Wholegrain, rye, white and sourdough: Dietitians give pros and cons of each type of bread
Dietitians have detailed the pros and cons of 11 kinds of bread you can buy in the supermarket. See their top picks for every type.
In the battle of the bread to have with your eggs in the morning or sandwich at lunch, not all are equal.
We spoke to dietitians who shared their top picks and what they would buy for lower cholesterol, blood sugar levels and better gut health as part of our new series, Shopping Swaps.
They also share recommendations for those with conditions like coeliac disease, diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
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SHOULD YOU CUT OUT BREAD?
For those afraid of bread, dietitian, sports dietitian, and nutritionist Liz Radicevic, at Radnutrition, said that in moderation, it was perfectly fine to include in your diet.
“A lot of people will avoid bread or carbs just because they want to be healthier or they’re mindful of their weight,” she said.
“But they just need education about what types of bread are better for them. Carbs and bread don’t always equal weight gain.”
Dietitian and director of Diet Yumm, Purva Gulyani, said it was also important to look at the ingredients in your sandwich.
“What you put inside or on bread also matters for the overall nutritional value,” she said.
While supermarket options were listed for convenience, dietitians said they preferred fresh bakery options, given they often had fewer ingredients, additives and preservatives.
“I generally purchase from the bakery, just because it’s more natural and less processed and doesn’t need to be preserved for a certain period of time,” Ms Radicevic said.
WHOLEGRAIN
Containing all parts of the grain, including the bran, germ and endosperm, wholegrain was the more natural forms of bread and one of the most nutritionally dense options, according to Ms Radicevic.
Being higher in fibre, minerals and antioxidants, it was also slower to digest, making most loaves lower on the glycaemic index.
“It gives sustained energy and blood glucose control,” she said.
Additionally, it helped lower cholesterol given it’s high fibre content.
She said to look for wholegrain as the first ingredient and more than 7g of fibre per 100g.
“It’s the gold standard, rich in fibre and keeps you fuller for longer,” she said.
Mrs Gulyani said wholegrain reduced the risk of heart disease and decreased constipation, too.
Ms Radicevic said to buy loaves from the bakery where possible but added the Burgen Wholegrain and Oats was a good supermarket option.
It was available at Coles and Woolworths for $7 and had 8.8g of fibre per 100g serve.
One additive was a processing aid (wheat).
Mrs Gulyani said this was a helper ingredient used in the production of the bread.
“By the time the bread is baked, it is either gone or present only in tiny harmless traces,” she said.
However, for those with allergies, it could pose as an issue, she said.
Best for: A high fibre option and lowering cholesterol.
MULTIGRAIN
Advanced Sports Dietitian Lauren Stribley, said multigrain was great for those wanting to lower their cholesterol.
“The more whole grains we include in our diet, the better. They are great for lowering cholesterol,” she said.
Those using multigrain as part of their diet often felt fuller, meaning it also had added weight management benefits, she said.
Ms Radicevic agreed.
“Multigrain bread helps keep you fuller for longer, supports steady energy levels and can make it easier to manage your weight without feeling deprived,” Ms Radicevic said.
However, some brands mixed white flour and wholemeal flour, making it less nutritious.
“Make sure the base is not just white flour with seeds put on top,” Ms Radicevic said.
This was done by identifying which flour was listed first, as ingredients were listed in order of weight.
The Wonder White 5 Star Soft Multigrain was Ms Radicevic’s top pick.
It costs $4.90 at Coles and Woolworths.
However, it contained vegetable emulsifiers 471, 472e and 481.
These were also known as mono and diglycerides of fatty acids, DATEM and sodium stearoyl lactylate.
While they were permitted and considered safe in Australia, she said international research had raised questions about their effects on gut health or metabolism in long-term exposure.
“My professional recommendation is that people don’t need to panic about these additives in bread, especially if it’s part of a largely whole food diet, but it’s absolutely better to choose loaves with simple ingredients,” she said.
The presence of emulsifiers contributed to why many supermarket loaves were classified as ultra-processed, she said.
Best for: Making you fuller for longer.
SOURDOUGH
Naturally fermented using wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, sourdough is great for gut health.
