Bread, Fiber, & Blood Sugar: What Dietitians Want You to Know

By Kristin Neusel, MS, RD, LD, CDCES

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

One of the number one things I’ve heard from clients that they’ve been told to cut out of their diet is bread. The reason? To help manage their blood sugar. Bread has gotten a bad rap over the years, especially when it comes to conversation around diabetes and metabolic health. As a Registered Dietitian, I’m happy to confidently say that it’s not as simple as cutting out bread! Aspects that are often overlooked are the type of bread you choose and what it’s made of, so let’s break it down in a way that actually makes sense.

Bread is primarily a source of carbohydrates, and those carbs are the body’s preferred source of energy. When you eat traditional bread, carbs are broken down into glucose when they travel through the small intestine and subsequently absorbed into the bloodstream. This is what causes a rise in blood sugar after eating.

However, not all carbs act the same way in the body! And this is what a lot of people don’t quite understand. Some carbs are digested super quickly and can lead to rapid blood sugar spikes (think processed, white bread with zero to little fiber). Others digest more slowly or even resist that digestion altogether, leading to a more gradual blood sugar response. Think of these breads that have more resistant starch and fiber.

Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate that is not fully digested or absorbed in the small intestine. Because of this, it slows down the digestion and absorption of other carbs eaten at the same time, helping to manage your blood sugars. It results in a more steady release of glucose into the bloodstream rather than a sharp spike. Soluble fiber specifically can form a gel in the intestines, which causes other carbs to be absorbed more slowly, which then in turn leads to a more gradual increase in blood glucose levels.

When bread has more fiber, it can significantly change how your body responds to it. Fiber not only slows gastric emptying, but it also reduces the rate at which glucose enters the bloodstream. This is why two slices of bread can have very different effects on blood sugar depending on their fiber content!

What Dietitians Look for in Bread

When clients ask me if they should completely eliminate bread, my answer is no. Instead, I educate them on picking the right kind of bread, looking for more fiber that can help support their health goals (of course, this is individualized and there can be specific reasons for as to why this wouldn’t be appropriate for someone, be sure to talk to your healthcare, professional).

When appropriate, here are some of the key things dietitians look for:

• Higher Fiber Content: Fiber is one of the most important factors when it comes to blood sugar management. Higher fiber breads tend to have a lower glycemic impact and can help you feel fuller for longer.
• Lower Net Carbohydrates: Some may say this is a marketing term, but studies have proved time and time again that lower net carb consumption has led to improved glucose management. Net carbs refer to total carbohydrates minus fiber and sugar alcohols. Since fiber is not digested the same way, it does not contribute to blood sugar in the same way other carbohydrates do. Lower net carb options can be helpful for those monitoring blood glucose.
• Minimal Added Sugar: It’s really unnecessary to add additional sugar to breads. Some breads do contain added sugar, which can contribute to blood sugar spikes. Choosing breads with little to no added sugar is what RD’s typically recommend.
• Protein Content: Such a buzz macronutrient! Protein works alongside fiber to slow digestion and improve satiety. Bread that contains protein can help create a more balanced blood sugar response. There’s also been studies that have shown that consuming a protein food before carbohydrates can help with improved glucose management.

How Fiber Supports Blood Sugar Control

Let’s take a closer look at what fiber is actually doing in your body.

• When you eat a high fiber bread, several things happen:
• The fiber slows down how quickly the bread is broken down into glucose.
• This leads to a slower and more controlled rise in blood sugar levels.
• You feel fuller for longer, which can help reduce snacking and overall calorie intake.
• Some types of fiber reach the colon and are fermented by gut bacteria (resistant starch being one of these types of fiber), producing beneficial compounds that support metabolic health (read: short-chain fatty acids like butyrate).
• This is why time and time again, fiber is associated with better blood sugar control, improved cholesterol levels, and reduced risk of chronic disease.

Unfortunately, most Americans are not getting enough fiber on a daily basis. Most guidelines recommend 25-38 grams per day, but most Americans aren’t getting half that. Adding in high-fiber bread can be an easy way to help meet your fiber goals in a tasty way!

Where Bread Innovation Comes In

Hero Bread has a unique type of resistant starch, RSIV. By using ingredients such as resistant wheat starch, Hero Bread’s baked goods are designed to provide the taste & texture of traditional bread while also providing significantly more fiber and fewer net carbs- a win-win! Resistant wheat starch is a type of carbohydrate that resists digestion in the small intestine and behaves similarly to fiber. Instead of being rapidly broken down into glucose, it passes through to the large intestine where it can be fermented by gut bacteria, just as mentioned above. So what does that mean? It can help contribute to fewer blood sugar spikes compared to traditional refined carbohydrates. As a Registered Dietitian, this type of innovation is awesome for so many reasons- essentially, my clients can have their bread and eat it too! It helps bridge the gap between what people want to eat and what supports their health.

Key highlights of Hero Bread baked goods as a dietitian that I like to point out:

• 0 grams of sugar across all offerings*
• 0 to 5 grams of net carbs depending on the baked good*
• An excellent source of fiber*
• Up to 19 grams of protein per serving*

Healthy bread isn’t an oxymoron, it’s a real thing!

The Bottom Line

Great news: bread doesn’t have to be off limits when it comes to blood sugar control. The main key is understanding how different types of carbs and fiber impact your body.

TLDR? Choose breads that are higher in fiber, lower in net carbs, and made with innovative ingredients like resistant starch and that can help support more stable blood sugar levels while helping to improve your fullness.

It’s best to understand the relationship between bread, fiber and blood sugar- allowing you to make the right choices!

Related Posts:

• Myth Busters: Fiber
• 5 Breads that Have More Sugar Than a Cookie (and What to Swap for Them!)
• Label Reading 101: 5 Things You Need to Look at and the 1 Mistake Almost Everyone Makes
• A Dietitian’s Take On “FiberMaxxing”: The Latest TikTok Trend
• 5 Processed Foods Recommended by a Dietitian

References

1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Science Review of Isolated and Synthetic Non Digestible Carbohydrates. 2018.
2. Reynolds A, Mann J, Cummings J, et al. Carbohydrate quality and human health: A series of systematic reviews and meta analyses. The Lancet. 2019;393(10170):434–445.
3. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025.
4. Robertson MD. Dietary resistant starch and glucose metabolism. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 2012;15(4):362–367.

*All figures listed are per serving. Not a low calorie food. Some products contain allulose. See nutrition facts on each product page.