Is bread bad?

135

Replies

  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    Love the Evil Bread man! :)

    Ciabatta...bialy...naan!

    101512-gimme-some-sugar-baby-gif-Imgu-mf4T.gif

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    I find that bread is like gasoline... IF I have a decent lunch with very few "bread carbs" then I am sometimes full until supper time... BUT if I have a couple of slices of bread with a lunchtime meal... then I am starving by 3-ish... so.. back to my analogy... "regular food:" veggies, fruit, protein etc. is firewood... bread.. is gasoline... if you throw gas on the campfire... BOOM... the fire will burn out quick...

    SO... Bread is good if you have a reason to add it to a meal... IE need a quick jolt of energy before doing some physical activity... BUT if don't need the fire to burnm quite as quick... maybe save the bread for another time.

    :huh:
  • helenarriaza
    helenarriaza Posts: 519 Member
    Maybe. Check for mold.

    *dies*
  • astylla
    astylla Posts: 118 Member
    I love bread..but for me it doesn't process well and makes me feel heavy. The same is true with most white carbs like rice , wheat based pasta, white potatoes. But that doesn't mean that any of those foods are "bad" , but they don't make me feel good so I choose not to eat them except in very small moderation.

    Anything can be bad in excessive amounts including food. I do think that natural whole grain breads are a better option however.
  • cadaver0usb0nes
    cadaver0usb0nes Posts: 151 Member
    If you get whole grain bread than its perfectly fine for you. When they say its empty calories usually they are referring to white bread which doesn't really have a lot of nutritional value in it. If you have gluten intolerance or celiac then bread can definitely be bad, and carbs can cause you to gain weight if you have a lot of them and then don't burn it off but thats the same for any excess amount of calories. Just make sure you are getting the right percentage of carbs/protein/fat and you are fine :)
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    I agree with the general consensus in this thread that it's not bad, eat it if you like it and you have a healthy diet overall, etc.

    One of my closest friends is an absolute sweetheart but she buys into the "bread is evil, it is slowly killing us all" paranoia...I usually listen to her go on about this while I'm eating a pastry or sandwich. I smile and nod ;-)

    But in all seriousness...I have cut back my bread consumption somewhat. I was never that big of a fan of it, and I find that a lot of the time it's just habit to eat bread...I'm totally satisfied with an open faced sandwich a lot of the time, or skipping the rolls at a restaurant and saving tons of calories that way. I still bake homemade bread occasionally and eat a thick slice topped with honey or jam...so delicious. But I don't eat bread every day. Nor do I eat crackers, chips, pasta, etc, every day. I don't love them so why fill my diet with them? I do love tortillas and brown rice. I am not on a low carb diet nor do I believe that would have any special benefit for me...but I do find that my carb intake IS somewhat low.

    Like I said about it being habit...I know people who have a couple pieces of toast in the morning, chips and a sandwich (2 slices of bread) at lunch, and then some kind of Hamburger Helper pasta thing for dinner with a slice of buttered bread. I think for them it's habit to eat 4-5 pieces of bread each day, perhaps stemming from economic reasons (it can be quite cheap and filling)? I am not sure but I think that is probably not the greatest idea especially if you're trying to eat healthier and lose weight. JMHO...I am not an expert but for me personally that would take up most/all of my calories that I'd rather use on fruit, veggies, protein sources, and "treats"!
  • TrolleyRide
    TrolleyRide Posts: 64 Member
    The only thing I got trom this post is that OP doesn't know how to do pizza right.
  • jrose1982
    jrose1982 Posts: 366 Member
    Here are some reasons why GRAINS are considered bad news (and bread is made from grains):
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/

    But whether or not to eat in moderation or avoid completely depends on you. I find bread to be one of those foods that I can just eat and eat and eat. So I avoid it completely. If you are able to moderate well, then moderate.

    Consider also that, while it's not exactly empty calories, it is high in calories and won't keep you full for long. So if you're having trouble meeting your calorie deficit because you're hungry, reducing your bread is the first thing I'd suggest you do.

