5 Breads that Have More Sugar Than a Cookie (and What to Swap for Them!)

By Kristin Neusel, MS, RD, LD, CDCES, NASM-CPT

These statements are entirely thoughts of the author and not claims made by the company. The Author was compensated to create this article.

Nowadays, companies are sneaking added sugars into just about everything- even the breads we eat! Bread- a food that doesn’t need added sugars. Because companies are doing this, it’s one of the reasons the FDA has now updated the nutrition label to include Total Added Sugars on the label. With bread being something people eat multiple times a day, that added sugar can add up quickly. That’s why it’s important to know how to pick the right breads and baked goods.

When you think about sugar, what do you think about? Most likely you pictured candy, cookies, cakes, and sweet treats like that. You probably didn’t picture bread. But many breads are now made with added sugars to improve taste, texture, browning, and shelf life (1). Here are 5 breads that have more added sugars than a cookie (which has about 6-8 grams of added sugar per serving):

• Cinnamon raisin bread: often contains 8-12 grams of sugar per slice from both added sugars and dried fruit.
• Honey wheat bread: can contain 4-7 grams of sugar per slice despite its health-focused marketing
• Multi-grain sandwich bread: can contain around 5 grams of sugar per slice, 4 of those are added sugars in a top brand
• Hawaiian rolls can sometimes have 100% of their sugars from added sugars, usually around 5-7 grams per roll
• Gluten-free bread relies on added sugars to improve flavor & texture and can contain around 5-9 grams of sugar per slice

So let’s compare: a standard chocolate chip cookie typically contains six to eight grams of sugar, meaning a single slice of certain breads or a two slice sandwich can exceed the sugar content of a cookie without people realizing it (2).

Hidden sugar is everywhere, and it’s not just a labeling issue. It affects how the body responds after eating. Diets higher in added sugars and refined carbohydrates are associated with faster rises in blood glucose followed by sharper declines, which can increase hunger and cravings shortly after meals (3). Bread typically isn’t eaten alone- but rather alongside other carb-containing foods like chips, condiments, or sweetened beverages. That can add up quickly! This is why fiber content and carbohydrate quality truly matter so much!

As a registered dietitian, I’m always reading labels and evaluating foods! I focus less on marketing claims and more on nutrition facts. The key things I look at are grams of added sugar per slice for bread, fiber relative to the total carbohydrates, protein content, and the ingredient list of course. High-fiber breads that use resistant starch and other digestion-resistant fibers act very differently in the body than things like sugar-sweetened refined breads. Fiber slows gastric emptying, reduces post meal glucose excursions, and increases satiety signals, which can support more stable energy levels and appetite regulation (4).

That’s why I love Hero Bread- truly! It’s designed to deliver the delicious familiar taste and texture of traditional bread without the added sugar (which is totally unnecessary most of the time!) that is commonly found in other packaged breads. In their Classic White Bread, for example, it has 11 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar*, and 5 grams of protein with only 45 calories per slice! All figures listed are per serving and consumers should always refer to the nutrition label for the most current information. From a dietitian’s perspective, this means fewer hidden sugars competing with blood sugar balance, more fiber to support fullness and digestive health, and added protein to contribute to satiety. And, most adults don’t get their daily value of fiber so this is a super easy way to help attain your fiber.

When we talk about high-fiber and low-sugar breads, we think about how they can help support steadier blood sugar and appetite control because of the fiber and how it works in your body. It helps slow carbohydrate absorption and reduce the magnitude of those post-meal glucose spikes. Research consistently shows that higher fiber intake is associated with improved glycemic control and greater feelings of fullness after meals (4,5). When bread provides fiber instead of added sugar, it contributes to meals in a way that supports metabolic health rather than undermining it!

If you want to have your bread and eat it too, so to speak, looking for a bread that has higher fiber and lower-added sugar is a great first step! Bread is such an important cultural and comfort food, and it’s almost impossible to cut it out completely. Instead of adding more sugar to your daily intake, look for breads that have higher fiber like I listed above. In a food environment where many breads quietly contain dessert-level sugar, selecting a bread that prioritizes fiber and protein can be a meaningful and sustainable change!

Related Posts:

• The Resistant Starch Secret: How to Stay Full Around the Holidays
• Is Hero Bread Healthy? A Closer Look at Ingredients, Macros & Taste
• Easy Macro-Friendly Sandwiches You Can Meal Prep in Minutes
• Label Reading 101: 5 Things You Need to Look at and the 1 Mistake Almost Everyone Makes
• Why is Fiber Important?

References

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025.
2. U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central. Cookie and bread nutrition data comparisons.
3. Stanhope KL. Sugar consumption, metabolic disease and obesity. Physiology and Behavior. 2016;152:446–452.
4. Reynolds A, Mann J, Cummings J, Winter N, Mete E, Te Morenga L. Carbohydrate quality and human health. The Lancet. 2019;393(10170):434–445.
5. Slavin JL. Fiber and prebiotics mechanisms and health benefits. Nutrients. 2013;5(4):1417–1435.
   

*All figures listed are per serving. Everyday products (excluding Hero Bread Crafted Collection) contain up to 5g of total fat per serving. Not a low calorie food. See nutrition facts.