Few foods have played the villain as often as bread. Why the reputation? Is it really so high in calories, or somehow evil in carbohydrate form?
Read on and stop worrying.
You might prefer a smoked salmon sandwich with egg, light cream cheese, avocado and tomato instead.
How many calories are in 100 grams of bread?
100 grams of white bread provide 266 kcal.
Carbohydrate: 50.61g – 202.44 kcal (77.2%)
Protein: 7.64g – 30.56 kcal (11.6%)
Fat: 3.29g – 29.61 kcal (11.2%)
Fibre: 2.4 g
Values vary with the type of bread, whether it is toasted and its ingredients, such as added seeds.
Does bread cause weight gain?
Bread is a cereal-based source of nutrients.
Weight changes depend on overall energy balance.
Consuming more energy than you expend tends to increase weight, and vice versa. No single food determines weight gain or loss on its own.
Is wholemeal bread better?
First, what makes bread wholemeal?
A darker colour alone does not establish this.
Check the flour composition. The 80% wholemeal-flour benchmark sometimes used as a shopping guide is not Spain’s legal definition of wholemeal bread. For the unqualified wholemeal designation, all the flour must be wholemeal; mixed-flour breads must state the wholemeal percentage. Dark colour alone, including from rye flour, is insufficient.
White versus wholemeal bread
Compare their nutritional information to choose what suits your needs.
White bread:
Kcal: 262
Carbohydrate: 50.61g – 202.44 kcal (77.2%)
Protein: 7.64g – 30.56 kcal (11.6%)
Fat: 3.29g – 29.61 kcal (11.2%)
Fibre: 2.4 g
Wholemeal bread:
Kcal: 247
Carbohydrate: 41.29g – 165.16 kcal (66.9%)
Protein: 12.95g – 51.8 kcal (20.9%)
Fat: 3.35g – 30.15 kcal (12.2%)
Fibre: 6.8 g
Their calorie contents are fairly similar, while the macronutrients differ. Fibre content is higher in wholemeal bread.
These differences help determine when each may be useful.
Before training, white bread may be easier to digest because it contains less fibre, reducing gastrointestinal discomfort.
Benefits of wholegrains
Keeping the whole grain can produce glucose release that is slower, with a more moderate insulin response.
This may be useful for people with diabetes and can support fullness.
What is gluten?
Gluten comprises proteins in certain cereals, including prolamins and glutelins. Wheat, barley and rye contain relevant gluten proteins; oats may be contaminated unless appropriately controlled.
Should you remove gluten?
Without a diagnosis of coeliac disease or a gluten-related disorder, there is generally no need to exclude it.
Doing so does not automatically provide extra benefits and may increase food costs.
Gluten-free bread options
If you have coeliac disease, consider these 5 options, checking they are genuinely gluten-free and free from cross-contact.
- Buckwheat bread
- Maize bread
- Rice bread
- Millet bread
- Sorghum bread
What is the best time to eat bread?
Our familiar answer: it depends.
On what?
Particularly your training. Bread can work well before or after exercise.
As a carbohydrate source, it provides fuel beforehand and helps replenish glycogen stores afterwards.
It can also fit at dinner before an early-morning session, even without afternoon training.
The context determines the best approach.
Bread before training
When digestion time is limited, bread made with refined flour may be easier to tolerate because the fibre in wholemeal bread slows digestion.
Bread after training
Carbohydrates are important in a recovery meal, making bread a useful option.
Alongside protein for muscle repair and growth, remember fats and their role in inflammatory processes, and carbohydrates for glycogen restoration.
A good post-workout meal is the best pre-workout preparation.
Can you eat bread at night?
Yes, bread can be eaten at night, just like rice, pasta, potatoes or fruit. Carbohydrates do not become unsuitable after a certain hour.
The amount depends on your activity that day and the next.
3 healthy bread recipes
Feeling hungry? Here are 3 of our favourite recipes for your plan:
- Pea, asparagus and potato soup with poached egg and bread
- Wholemeal toast with cream cheese, pear and honey
- Wholemeal toast with cream cheese, marinated anchovies and onion
To Sum Up…
Need ideas for bread in your nutrition plan to support training performance?
Explore our app subscriptions. With over 7000 recipes, our sports nutritionists can tailor a plan to your needs and circumstances.
