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It can be difficult to know exactly what foods you should be eating each day in order to lose weight in a healthy way. The constant talk of calories, counting macros, and restrictive diets on social media can make the basics of healthy eating get lost amidst the chatter, and you may find yourself wondering if you’re even on the right track. However, while in most cases there is space in your diet for your favorite foods (in moderation, of course) there are some ingredients that health experts warn are better left out of your breakfast if you hope to see the best results. In order to keep making progress towards your goals, this is the one ingredient you should avoid for healthy weight loss.
Although it may be softer than a whole wheat option, white bread is a source of empty calories which, if consumed on a daily basis, may stand in the way of your weight loss goals. White bread and bagels should not be consumed regularly because they often contain higher calories with a lower quantity of nutrients which will not keep you full throughout the morning. “White bread is refined and stripped of fiber and nutrients,” explains RDN Lisa R. Young.
When carbs are stripped of their nutritional value, they lose out on the important health benefits which may help you to lose weight. White bread and bagels are notably lacking in fiber which typically helps to regulate digestion and minimize bloating and inflammation. White bread also may be higher in sugar which is notorious for impeding on healthy weight loss by packing on the calories without actually keeping you full, ultimately leading to overeating. This will make a calorie deficit much more difficult to maintain.
If you still crave your toast or bagel in the morning, you don’t have to give up your love of carbs to practice a healthy lifestyle. “A substitution for bagels is a whole grain English muffin or slice of bread. The fiber will keep you full so that you don’t overeat,” suggests Young. Finding more nutritionally dense variations of your favorite white flour foods will allow you to enjoy a similar flavor without inevitably feeling hungry again an hour after eating, making healthy and sustained weight loss that much easier to achieve.
Losing weight doesn’t have to be a minefield of question marks, not knowing which foods are going to carry you towards your goals and which are going to stand in your way. While it’s important to note that you can eat anything in moderation and still live a healthy lifestyle, eating white bread on a daily basis will likely make weight loss more difficult because it isn’t a valuable source of nutrients so it will not keep you full throughout the morning. If you want to net the best results, find a more fibrous bread option to satisfy your cravings while helping you lose weight without cutting carbs.