    Since I cut it out, I've discovered that if I do have a piece of bread it makes me bloated and a little nauseous, indicating that I might have a gluten intolerance. That's a worthy experiment to do on yourself. Quit eating grains (especially wheat) for a couple months, then start up again in small amounts and see how it makes you feel.

    I love bread, so I'll probably eat it again when I reach maintenance. But I'll treat it like ice cream - an occasional treat, not a staple.
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
    I understand the fact that bread contains a lot of empty calories and is therefore not great to eat a lot of. However I am getting different answers from different sources, some saying bread is fine in moderation and others saying to cut it out completely.

    Does anyone know the answer to this? I'm a bread lover, any bread product I will consume with delight. Whenever I have a pizza I always go for the crust (its the best part!). So I guess its kinda important for my diet to get a conclusive answer to this question.

    Bread is not empty calories nor is it bad

    This. Unless you have a medical reason, no food is 'bad'.
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
    Here are some reasons why GRAINS are considered bad news (and bread is made from grains):
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/

    But whether or not to eat in moderation or avoid completely depends on you. I find bread to be one of those foods that I can just eat and eat and eat. So I avoid it completely. If you are able to moderate well, then moderate.

    Consider also that, while it's not exactly empty calories, it is high in calories and won't keep you full for long. So if you're having trouble meeting your calorie deficit because you're hungry, reducing your bread is the first thing I'd suggest you do.

    Since I cut it out, I've discovered that if I do have a piece of bread it makes me bloated and a little nauseous, indicating that I might have a gluten intolerance. That's a worthy experiment to do on yourself. Quit eating grains (especially wheat) for a couple months, then start up again in small amounts and see how it makes you feel.

    I love bread, so I'll probably eat it again when I reach maintenance. But I'll treat it like ice cream - an occasional treat, not a staple.

    Exerpt from the blog post used as evidence as to why grains are bad news.

    "We do not need grains to survive, let alone thrive. In fact, they are naturally selected to ward off pests, whether they be insects or hominids. I suggest we take the hint and stop eating them."

    This statement was even in bold as if it is some holy grail argument against grains. We don't need any single food stuff in order to survive, let alone thrive. Broccoli is awesome for nutrient density but given the above reasoning, we don't need it to survive or thrive, therefore we should avoid it. All commercial vegetative foods have been naturally selected to ward off pests. Should we avoid all fruits and vegetables? Of course not.

    OP, do not use that blog post when you're coming to your final conclusion. Rely on scientific studies or people that can point you to them and not the opinion a blog that has an obvious preconceived bias against grains.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Sigh. NOTHING is bad. Everything is perfectly acceptable, in moderation.
  • JustYandy
    JustYandy Posts: 221 Member
    Food Pyramid?( Everything is a balance according to most schools think I learned that in 2nd grade) I there is no right answer.Just figure what works for you and that may not work for another..
  • JustYandy
    JustYandy Posts: 221 Member
    :laugh: Just a thought if your Christen even Jesus ate bread...then again it was his last supper.
  • LoupGarouTFTs
    LoupGarouTFTs Posts: 916 Member
    I would say that super-white supermarket bread, like Wonder Bread, is pretty useless empty calories because it lacks so many nutrients and the fiber content is so low. Plus eurgh, it's yucky tasting. However, good-quality, interesting bread with some whole grains in it is a wonderful thing to be eaten in moderation along with plenty of other kinds of food.

    Food is only good if you can chew and swallow it and start its travels through your digestive tract. I personally find most breads with whole grains in them to be eurgh/yucky and can't swallow them without loads of butter on them since they are generally dry as dirt. I do, however, like Whitewheat bead, which seems to be a nice compromise between Wonder and the dryasdirtbreads. On the other hand, if your intention is to squish a slice of bread into a ball, roll it in butter and the soppy bread into a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, then Wonder-type breads are your best bet.
  • mygnsac
    mygnsac Posts: 13,413 Member
    Nice post. Bread always gets such a bad rap these days. As usually, most things in moderation. I used to be a bread-aholic, and out of necessity, have scaled back quite a bit (bread at every meal used to be my norm). At home I typically eat a sprouted grain bread, but I still love the occassional piece of pizza (agree the crust is the best part!), or french bread, or texas toast, etc.
  • heathervsg
    heathervsg Posts: 21
    All I can add is that deprivation is what got me where I am and working so hard to lose. When I deprive myself, I cheat (of course I am cheating myself, by my psyche has no idea).

