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Diabetes and bread…
So many questions come up about good ‘ol bread. And not surprisingly because it’s a staple food that we’ve all grown up on. Toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, a side of bread for dinner, it’s a pretty common practice right?
But if you’re diabetic, should bread get the cut? Is it okay to eat? Are there certain types of breads that are better than others?
These are all great questions so let’s dig in and go over this together now. If you have any questions, just leave them at the bottom of the post and we’ll chat about it.
What Kind Of Bread Is Best For A Diabetic?
We’ve recently covered the types of flours that are best for diabetes, so before we dig in and talk about breads, let’s briefly look at the flour cheat sheet.
See how everything above coconut flour goes up from 30 g net carbs and above, which is really getting up there.
In reality, the best breads for you to eat are ones made from flaxseed, almond, chickpea or coconut flour, which are a bit more difficult to come by.
Of course, the simplest way to overcome this is to make your own. But, we understand that not everyone wants to make their own bread. So thankfully, there are quite a number of companies that supply great low carb bread options you can buy.
Whole Wheat & Rye Bread and Diabetes
It’s often recommended that you eat whole grains instead of the white stuff and it’s true, whole grains are a better choice because they are complex carbs, rather than simple carbs.
But, when you take the whole grain and grind it into a flour, it changes the way your body digests it. This mainly happens because the bulky fiber component of the grain gets broken down, meaning less digestion – for you as a diabetic that means higher blood sugar spikes.
Have you heard of the glycemic index before?
“The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating.” Source
High GI foods rapidly effect blood sugar, while low GI foods have a slow digestion and absorption and produce a more gradual rise in blood sugar. Below 55 is considered low GI. So the lower a food is the better, and the higher it is the faster it affects blood sugar and the worse it is for you as a diabetic.
So now we can look at the GI of both a whole wheat kernel and whole wheat flour as an example. Whole wheat kernels are 30 (low GI) and whole wheat flour is 71 (high GI).
What this really means is that whole wheat bread really isn’t that great.
Your best bet when it comes to rye bread is pumpernickel bread – it’s made from whole rye grains and is a low GI of 41-46. But, pumpernickel bread isn’t exactly a sandwich type bread, and has it’s own pungent flavor, too.
Let’s check out some more GI levels:
- Normal rye bread 57-78
- Wheat whole grain 68-69
- Wheat white bread 71
- 100% wheat white bread 85
So these are all high GI and aren’t good options.
Sourdough Bread and Diabetes
Sourdough bread is made by traditional methods, where the starter dough is fermented to provide the rise in the bread instead of yeast and sugar. Surprisingly, this bread making method is much better for us.
Making sourdough produces beneficial gut bacteria that help with digestion, and this has a strong impact on how it then influences the blood sugar response.
As a consequence, sourdough breads are lower in GI:
- sourdough rye bread 48
- 80% barley bread made via sourdough 53-66
- sourdough wheat bread 54
So having a slice of sourdough is going to be a better choice than most other breads.
But there is a bit more to the story.
Does Cutting Bread Help Diabetes?
The thing is, GI is important, but then you have to consider your overall carbohydrate intake as well.
Here are some of the above breads with carb quantity:
- Pumpernickel bread – 1 slice 26 g = 12.3 g carbs, 1.7 g fiber, 10.6 g net carbs (Total carbs minus fiber = net carbs)
- Oat bran bread – 1 slice 30 g = 11.9 g carbs, 1.4 g fiber, 10.5 g net carbs
- Buckwheat bread – 1 slice 47 g = 20 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 18 g net carbs
- Sourdough wheat bread – 1 slice 57 g = 29 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 26 g net carbs
- Sprouted grain bread 1 slice 34 g = 15 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 12 g net carbs
As you can see an average piece of bread is going to be anywhere from 11.9 to 20 g carbs.
One slice of bread is considered one serve, or one carb count and is around 15 g carbs on average.
