Grains for your Brain: Including Bread in your Breakfast

Can Bread be a Part of a Healthy Breakfast?

School mornings can feel hectic between getting everyone dressed, fed, and out the door on time. Your family’s breakfast doesn’t need to add more stress to your morning. It’s ok if you don't have time to whisk together pancakes or scramble eggs!

Bread can be an easy and nutritious option. With so many choices at the grocery store from whole wheat and whole grain to honey wheat and more, it can be confusing to make the best choice for your family.

A recent article about bread in TIME Magazine includes interviews from several dietitians, including Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s Dr. Candida Rebello, Associate Professor and Director of the Nutrition and Chronic Disease Program laboratory. Here’s the key takeaway: Bread can absolutely be part of a healthy breakfast, especially when you choose whole grain varieties. The article notes that bread itself is not automatically unhealthy. Instead, the nutritional value depends on the type of bread, portion size, and how it fits into your overall diet.

What to Look for in a Bread

When compared to refined white bread, whole grain bread provides more fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients. Higher-fiber bread helps slow digestion, supports blood sugar control, and is associated with lower risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Here is some of Dr. Rebello’s advice when considering bread options:

1. “Everything has to be considered in the context of the broader diet.”
   Rebello shares that no single food controls health outcomes. Bread can fit into a healthy eating pattern when eaten as part of a balanced diet.

2. Don’t dismiss bread simply because it’s processed. 
   “Bread has gotten a bad rap because it’s classified as ultra-processed.” She points out that some processing can actually improve nutritional value. Many breads are enriched with vitamins and minerals, while newer recipes may contain higher-protein and higher-fiber ingredients.

3. Be mindful of portion size and calories.
   “I would be concerned about the energy content if one slice has about 200 calories.” Rebello recommends checking nutrition labels and paying attention to calorie content, especially when eating more than one slice in a single meal.

4. Look for whole grains as the first ingredient.
   “Otherwise, even if it’s brown, it’s refined.” Her advice is to choose breads that list whole wheat or another whole grain first on the ingredient list.

5. Bread can offer additional functional benefits. 
   Rebello notes that some breads contain ingredients such as oats and barley, which provide a soluble fiber associated with lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Rye and other high-fiber grains can also help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

6. Did You Know? A simple trick can boost resistant starch.
   “If you freeze the bread and then thaw and toast it, the resistant starch component of the bread is enhanced.” According to Rebello, this process can increase resistant starch. Resistant starch “resists” digestion in your small intestine, so it behaves more like fiber and is digested more slowly, which can help to prevent a spike in your blood sugar levels.

Bread-for-Breakfast Recipes

Now that you know bread can be a healthy part of your diet, check out these dietitian-approved recipes to get your day started:

Peanut Butter Toast

Toast 1 slice of whole wheat bread. Spread 1 Tbsp of natural peanut butter on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Add sliced banana or berries for extra flavor and fiber.

Avocado Toast

Toast 1 slice of whole wheat bread. Top with sliced avocado and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Make-Ahead Savory Bread Muffins

This recipe from Pennington Biomedical’s Metabolic Kitchen combines whole wheat bread, eggs, and veggies to create a delicious breakfast “muffin” that can be made ahead of time and eaten throughout the week.