Ms Radicevic said plain sourdough was low-FODMAP, meaning people with IBS could tolerate it better than other breads.
However this was not the case for all types of sourdough.
“Plain sourdough is recommended at two pieces per meal as it’s easier to digest,” she said.
But she noted certain brands promoted their products as sourdough, even when it didn’t have the traditional cultures inside.
“In supermarkets, the sourdough is more like sourdough-style bread, even though it’s marketed as sourdough,” she said.
“It’s not true or authentic, but they still somehow manage to sell it for the same price.”
She said to look for cultures listed on the product but preferred bakery options altogether.
Given some sourdough loaves were made from white flour instead of wholegrain, she said they would have less nutritional value.
She recommended the $7.50 Woolworths Crafted Seven Grains Sourdough, which had 6.2g of fibre per 100g.
This also contained small amounts of a processing aid.
Mrs Gulyani said it was important to note sourdough was not a safe option for those who were coeliac, unless made with gluten-free flour.
“People often get confused, thinking that if it’s low FODMAP it’s okay for Coeliac,” she said.
Best for: Improving gut health and symptoms of IBS.
WHOLEMEAL
Made through a process of grinding wheat grain into a fine flour, wholemeal bread had it’s benefits.
Ms Radicevic said it was high fibre option, but was not as low in GI as wholegrain or multigrain.
“Because the grains are milled so finely, they’re digested much faster, meaning the blood glucose control is not as good,” she said.
Products with 100 per cent wholemeal flour – instead of white flour – and more than 7g of fibre per 100g were best, she said.
She recommended the Wonder White 5 Star Soft Wholemeal, which cost $4.90 at Coles and Woolworths and had 10.1 of fibre per 100g.
This had the same vegetable emulsifiers as the Wonder White Multigrain loaf plus processing aid soy and wheat.
“They are just part of the baking process and help keep supermarket loaves consistent and reliable without affecting overall nutrition for the general population,” she said.
While they were safe, she recommended reducing processed food consumption.
“Australia has among the highest consumption rates of ultra-processed foods, which is something to be mindful of,” she said.
Best for: An easier-to-digest option.
FLAX OR LINSEED
Among the many seed options available in the bread aisle, flaxseed – also known as linseed in Australia – was great for those wanting to include different vitamins and minerals in their diets, according to Ms Stribley.
“There are a lot of options, like chia seeds, flaxseeds, or oats too that are a great option for different vitamins, minerals, protein and fibre,” she said.
As a denser option, Mrs Gulyani said it was providing great nutrients, especially when the seeds were found throughout the entire loaf not just the crust.
Ms Radicevic said linseed breads contained healthy fats and fibre, plus were packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, which improved heart health.
Like other options, the fibre content varied depending on the flour used.
Ms Radicevic said the Burgen Soy and Linseed Low GI option was her top choice.
It cost $6 at Coles and Woolworths and had 7.7g of dietary fibre per 100g.
Best for: Heart health.
RYE
High in fibre and magnesium, rye was a solid choice for those with diabetes or digestive issues, according to Ms Radicevic.
Overall, wholegrain rye was the best option, but she said some loaves were expensive and provided similar fibre to cheaper alternatives.
“It’s not as recommended as wholegrain or sourdough,” Ms Radicevic said.
“As a dietitian, I don’t typically promote rye just because there are options that are lower in GI,” she added.
Ms Stribley also said it was not as high in fibre as multigrain bread.
However, Ms Radicevic said people with diabetes or digestive issues could benefit from certain rye loaves.
When buying a rye loaf, she said to look beyond the name.
“Check fibre, sodium, and the ingredient list for real rye flour or a wholegrain base,” she said.
The Edwards Sourdough Dark Rye was her top pick.
It costs $9.30 at Woolworths, but has approximately 5.9g of dietary fibre per 100g.
Best for: Those with diabetes or digestive issues.
WHITE
This one is the least recommended by dietitians.
Ms Stribley said it had a high glycaemic index and was a bad choice for those living with diabetes.
“It breaks down really quickly in the bloodstream and then pushes up blood-sugar levels,” she said.