While that’s not too bad, if you can keep your carbohydrate intake lower overall each day, you’ll be better off for it – meaning, yes, cutting ‘traditional’ forms of bread can help diabetes – you will see lower blood sugar and A1c levels.
This might not be the same opinion that you read elsewhere, or even the guidelines your dietitian might give you. Often they say 30 or 45 g carbs per meal is fine, some of them even recommend up to 70-80 g carbs per meal. But in our experience, (and what the research shows) many people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes get the best results when they stick to eating that many carbs per day, not per meal.
Eating 50-80 g carbs per day might sound drastic but it is totally possible. And you can still have bread – if it’s the right kind.
To answer the question – does cutting bread help diabetes?
Well, if you’re cutting the ‘traditional’ types of bread, the types you’ll find at the supermarket, then yes, the less you consume it, the lower your blood sugar and A1C will be.
Making Low Carb Breads At Home
Baking breads at home is going to be your best option. And it’s actually very easy to do – if you know how.
For instance, we have a wholemeal bread where you put all the ingredients into a food processor, blend, pour into a loaf pan and bake. Easy prep, easy cook. And best of all, it’s just 1 gram net carbs per slice!
Since low carb breads use almond flour, flaxseed meal, coconut flour, and sesame flour, it can be an expensive trial and error because you can’t use low carb flours in the same way as you do regular wheat or gluten free flours.
That’s why we created the Low Carb Breads Masterclass for our members – it takes the guesswork out of making low carb breads at home and provides over 30 recipes and cooking classes to choose from. You can whiz up low carb breads you and the family enjoy, without wasting any ingredients!
Another example is our 3 Minute Bun. It is ZERO net carbs and can be loaded with any of your favorite fillings.
Is bread better than cereal for a diabetic?
This is another question that often gets asked and the answer is yes. If you had to choose, a slice of bread over most breakfast cereals would be a better choice any day because most cereals are way too high in sugar.
Of course, not all breakfast cereals are made alike, but generally speaking, bread will contain less carbs, and far less sugar (and salt) than most common breakfast cereals.
Low Carb Bread Options
Low Carb Breads at Local Stores
These can be harder to find, but since low carb is becoming more popular, if you look around there are more options available.
For instance, in the US and Canada, Walmart sells ThinSlim Foods Love-the-Taste Low Carb Bread Plain, 2pack and Joseph’s Bakery Mini Pita Bread, both of which are 7 grams carbs per slice/bread.
In the UK, Tescon sells Hovis Lower Carb Seeded Bread, which is around 9 grams carbs per slice – a little bit lower than regular bread.
In Australia, Aldi sells an 85% lower carb bread, which is just 5 grams per slice.
Low Carb Bread Options From Amazon
Here are some low carb bread options from our Amazon store, just to give you some examples.
Great Low Carb Bread Co has loaves that have just 1 g net carbs per serve. These cost around $7.99 but adding shipping of $9.24 soon hikes the price right up. Low Carb Bread Co has a low carb rye loaf, low carb hot dog buns, low carb hamburger buns and even makes bagels, again you’re looking at around $6-7 per pack.
LC-Low carb Sandwich Loaf is $12.58 per 25 slice loaf. It’s a spongy sandwich loaf, which is how most of us like bread. And it’s just 1 g net carbs per slice. In reality it breaks down to around 50c per slice, which isn’t too bad, but add shipping on top and it will hike up the price.
The same goes for this low carb pita bread. It’s a good price at just $3.99 for 6 pita breads, but then the shipping is $11, which seems a bit ridiculous.
Then there’s Mama Lupes Low Carb Tortillas $11.98 per 12.5 oz/ 360 g pack, 3 g net carbs per tortilla
You could try using Bob’s Red Mill Low Carb Bread Mix – that will cost you around $5-6 per pack. But once cooked it will end up costing more once you add eggs etc. 1 slice comes in at around 5 g carbs per slice.