    Anyway, I say eat it every once in a while if you have the calories and don't deprive yourself. Life is too short!

    60281825.png
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  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Bread is good. Especially with butter.
  • paulawatkins1974
    paulawatkins1974 Posts: 720 Member
    I agree with the general consensus in this thread that it's not bad, eat it if you like it and you have a healthy diet overall, etc.

    One of my closest friends is an absolute sweetheart but she buys into the "bread is evil, it is slowly killing us all" paranoia...I usually listen to her go on about this while I'm eating a pastry or sandwich. I smile and nod ;-)

    But in all seriousness...I have cut back my bread consumption somewhat. I was never that big of a fan of it, and I find that a lot of the time it's just habit to eat bread...I'm totally satisfied with an open faced sandwich a lot of the time, or skipping the rolls at a restaurant and saving tons of calories that way. I still bake homemade bread occasionally and eat a thick slice topped with honey or jam...so delicious. But I don't eat bread every day. Nor do I eat crackers, chips, pasta, etc, every day. I don't love them so why fill my diet with them? I do love tortillas and brown rice. I am not on a low carb diet nor do I believe that would have any special benefit for me...but I do find that my carb intake IS somewhat low.

    Like I said about it being habit...I know people who have a couple pieces of toast in the morning, chips and a sandwich (2 slices of bread) at lunch, and then some kind of Hamburger Helper pasta thing for dinner with a slice of buttered bread. I think for them it's habit to eat 4-5 pieces of bread each day, perhaps stemming from economic reasons (it can be quite cheap and filling)? I am not sure but I think that is probably not the greatest idea especially if you're trying to eat healthier and lose weight. JMHO...I am not an expert but for me personally that would take up most/all of my calories that I'd rather use on fruit, veggies, protein sources, and "treats"!
    I'm kinda like this. Too much bread uses up too many of my calories. I love it though. I used to make it but would eat like a quarter of a loaf (still hot) with butter. Can't controll myself
  • Sirinya55
    Sirinya55 Posts: 79 Member
    Yes bread is really bad by itself
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    I agree with the general consensus in this thread that it's not bad, eat it if you like it and you have a healthy diet overall, etc.

    One of my closest friends is an absolute sweetheart but she buys into the "bread is evil, it is slowly killing us all" paranoia...I usually listen to her go on about this while I'm eating a pastry or sandwich. I smile and nod ;-)

    But in all seriousness...I have cut back my bread consumption somewhat. I was never that big of a fan of it, and I find that a lot of the time it's just habit to eat bread...I'm totally satisfied with an open faced sandwich a lot of the time, or skipping the rolls at a restaurant and saving tons of calories that way. I still bake homemade bread occasionally and eat a thick slice topped with honey or jam...so delicious. But I don't eat bread every day. Nor do I eat crackers, chips, pasta, etc, every day. I don't love them so why fill my diet with them? I do love tortillas and brown rice. I am not on a low carb diet nor do I believe that would have any special benefit for me...but I do find that my carb intake IS somewhat low.

    Like I said about it being habit...I know people who have a couple pieces of toast in the morning, chips and a sandwich (2 slices of bread) at lunch, and then some kind of Hamburger Helper pasta thing for dinner with a slice of buttered bread. I think for them it's habit to eat 4-5 pieces of bread each day, perhaps stemming from economic reasons (it can be quite cheap and filling)? I am not sure but I think that is probably not the greatest idea especially if you're trying to eat healthier and lose weight. JMHO...I am not an expert but for me personally that would take up most/all of my calories that I'd rather use on fruit, veggies, protein sources, and "treats"!
    I'm kinda like this. Too much bread uses up too many of my calories. I love it though. I used to make it but would eat like a quarter of a loaf (still hot) with butter. Can't controll myself

    ^This. I still make my own, but I have 1 maybe 2 slices per day. I struggle to get enough protein in if I eat more bread, but I still like it.