When trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain, what you eat (and portion sizes) matter just as much as the amount of exercise you set aside time for. With that said, we reached out to registered dietitians, nutritionists and other health experts for tips when it comes to choosing the healthiest bread that won’t lead to weight gain (when eaten in moderation, and when paired with a balanced diet and regular exercise). Read on for suggestions, insight, and all things whole wheat and whole grain bread. from Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements, and Lisa Richards, registered nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet.
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Weight Loss Benefits Of Whole-Wheat/ Whole-Grain Toast
Bread, Best notes, “is a food that should be eaten in moderation” due to its processed and refined nature. White bread, she explains, is “calorically dense and inflammatory.” Eating this kind of bread on a regular basis will “lead to weight gain,” she says, because most of these breads are “made from refined grains, sugar, and preservatives.” These, she stresses, are inflammatory ingredients and are also broken down quickly to be stored as fat.
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Richards concurs, and says that to avoid this, choosing “whole wheat bread or other whole grain breads that have not been refined” is key. Refined carbohydrates, Best says, have many negative side effects for our health, and belly fat is just one of them. “White and enriched breads in particular have undergone a refining process where the fiber and beneficial nutrients are removed and, possibly, replaced with synthetic versions,” she adds. The “fiber content of whole grains and breads” made with them, Richards continues, will “help you reach your weight loss goals” as they contain the important nutrient that will keep you full, satiated, provide necessary energy to exercise, and importantly, make you less likely to eat more later on.
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One rule of thumb Richards provides is to always “look at the ingredients list” on your favorite bread, and to also “avoid any breads that start with the word ‘enriched.'” A diet high in fiber and protein overall, she adds, can help to reduce and prevent belly fat while boosting your metabolism. “An increased metabolism will lead to weight loss and having a feeling of fullness will prevent overeating and indulging in calorie-dense, sugar-laden foods,” she says, emphasizing the importance of skipping white bread if your goal is to prevent weight gain, and to choose a whole grain or whole wheat option instead.