Low Carb Bread Options From Netrition
Netrition is another great online store to purchase low carb goods from. If you live in the US, they have a flat rate shipping cost of $5.99, which is much cheaper than Amazon. They also ship worldwide, just make sure to check the shipping guide.
Another great thing is their prices for items are much cheaper too. For example, remember the Mama Lupes Low Carb Tortillas from Amazon were $11.98?
Well, you can get them from Netrition for just $3.89 per pack!
The MiRico Low Carb Bread is $6.39 per loaf, with 3 g net carbs per serve, so if you buy a few loaves at a time it won’t cost anymore in shipping so it makes the cost fairly reasonable. MiRico also have low carb bagels, and low carb tortillas too.
Conclusion
When it comes to choosing bread basically you just have to shop around, because there are many options and now there are many lower carb alternatives as well.
For a more comprehesive list of 50+ different breads and their nutrition facts, grab a free copy of our breads cheat sheet below.
tim
Do you have an opinion on Alvarado Street Bakery sprouted California style bread? It has 15 grams of carbohydrates per slice. The supermarket also has a bread by them called diabetic Lifestyles brand but I don’t know if it’s good or not. Thank you
Jedha
Neither of those breads are a food we’d encourage. 15 grams per slice is the average for most breads, whether it’s labelled “diabetic” or not. And 15 grams is quite high, especially since they are low in fiber, just 2 grams per slice. You’d have to limit yourself to 1 slice and even then, many ingredients contained are not blood sugar friendly – wheat, oats, honey, raisins, etc.
Generally, we encourage people to avoid most store-bought breads. In the end though, only your body will tell you. Use your monitor to test how it affects you.
sonia
Hi jedha .on that receipes egg muffin isn’t the cholesterol level hight??
Nancy Collins
I am not diabetic but my mother is. Seven years ago I had high cholesterol. Instead of going on a pill, I decided I would try to diet. My levels are good now. I study the diabetic diet for my mother and I find I am now learning more about the effects of sugar and salt on the body. I have been eating pumpernickel bread. I figure the darker the better. Does this make sense? I worry about the study on eggs, I am a label reader and eggs are very high in cholesterol. I limit eggs to two a week. I do love eggs.
Jedha
If you haven’t already, read this on eggs and this on cholesterol.
Jedha
No, cholesterol in foods is not really a concern. Read this on eggs and this on cholesterol.
sue wells
Is there a butter or spread that is ok for diabetics?
Jedha
Butter is preferable to most margarines – more on dairy here. And spreads such as nut butters (peanut, almond, hazelnut) are great.
Sue M
Hi Jedha, What an awesome site! Thank you! My husband is in a hyperbaric chamber 5 days a week. His blood sugar lowers quite a bit while he’s in there. Can you recommend some foods he could eat before? He usually eats 2 slices of sprouted wheat berry bread (flourless) with either meat/cheese or peanut butter/jelly. He also eats a few apple slices. This helps keeps him from getting too low while in the chamber, but we would love to have you recommend something better, since all this “bread” talk scares me! Happy 4th of July!
Jedha
Hi Sue, sorry to hear about your husbands struggles. Your husbands case is pretty unique and one where dietary exceptions may need to be made. Elizabeth has some great tips on managing hypoglemia over here. I wonder if you might try a small portion of beans or lentils as a slow release carbohydrate source in this case? And of course, pairing any carbs with a protein and fat such as you’re already doing is great.
Sue M
Thanks for the info, Jedha! I will definitely consider adding some beans or lentils.
Bob Adsett
Thank you for these statistics, very helpful.
Can you give me a breakdown on Irish Wheaten bread please.
I have eaten it in Ireland and now I can get it in the UK.
Tastes great but is it high in carbs please.
Jedha
Hi Bob, the carb content per one slice is 14 grams. Generally we don’t recommend too many breads as they contain flours that are high in carbs and aren’t conducive to good blood sugar control.
