioavailable. However, when choosing between ordinary yeast bread and sourdough bread, it is preferable to select the one containing more whole-grain flour and no artificial additives.

The term “semi-white” bread does not mean that half of the product is made from whole-grain flour. Such bread is generally produced almost entirely from medium-extraction flour.

The dietitian recommends varying the diet by trying whole-grain bread made from rye, spelt, and different varieties of wheat, as their vitamin and mineral profiles differ somewhat.

What you eat with bread also matters. Instead of two thick slices of white bread with sausage and full-fat cheese, for example, you could make a sandwich with cottage cheese and fresh herbs, add tomatoes and peppers, or choose mackerel, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Szabó also recommends freezing leftover bread rather than throwing it away. According to her, bread accounts for a significant share of food waste in Hungary. Freezing may be a better option than buying long-life bread, which often contains numerous additives.

The dietitian considers concerns about pesticides and mycotoxins in whole-grain products to be largely unfounded. Grain-processing technologies and quality-control methods have improved substantially, while the levels of potentially harmful substances in products sold on the market are strictly regulated.

According to Szabó, many claims circulating today are not supported by properly conducted clinical studies in humans.

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