Substitutes for bread that don't suck?

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Replies

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    auddii wrote: »
    I like rye bread because it has a lot of flavor but is pretty low cal, about 70 per slice. Makes for interesting peanut butter sandwiches though...
    I actually really like the taste of rye PBJ. :)
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    I just eat an amount of bread that fits my calories. When I just need something to sop up my egg yolks, I'll just eat one bread if that's what I've got room to eat.

    Or, for a change of pace (and taste), I eat corn tortillas (the little ones are around 45-50 calories each). These are delicious with scrambled eggs, chili, or soups, IMO.

    For sandwiches, a half a sandwich won't cut it for me, so I'll either do the 35-40 calorie "diet" bread (some are tasty enough, YMMV), or I buy an extra wide loaf--1 slice @ 100-120 calories can easily be cut in half to make two "appropriately" sized sandwich slices.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    auddii wrote: »
    I like rye bread because it has a lot of flavor but is pretty low cal, about 70 per slice. Makes for interesting peanut butter sandwiches though...
    I actually really like the taste of rye PBJ. :)

    I had to get used to when I first bit into it, but I admit I really like them now too.
  • lorisavage13
    lorisavage13 Posts: 6 Member
    edited March 2015
    Sara Lee has a 100% whole wheat bread that is very good and has only 45 calories a slice.
  • vicridge4
    vicridge4 Posts: 24 Member
    edited March 2015
    I work at a health food store, and most of my experience just comes from my own research, some training, and lots of people asking me "what can I substitute for...". Bread is a huge one! So I'll offer what I know.

    Making your own bread helps, you can control the calories in your loaf of bread. The problem with "substitutes" is that most of those substitutes are actually HIGHER in calories ie: using rice flour/coconut flour/amaranth flour. Substitutes may have twice as many calories. Substituting 50% coconut flour takes my 400-500 calorie home made bread loaf and makes it about 900 calories! Oof! Let's not even talk about the amount of fat that coconut flour contains!

    Making your own bread can reduce calories from added sugars. My loaf is 5 grams of sugar per loaf, other store-bought breads are up to 100 grams per loaf! You can substitute even the 5 grams of sugar for stevia or splenda.

    The problem with bread alternatives: They are usually lower in fibre and other essential nutrients. It takes research and time to develop a nutritional plan to substitute for those nutrients, so cutting out bread can make MAJOR cravings come back which is why most people fail at diets that cut bread.

    Try to find the nutrients that your regular bread provides and try to substitute THAT before anything else. Sometimes the lower calorie option isn't always the best bet!

    Pita's, tortilla's, and flatbreads are still bread, and may actually contain more calories per piece than a loaf (example: 1x60gram tortilla is 200 calories, my whole loaf of bread is 400-500 for about 12 slices).
  • cplate
    cplate Posts: 16 Member
    Are you trying to cut out white? Why not start with eating whole grain breads and eat it say either at breakfast or lunch and limit calories that way?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    cplate wrote: »
    Are you trying to cut out white? Why not start with eating whole grain breads and eat it say either at breakfast or lunch and limit calories that way?

    Err. I see that all the time, but it's not actually true that it reduces calories. Eg

    1 slice of thick cut, farmhouse white bread from an 800g loaf = 103 calories http://www.warburtons.co.uk/products/bread/white/soft-white-farmhouse-large-800g

    Similar but wholemeal =104 calories
    http://www.warburtons.co.uk/products/bread/wholemeal-brown/rich-and-tasty-wholemeal-800g

    1 slice of seeded, batch whole grain from an 800g loaf = 137 calories
    http://www.warburtons.co.uk/products/bread/seeded/seeded-batch-800g

  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    cplate wrote: »
    Are you trying to cut out white? Why not start with eating whole grain breads and eat it say either at breakfast or lunch and limit calories that way?

    Err. I see that all the time, but it's not actually true that it reduces calories. Eg

    1 slice of thick cut, farmhouse white bread from an 800g loaf = 103 calories http://www.warburtons.co.uk/products/bread/white/soft-white-farmhouse-large-800g

    Similar but wholemeal =104 calories
    http://www.warburtons.co.uk/products/bread/wholemeal-brown/rich-and-tasty-wholemeal-800g

    1 slice of seeded, batch whole grain from an 800g loaf = 137 calories
    http://www.warburtons.co.uk/products/bread/seeded/seeded-batch-800g

    Can confirm. Two slices of Great Value (WalMart Brand) white sandwich bread is 120 calories.