Sharon Klonoski
I am so glad I found your site and have found it to be very informative and helpful with the links provided to check out. My dad was diabetic taking insulin he never tested his sugar not sure why never asked. Also my mom is diabetic her blood sugar always stays above 140 usually it’s 160-240 sometimes higher she now goes to see a kidney doctor. She has swelling in feet and legs worse in the right she was told to go back to her kidney doctor within last few days. Maybe the endocrinologist would be better.
I’m pre diabetic taking glyberide metformin for 3 years now. My blood sugar at testing runs 105 to 118. Don’t want to be on insulin so I’ve been researching better diet considering the Mediterranean diet which will be a huge change since I love all the things I shouldn’t eat. Now my husband is borderline. So what do you think of that diet? Interested to hear your thoughts.
Sharon K
Jedha
The Mediterranean diet is a relatively healthy diet Sharon but it still contains many high carb foods that are problematic for diabetics and prediabetics – bread, pasta, rice, potatoes. If you want to get better results you really need to cut down or cut out those foods – and of course processed foods filled with sugar etc.
Check out this info on prediabetes, it might help.
Henry
I’m a long haul truck driver and i have problems finding things That Will work for me in truck stops . I have give up on potatoes and ask For extra egg in the morning with toast and coffee black.guess i need to give up bread also . Waitress tells me if its not fried and covered in gravy truck drivers won’t eat it . I eat salad and vegetables when they are available but i think the cooks add sugar . I have a very small refrigerator in my truck good for drinks and sandwich stuff in case get stuck with no options like on a job site . I bring apples and bananas but can’t bring enough to last . Sometimes gone from home two months .
Jedha
Yes, it certainly can limit your options Henry. But there are some ways around it, to help support your goals. Packaged items that don’t need refrigerating include things like nuts, seeds, canned salmon/tuna and olives, which are all great for snacking. You can eat meat, eggs, salad or vegetables anytime without the bun and you can always find that at truck stops (yes, sometimes they only have carrots, pumpkin, lettuce and tomato, so you could eat more of those as a better option to bread). Ask them to cook you some hard boiled eggs to eat as snacks. And if you can get to a grocery store on the odd occasion, there are a variety of easy meals you could prep.
نان
that was perfect
Rhonda
Now that you have done such a bang up job informing us on the low carb breads … could you do the same for breakfast cereals …. would really appreciate it … Always looking a low carb … i thought i found one online BUT i go to the grocery store and find entirely dufferent carb count …?? thank you
Jedha
Hi Rhonda, you can find some info on cereals over here.
Gitasri
Thanks for very interesting topic. I am 72 and my husband is 80. We keep our blood sugar level low by eating less and by moderate walking. We have just two wholemeal indian chapaties and lots of veg and lentils.no sugar and rice. Our advice is stop worrying but eat less to lead a long happy life.
Don
I’m Type 2 and trying to get off my meds. Have lost 40 lbs and lowered A1C from 8.2 to 5.9. Been looking into Paleo Diet options to lower carb intake, but am wondering if higher Protein intake would have a negative effect on My kidneys?
Jedha
Congrats on your efforts so far Don, that’s amazing!! Here at Diabetes Meal Plans we encourage a lower carb paleo-type diet because research shows it works best for lowering blood sugar and A1C. We don’t call it paleo, but basically the grains are high carb foods which most T2 diabetics can’t handle. In terms of protein, all we can do is turn to research, and the research to date shows no ill effects of a 30% protein intake compared to a 20%. Even the dietary guidelines have no standard protein intake, ranging anywhere from 20-35% intake. The important thing is, don’t just eat protein and fat, that’s a BIG downfall of the “paleo diet” that people get wrong and it often sees them gain weight and eat way too much protein. You can’t just live on protein, you need to eat LOTS of non starchy vegetables to balance out your nutrients. And of course, you should always discuss your diet with your healthcare team because your choices will depend on any individual health concerns as well.
