What the Doctor Recommends

Bread can play an important role in a healthy diet. Grain-based carbohydrates aren't the problem in obesity and breads are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Since bread makes people feel fuller sooner, it may even help people control their weight. Many doctors and dieticians are concerned about the long-term effects of popular diets that severely restrict the intake of carbohydrates.

If you are on a 2000 claries per day diet—and many of us eat much more than that—and following U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, you will eat three ounces of whole grains (from bread and other foods) and three ounces of other grains. Check the nutrition information on the package but usually a slice of bread will weigh a little over an ounce. Even if you are trying to lose weight, you can still have several slices per day.

The Glycemic Index of Popular Breakfast Foods

Doctors advise us to include low glycemic foods in our diets. High glycemic foods are those that digest quickly releasing a charge of glucose to raise blood sugar levels. Low glycemic foods include those with fiber, are slower digesting, and stay with us longer. With the inclusion of lower glycemic foods in our diets, we tend to eat less, gain less weight, and live healthier.

Those foods rated above 70 are considered high glycemic.
Those foods rated between 55 and 70 are considered intermediate
Those rated below 55 are low glycemic

Corn Flakes	84
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies ®	82
Kellogg’s All Bran ®	51
Shredded Wheat	67
Kellogg’s Raisin Bran ®	73
Kellogg’s Special K ®	54
Old-fashioned oatmeal	49
Bagel	71
Banana bread	47
Blueberry muffin	59
Croissant	67
White bread	70
Whole wheat bread	69
Waffles	76
Apple	38
Dried apricots	31
Banana	55
Cantaloupe	65
Grapefruit	25
Orange	44
Milk, whole	22
Milk, chocolate	34
Yogurt, flavored low fat	33
Orange juice	46
Sucrose (sugar)	65
Honey	58

Source: Andrew Weil, M.D., Eating well for Optimum Health, Alfred A. Knopf, 2000.