Freezing my Bread Changes the Carbs into WHAT?!?

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.

Growing up, my family would buy bread in bulk and then freeze it until we needed it. We didn’t know it at the time, but doing this actually changed the carbohydrate structure- something I would later find fascinating (nerd alert)! It changes it in a good way- let me explain: for certain carbohydrates, when you freeze or cool them, it changes the structure so that the carbohydrate is more of a resistant starch. What does that mean, exactly? Well, it means that the once simple-sugars (well, some of them) that would spike your blood glucose levels are now more of a resistant starch that won’t cause as much of a sugar spike after freezing/cooling and then thawing. Understanding how storage impacts bread can help you make smarter choices and better manage post-meal glucose spikes.

Most research on resistant starch, which is fiber that resists digestion in the small intestine, shows that cooling or freezing certain starchy foods like rice, potatoes, pasta, and even regular white bread can increase resistant starch content slightly (1,2). Compared to the other foods listed, the effect is usually smaller with bread, and interestingly, cooling tends to have a slightly greater impact than freezing (3). Freezing a bread like Hero Bread does not significantly increase resistant starch because it already contains fiber and digestion-resistant starch, so there is little regular starch to retrograde. Even so, Hero Bread still provides considerably more resistant starch than regular white bread, whether fresh, cooled, or frozen.

In simpler terms: let’s say you make some regular white pasta- if you put it in the refrigerator to store for leftovers, and then the next day heat it up for another meal, some of the carbohydrates will have retrograded (read: changed) into more of a resistant starch. This means, that pasta will likely have a better impact on your blood sugars than it did the first night you cooked it!

One study found that frozen and reheated bread produced a statistically lower postprandial glucose peak compared with fresh bread, likely due to a small increase in resistant starch (4). While exact grams are not consistently reported, this research highlights that even minor changes in starch structure can influence blood sugar response.

Who knew proper storage mattered so much?! Bread kept in the fridge or freezer will last longer but may also undergo slight changes in texture and starch structure over time. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles may have minor effects on resistant starch and glycemic response, but the overall impact is relatively small for high-fiber breads like Hero Bread since it already has high resistant starch amounts. So let’s say you have some regular white bread that you’ve stored in the refrigerator and then thawed- would that have more resistant starch than something like Hero Bread Classic White Bread that has 11 grams of fiber and the first ingredient is resistant starch? The answer is, while the white bread would have a small increase in resistant starch, it would not be anywhere close to comparing to the amount of resistant starch in Hero Bread. If you’re looking for a bread that has a higher amount of resistant starch and fiber, Hero Bread would be the best choice over the white bread (even if cooled & thawed, which can provide an estimated 1-2 grams of more resistant starch than it originally had).

As a registered dietitian, I always encourage focusing on the overall quality of the bread you choose. This includes looking at things like fiber content, resistant starch, and protein. These nutrients will play a far greater role in controlling post-meal glucose than minor differences caused by freezing.

• TLDR? While freezing bread is safe and convenient & may slightly alter starch structure, it doesn’t replace the benefits of fiber-rich breads. Cooling or freezing may increase resistant starch in traditional white breads slightly, but high-fiber breads already provide a meaningful amount of resistant starch- saving you a step!

This topic always amazes dietitians and consumers alike- enjoy!

Pro tip: We recommend storing Hero Bread in the freezer rather than the fridge to keep the taste and texture you love (as well as to extend its shelf life). Just pull out the bread to thaw shortly before use.

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?
• 5 Ways to Eat More Resistant Starch

References

1. Sajilata MG, Singhal RS, Kulkarni PR. Resistant starch–a review. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2006;5(1):1–17.
2. Birt DF, Boylston T, Hendrich S, et al. Resistant starch: Promise for improving human health. Adv Nutr. 2013;4(6):587–601.
3. Sajilata MG, Singhal RS. Effect of processing on resistant starch formation in foods. Food Rev Int. 2007;23(1):1–29.
4. Englyst HN, Kingman SM, Cummings JH. Classification and measurement of nutritionally important starch fractions. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1992;46(Suppl 2):S33–S50.
   
   

*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.