Hope that helps.
PaiGe
Hi Jedha!
I have been labeled as a Prediabetic for 8 years Now, i am currently 20. With the genetic form of diabetes my family has, I will be considered type 1 within ten years. My numbers have been fairly high lately so my Normal Practitioner told me to stick with a paleo diet. However, i work 40 hours a week, go to school full time, and go to the gym 5 days a week for an hour of High intensity workouts, so the Paleo just doesn’t fly with me! I eat organic, low carbs, no Preservatives, high fat and protein, some dairy and Lots of veggies. However, i want to lower my fat intake and increase some bread/pasta Back into my life. I did really great on my paleo… for about a week and now i do really good up until i go to work (im a server) and binge eat fries and everything i shouldn’t. I recently bought Alvarado St. bakery’s sprouted flax seed bread and i love it! It is all organic, has 13 grams of net carbs and 7 grams of protein in a serving size of 2 slices. Since my doctor has not refilled my perscription for my medication to stabilize my blood sugar and ive seen a huge difference in my numbers and how i feel, i would love to know the gI of this Bread and if i should switch over. As for pasta, what would be Your best recommendation for someone In my position?
Thank you!
Jedha
Hi Paige. Can’t help with the GI of the bread there, many of them don’t specify. You can find out more about pasta here and here. The best rule is to stick to whole grain varieties in small portions. And watch your blood sugar. If it’s causing spikes or rises then it’s not for you.
Gail
Dream fields makes a low carb pasta in several choices. Can be bought in most walmarts, krogers, winn dixie Stores in the south.
Jedha
Beware of Dreamfields low carb pasta. They sell it as “low carb” but it’s actually high carb at 36g carbs per small 2 oz (56g) serve. The company has been frowned upon by many nutritionists, doctors and organizations for their marketing tactics but unfortunately they still sell it in such a way. It would perhaps be more appropriate if they said “lower glycemic index” as it would reflect the ingredients more. That still doesn’t change the carb content though. If it works for you that’s fine but be wary and make sure to test your levels.
Ayla
Recently, friends and I found Chompies Carbs Not at Sprouts. Chompies no longer distributes via Sprouts. Two loaves plus shipping from Phoenix is almost $20. Sara Lee is next best re: carbs/protein/calories. For those of us who count calories, Ezekiel is twice the calories.
carks
http://www.food.com/recipe/best-low-carb-bread-bread-machine-102631
I alter, took many tries = proof yeast w sugar – 2 T oil, 1 egg (last), 1/2 teas BP, 4 T splenda, 1 teas salt, 1/4 C pecans, 1/3 C GOLD flax, 1/4 C soy, 1/4 C quinoa/wheat bran, 1/2 C vital wheat gluten, – 1/2 C water less 3 T 106F, 1 teas sugar dissolved, then 2 teas yeast (new active) – proof 15 min – net 28 max g – 15 min early – cool 20 min – get about 7-9 slices (or more if too much water), 3 to 5 g carbs/slice. (sorry, it is making the caps, not me, lousy computer again.) 3 Snickers candy bars, 1 small potato, 1 cup pasta, 1 medium tortilla are ok for me – but regular bread is awful. I now eat less than 45 g/meal. 50g is too much.
Jedha
Thanks for providing that resource Carks, it may be beneficial to some. 🙂
45 g/meal is still too many carbs for many people. But the key is to find a good balance for you, so at least you know what foods are working and what’s not.
saba siddiqi
hi,
Iam LOOking for best flour for indian(ROTI<) so which is best to eat.
someone told me PILLISBURY CHAKKIE ATTA is good for roti ,
pl help me
Thxs
Jedha
For diabetics, a low carb flour is best Saba. They won’t turn out exactly like roti though, because low carb flours contain far less gluten (and carbs). There’s a guide on flours over here.