    Seems like white is usually way less calorie-dense.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    cplate wrote: »
    Are you trying to cut out white? Why not start with eating whole grain breads and eat it say either at breakfast or lunch and limit calories that way?

    Err. I see that all the time, but it's not actually true that it reduces calories. Eg

    1 slice of thick cut, farmhouse white bread from an 800g loaf = 103 calories http://www.warburtons.co.uk/products/bread/white/soft-white-farmhouse-large-800g

    Similar but wholemeal =104 calories
    http://www.warburtons.co.uk/products/bread/wholemeal-brown/rich-and-tasty-wholemeal-800g

    1 slice of seeded, batch whole grain from an 800g loaf = 137 calories
    http://www.warburtons.co.uk/products/bread/seeded/seeded-batch-800g

    Can confirm. Two slices of Great Value (WalMart Brand) white sandwich bread is 120 calories.

    Seems like white is usually way less calorie-dense.

    How many grams is that two slices of white bread?
    I'm pretty sure I can find one in wheat with the same weight, and similar or fewer calories.
    We have to compare apples to apples.
  • MeganFlanagan16
    MeganFlanagan16 Posts: 136 Member
    I cut out wheat entirely. I love bread, but once I stopped eating it I started losing weight immediately. I'd rather eat an apple for less calories than a slice of bread.
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    cplate wrote: »
    Are you trying to cut out white? Why not start with eating whole grain breads and eat it say either at breakfast or lunch and limit calories that way?

    Err. I see that all the time, but it's not actually true that it reduces calories. Eg

    1 slice of thick cut, farmhouse white bread from an 800g loaf = 103 calories http://www.warburtons.co.uk/products/bread/white/soft-white-farmhouse-large-800g

    Similar but wholemeal =104 calories
    http://www.warburtons.co.uk/products/bread/wholemeal-brown/rich-and-tasty-wholemeal-800g

    1 slice of seeded, batch whole grain from an 800g loaf = 137 calories
    http://www.warburtons.co.uk/products/bread/seeded/seeded-batch-800g

    Can confirm. Two slices of Great Value (WalMart Brand) white sandwich bread is 120 calories.

    Seems like white is usually way less calorie-dense.

    How many grams is that two slices of white bread?
    I'm pretty sure I can find one in wheat with the same weight, and similar or fewer calories.
    We have to compare apples to apples.

    Two slices is 47 g - which is not very dense, you're right. We don't eat this bread on a normal basis, but I had to get some because I went to the store a day before a snow storm here and that was literally the only bread left on the shelves.

    My favorite is Nature's Own Honey Wheat, which is 52 g (give or take - just had some for lunch that came out to 55 g) for 2 slices and 140 calories. Still not the most dense bread, but it is sweet and satisfying and it makes me happy.

    I love bread.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited March 2015
    EveiiHere wrote: »
    EveiiHere wrote: »
    EveiiHere wrote: »
    Hey all!
    I was wondering if anyone has any substitutes they could share.

    Thank you!

    OP: what's your goal? Lowering the calories from bread? Lowering the carbs from bread?

    There are some reasonably healthy lower calorie breads that taste good.
    There are some reasonably healthy lower carb breads and tortillas that taste good.

    I just want a lower calorie option I suppose, I keep reading that bread hinders weight loss. I'm not sure how much fact there is to that but I do know I was eating far too much of it.
    There are some tasty lower calorie options. I look for one with a short ingredient list, low in sugar, high in fiber. Those pitas posted a few posts ahead look tasty. Some of the "sandwich thins" are lower in calories, and tasty, and reasonably healthy as well.

    I will have to go look around for some. there doesn't seem to be allot of options where I live.

    First, bread does not hinder weight loss unless you eat too much of it (or too much of anything for that matter). Now that out of the way.