“For those living with diabetes and wanting to manage blood-sugar levels, white bread isn’t an appropriate choice.”
Although healthier white bread options with added fibre, minerals, or even vitamins were available, Ms Radicevic said they generally had added ingredients, which helped maintain shelf life.
“Most of the varieties contain preservatives, added sugars, and more salt, which aren’t healthy,” she said.
However, Mrs Gulyani said demonising white bread was not always right.
“These days, the food processing industry is getting really smart, and they’re fortifying some of the white breads with extra minerals and fibre to make it a bit better,” she said.
“People with gut issues, specifically on low fibre diet, are actually recommended to eat a white bread.”
Ms Radicevic said the Wonder White 5 Star Soft White with 3x more fibre, which was $4.90 at Coles and Woolworths, was her top pick.
It had 11.6g of fibre per 100g.
Overall, she said she’d prefer freshly baked breads as they had the most simple ingredients.
Best for: People with gut issues on a low fibre diet.
TURKISH
Although a “delicious” option, Turkish bread was not recommended.
Ms Radicevic said while it was soft, versatile and tasty, it was typically high-GI and lower in fibre.
“Definitely not the best option if you’re concerned about fibre or blood sugar,” she said.
“It’s delicious, but it’s better to balance it with plenty of vegetables and lean protein to round out the meal,” she said.
Like other supermarket options, Turkish rolls had additives and preservatives to increase shelf life.
Ms Stribley said it also was not her top choice.
“Turkish bread is considered to be a higher-GI carbohydrate, so it’s not only low in fibre but also pushes up blood sugar levels,” she said.
Ms Radicevic said if wholemeal flour options were available, they were the best picks.
The Coles stone baked by Laurent Turkish, costing $4, or the Woolworths Free from Gluten Turkish bread loaf were her top picks.
Best for: A tasty treat.
GLUTEN-FREE
For those gluten-intolerant or coeliac, there were still options in the bread aisle.
“Nowadays, options are a lot better than what they were 10 years ago, great for those who may have a sensitivity or an allergy to gluten, to be able to still include bread in their diet,” Ms Stribley said.
However, some gluten-free breads had extra oils or preservatives to maintain the taste and the texture, she said.
Ms Radicevic said it was typically lower in fibre, nutrients, and more processed.
However, “if you do need to be eating gluten-free breads, there are many options with added seeds, quinoa, or buckwheat for extra fibre or nutrition,” she said.
“There’s no nutritional advantage to going gluten-free, but for those who need to, there are some really excellent high fibre options out these days.”
She said the Woolworths Free from Gluten Seeded was great.
It had 15.4g of dietary fibre per 100g serve but also contained added vegetable gums and sorbic acid (preservative 200).
Best for: Those with coeliac disease or gluten intolerances.
OAT
Made with rolled oats in the dough or oat flour, oat bread contained beta-glucans which Ms Radicevic said was very beneficial for lowering cholesterol.
“Oats bring a heart health advantage thanks to beta glucan, the same fibre that makes porridge, so it’s very good for you cholesterol,” she said.
However, like other breads, she said it was important to check the ingredients list.
“It’s often blended with wheat and not always 100 per cent wholegrain,” she said.
The Burgen Cholesterol Lowering Wholegrain and Oats bread was her top pick.
Best for: A lower cholesterol option or to help those with fatty liver disease.
LOW CARB
Ms Radicevic said low carb options could be a good choice.
However, for the majority of Australians, whole grain, high fibre options were the best option, she said.
“Low carb breads do fit some people, but for the most of us, it’s the fibre and grains that matter the most, not cutting carbs or avoiding bread,” she said.
Given it would be hard to stay full after having a small portion of a low carb bread, she said some of her clients would have extra sandwiches, defeating their weight loss aim.
“I don’t think anyone could expect someone to feel full after having a simple no-carb bread,” she said.
“If you fill the sandwich up properly, and you’ve got a good whole grain source of bread, chances are you won’t really need to overeat.”
Best for: Those looking to lower their blood sugar levels.
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Originally published as Wholegrain, rye, white and sourdough: Dietitians give pros and cons of each type of bread
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