Why wait for the new year to start working towards your dream body? If you start switching up your diet and implementing a great workout routine now, you could already be seeing results by January—but it can certainly be difficult to figure out where to start. Sometimes the key is to start small by making some healthy swaps in your daily meals. As it turns out, there’s one crucial change you can make in your diet in order to promote a flatter belly: cutting out refined carbs. In fact, experts say there’s one carb-loaded food you may be consuming daily that could make a major difference in your weight loss goals. That’s white bread.
But why is white bread so bad for you, and how can you benefit from cutting it out of your diet? To learn more about the risks of this popular food and find out what to replace it with, we spoke to Krutika Nanavati, registered dietitian and nutritionist. Find all of her expert insight below.
White bread and weight gain
To understand how white bread could be holding you back from your weight loss goals, it helps to understand the risks of refined carbs in general. Unlike healthy complex carbs, these carbs that have been completely stripped of their nutritional value. This means that although they may contain a lot of calories and sugar, your body processes them very quickly, which can lead to a range of health risks, including weight gain.
In the case of white bread, for example, Nanavati warns that "Its high glycemic index can trigger insulin spikes and promote fat storage around the abdomen." She adds that "the refining process also robs it of fiber and vital nutrients, stripping away the bran and germ components and leaving behind only the endosperm. Consequently, white bread lacks the nutritional value necessary for a balanced diet."
It's always important to prioritize nutrient-rich foods into your meals, as these will provide your body with everything it needs to thrive and carry out a number of functions, including the metabolic process that's crucial to weight loss. All in all, eating white bread will do very little to keep your body healthy, and in fact is more likely to result in weight gain. For this reason, cutting it out is one good way to work towards your goal weight.
What to eat instead of white bread
Does cutting out white bread mean you can't continue to enjoy toast and sandwiches while losing weight? Certainly not! There are plenty of healthy breads out there. The key is to choose the right ones.
"For a superior choice, opt for whole grain or sprouted grain bread," Nanavati recommends. "These options preserve the entire grain, providing abundant fiber and vital nutrients. Compared to white bread, they have a lower glycemic index, promoting stable blood sugar levels and preventing the buildup of belly fat." Perfect!
The bottom line
It's important to keep in mind, of course, that cutting out one particular food won't necessarily take inches off of your waistline at lightning speed. Weight loss requires dedication to a number of healthy habits. In general, though when you start swapping refined carbs for healthy grains, you'll be making one fantastic change that can help you make some progress on your weight loss goals by the new year.