    Do you have any thinner bread where you live? In most cases flatbread and wraps give you less calories per edible area so you feel like you are eating a lot when in fact you are probably eating a smaller portion. I buy flatbread that has 130 calories per round, and a round here is 32 cm in diameter and weighs 80 g. I usually make a sandwich with 1/4 of that, and it has as much area to spread things on as two slices of bread. Just make sure the flatbread you choose is not the kind that is made with lots of oil.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    randomtai wrote: »
    Bacon weave.

    bacon-weave-bun.jpg

    OMG, I need bacon!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    What's wrong with bread?
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    I really like bread; what I did when I wanted to reduce carbs was just limit it; I'd choose a nuttier, grainier, more fibrous bread (calorie dense-ish, but more filling) to have with eggs in the morning (because I must have bread with eggs), but make other choices for lunch and dinner.
  • carolann_22
    carolann_22 Posts: 364 Member
    Josephs' Lavash bread is big, full of nutrients, and low cal. I use them for sandwich wraps and for the base for pizza.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    I cut out wheat entirely. I love bread, but once I stopped eating it I started losing weight immediately. I'd rather eat an apple for less calories than a slice of bread.

    Your diary says otherwise ;) You're losing because you're clearly eating at a deficit (including still consuming wheat products--noodle soup, french bread, Belvita, etc.).

    And...apples don't soak up my egg yolks as well as toast does ;)
  • Aemely
    Aemely Posts: 694 Member
    I just use thinner bread. Some good ones are:
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    Personally, I love my homemade sourdough bread - has some decent protein in it too. I'd rather eat one piece of that than 2 pieces of low fat/low cal bread any day!
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
    Sarauk2sf wrote: »
    Contrary03 wrote: »
    ... I also like whole wheat pita bread which is healthier than wheat tortilla's so i always opt for those. I'm not a dessert lover. I'm a bread addict so i know the dilemma... lol.

    What is healthier about the pita v the tortilla?

    Perhaps the lard? A traditional flour tortilla is made from flour and lard. Pitas are traditionally made either with no fat or a bit of olive oil. Lard is mostly saturated fats whereas olive oil is a mono-unsaturated fat.

    If you aren't making your own from traditional recipes, the relative "healthiness" of the different ones would depend on what the manufacturer choose to put in their version so you would need to consult the nutrition panels on the packaging.

  • maxit
    maxit Posts: 880 Member
  • helenarriaza
    helenarriaza Posts: 517 Member
    Bimbo thins, 60 cals for 2 slices.

    Also, corn tortillas all the way.
  • Ameengyrl
    Ameengyrl Posts: 127 Member
    Hi There,

    Aldi has a new low calorie bread "Fit and Active" brand. Just 35 calories per slice!! They're very good, not "skinny" bread either. Taste is pretty close to typical high calorie bread.
  • MarciBkonTrk
    MarciBkonTrk Posts: 310 Member
    This is one of my favorite "subs" for a sub.

    97jr0fviucye.jpg
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    bacon "bread" vs. cucumber "bread" vs. bread "bread"
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    This is one of my favorite "subs" for a sub.

    97jr0fviucye.jpg

    AHHH! It's looking at me funny :o:p It looks delicious (other than those olive "eyes" givin' me the look). I'd be one to chop it all up and eat it "salad" style, though.
  • astrose00
    astrose00 Posts: 754 Member
    edited March 2015
    Nature's harvest has a 40 calorie per slice multi grain. Sara lee has a similar one at 45 calories. I think they're pretty good and don't blow my calories goals. I can have as toast in the morning or sandwich for lunch or both very easily. Sorry if someone mentioned this already. I didn't read everything (sorry!). There are also the sandwich thins. English muffins are about 110 or 120 calories which is pretty good.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
    I eat Sara Lee bread every day

    And lost over 70 pounds in 130 days
    So i dont see the problem with bread here.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    jodes023 wrote: »
    Check out this wonderful site - cauliflower garlic fingers, spinach pizza dough etc:
    http://thehappyhealthfreak.com/2015/01/cauliflower-garlic-fingers-gf-low-carb-df-option/

    That's 67 calories for one stick. How's that saving calories from bread?

  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    bacon "bread" vs. cucumber "bread" vs. bread "bread"

    No competition lol
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