Long gone are the days when bread was a simple white block that would feed the family for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Now, we have a seemingly endless range to pick from: grain, seed, protein, low-carb, high-fibre, low-GI, gluten-free, low-FODMAP, rye and sourdough.

Despite this demand for artisan and specialty loaves, the reality is that in Australia, white bread remains the top seller, which means there remains a distinct gap between the breads we like, and the ones that are better for us.

The best bread nutritionally

The best breads from a nutrition perspective are dense grain breads, ideally with a wholemeal flour base. Not only do the whole grains themselves offer high amounts of dietary fibre, vitamins B and E and micronutrients, grain-based breads also make a pronounced difference on blood glucose levels. The higher the wholegrain, protein and dietary fibre content of the bread, the more slowly glucose is released into the bloodstream, supporting blood glucose control and helping to prevent diabetes. This is why wholegrain breads remain nutritionally superior, even to low-GI white loaves.

We need to talk about glycaemic control

Bread, even white bread, may seem a relatively innocuous food compared with sugary soft drinks, confectionery and other processed snacks. But the reason our bread of choice plays such a key role in our health is that it is often consumed daily, if not multiple times each day. Loaves with a higher GI such as white bread and some types of wholemeal, especially those with a larger slice size, have a relatively high glycaemic load, affecting blood glucose control. This is why more processed varieties that lack whole grains are nutritionally inferior to dense grain-based options that have a lower glycaemic load overall.

How to choose the right slice?

For those who enjoy eating whole grains, the best option is a small, wholegrain bread that offers 20-30g of carbs per two slices. If you find that the bread you prefer is denser than this, you may only need one slice. For those who do not like or cannot eat grains, wholemeal or rye is your next best option. For the white bread eaters, whether it is low GI or not, it is still not as good an option as wholegrain bread. You also need to be careful with sourdough, as supermarket sourdough is not always comparable to artisan loaves, especially when the base is white flour.

My picks of the supermarket bestsellers (ranked 1-8)

1. Wonder Wholemeal sandwich with iron

If you have a family member who will not eat or tolerate grain-based bread, a wholemeal, high-fibre loaf is the next best option nutritionally. While the nutritional labels of high-fibre white bread and wholemeal may seem close to identical, the benefit of eating wholemeal is that you get the added benefits of whole grains, which are linked to improved digestive health and a higher overall nutrient availability for vitamins and minerals including vitamin E, zinc and vitamin B.

2. Tip Top The One Soft Wholemeal sandwich

If we could swap the top-selling high-fibre white breads for wholemeal alternatives such as these, the digestive health of Australians would all benefit. A solid bread nutritionally, especially for those who do not eat grain-based bread.

3. Helga’s Traditional Wholemeal

A solid bread nutritionally; two slices ticks the box on the daily recommended wholegrain intake for adults. The only downside is the larger size of the slice, which increases the overall carbohydrate and calorie load of the bread, and is a concern for anyone with blood glucose regulation issues.

4. Helga’s Mixed Grain

The 17 per cent mixed-grain base of this loaf will help to support blood glucose control, although the size of the slice is relatively large and the overall grain content lower than some of the denser grain varieties available in the supermarket.

5. Abbott’s Bakery Light Rye

With a 16 per cent rye base, this bread is lighter than some rye-based options and may suit those who have sensitive tummies or cannot tolerate grain-based bread particularly well. Overall, the carbohydrate content is on the higher side and the dietary fibre a little low at just 3g compared to dense grain and wholemeal loaves.

6. Wonder White Sandwich Vitamins and Minerals

With a similar nutrient profile to that of comparable brands, two slices of this fibre-enriched loaf offer 6g of dietary fibre as well as iron, zinc and B group vitamins. However, a simple swap to the wholemeal variety of the same brand will mean you and the family get the added nutritional benefits of whole grains with a higher fibre loaf.

7. Tip Top The One Soft White Sandwich

While white bread dominates the best supermarket sellers, at least the brand leaders have improved the overall nutritional profile by adding dietary fibre, which means two slices of this white bread offers more than 5g of dietary fibre per serve. In saying that, whilst there are extra vitamins, fibre and minerals including iron, adding these nutrients back in is not as good as getting it from an original wholegrain source. This is why processed high-fibre white bread will never be at the top of a dietitian’s list of preferred breads.

8. Coles White Sandwich Loaf

This simple white loaf may be budget-friendly for families, but there is little positive nutritionally about a plain white loaf that offers very little dietary fibre and is high GI, meaning it results in high blood glucose levels after eating.

My top loaves

Burgen Soy-Lin

This bread was specifically formulated with the nutritional needs of women in mind. Not only is the size and carbohydrate content of this bread perfect for weight control, the addition of high amounts of soy and linseed means that you also get a hearty serve of omega-3s from this bread.

Bakers Delight Cape Seed Loaf

With 23 per cent seeds and a wholemeal flour base, and offering 7g of dietary fibre per serve as well as 13g of protein and a hearty serve of good fats, this is one of the strongest breads on the market.

Helga’s 50% Lower Carb 5 Seeds

Tricky to find but worth seeking out, this loaf is perfect for those watching their weight or with blood glucose control issues. With a wholemeal flour base and 18 per cent seeds, two slices of this loaf offer a massive 10g of dietary fibre and just 16.5g of carbs.

Tip Top 9 Grain Wholemeal Sandwich

With a wholemeal flour base, 12 per cent whole grains and a small slice size offering 24g of carbs per two slices, this bread has everything a good quality bread should. Plus, unlike some of the denser grain loaves that can be a little too dense for sandwiches, this bread remains soft so can be used for both toast and sandwiches.

Wonder White Smooth Wholegrain

In an ideal world, we would all enjoy grain-based bread, but when grains are not an option, this loaf still has an 18 per cent wholegrain base and 5g of dietary fibre per serve.

Coles Bakery High Fibre Low GI 7 Seeds and Grains

With a massive 9g of dietary fibre per two slices and 19 per cent seeds, nutritionally this is one of the best breads on the market from a nutritional and price perspective.