Store-bought baked goods tend to be loaded with calories and added sugar. Start your day off right with these healthier homemade versions.
By
Lauren Bedosky
by
Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES
Use whole-wheat flour for a more nutritious breakfast bread.
Whether plain or toasted, bread can help round out any balanced breakfast. But if you want to maximize the most important meal of the day, get your breakfast out of the oven — not from a package or a shiny glass case at your local coffee shop.
“Bread varies widely in calories, sodium, fiber, and added sugars,” says Jennifer McDaniel, RD, a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics in Clayton, Missouri. Many of the breakfast breads you’ll find on grocery store shelves are full of highly processed ingredients like high fructose corn syrup to boost flavor and preservatives to increase shelf life. Commercial baked goods may thus contribute to the growth of fat cells, promoting weight gain, and may alter the brain in a way that makes you continue to crave sugary, processed foods, according to an article published in the September–October 2018 American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. Baked goods from shops can similarly be less-than-ideal when it comes to your health. Take a typical slice of Starbucks banana nut bread, which has 420 calories and 30 grams (g) of sugar.
When you make your breakfast bread yourself, you get to control the ingredients. “You can try using whole spelt or whole-wheat flour, which helps boost fiber and nutrition,” says Beth Warren, a registered dietitian in New York City and the author of Secrets of a Kosher Girl. She suggests using natural sweeteners like honey to cut down on processed sugar.
Incorporating other ingredients, like vegetables, fruits, beans, and legumes, can add more nutrition to your bread, McDaniel says. (More on these benefits below.)
RELATED: 10 Healthy Twists on the Classic Banana Bread Recipe
Skip sugary store-bought bakery items (as well as unhealthy Danishes and pastries), and try whipping up one of these loaves and enjoying it all week.
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Keto Seed Bread
This crunchy, low-carb bread from Divalicious Recipes features three different seeds: sunflower, pumpkin, and chia. Each type of seed is full of fiber, a key nutrient that supports digestion and may lower cholesterol, McDaniel says. The recipe uses coconut flour, which is higher in fiber than standard white flour (10 gfiber in a ¼ cup portion of coconut flour versus 0.99 g in regular flour, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA]). Respectively, that’s 36 percent versus 3.5 percent of the daily value (DV). The recipe, which is appropriate for a high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet, makes 10 slices. One slice offers 116 calories, 6.8 g fat, 9 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, and 6 g fiber. A slice provides 21 percent of the DV for fiber, making it an excellent source.
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Sweet Potato Bread
Sweet potato serves as the basis of this old-fashioned quick bread from Tastes of Lizzy T, offering plenty of moisture and nutrition. “By including sweet potato, this bread is loaded with vitamin A and potassium,” Warren says. The potato, along with the pecans, adds filling fiber too, she notes. The nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice lend a warm, comforting aroma. One loaf makes 10 servings, and one serving has 328 calories, 12 g fat, 51 g carbs, and 4 g protein.
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Flaxseed Bread
This recipe from Nutrition Refined is both simple and healthy: “It contains whole-food ingredients and no sugar,” Warren says. The short ingredient list includes flaxseed meal, baking powder, baking soda, apple cider vinegar, hot water, and salt. Plus, the use of flax meal rather than grains makes this bread a perfect gluten-free option, Warren says. You get 12 slices per loaf, and one slice has 77 calories, 5 g fat, 5 g carbs, and 3 g protein.
If you love carrot cake, you’ll love this healthier take: “You’ll be able to get a dessert feel from this type of recipe,” Warren says. Go for plain nonfat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream for extra protein; a single cup of yogurt provides 25 gof protein,versus only 5.61 g in the same portion of sour cream, per the USDA. This recipe from Averie Cooks is also loaded with whole-food ingredients like nuts, raisins, and veggies (carrots and zucchini), Warren says. A loaf makes 14 slices, and a single slice provides 172 calories, 9 g fat, 22 g carbs, and 2 g protein.
RELATED: 11 High-Fiber Foods to Add to Your Diet
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Paleo Morning Glory Bread
Individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity will love this gluten-free breakfast bread from Eat Well Enjoy Life. It’s packed with carrots, almond flour, tapioca flour, dried fruit, and apples. “Additionally, this bread contains chopped walnuts, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids,” McDaniel says. Add foods with omega-3 fatty acids to your plate to give your ticker some love. They’re a type of polyunsaturated fat that may help lower inflammation and reduce your risk for heart disease, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The recipe makes 10 servings, and one serving offers 181 calories, 11.5 g fat, 16.4 g carbs, and 3 g protein.
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Blueberry Oatmeal Quick Bread
This quick bread recipe from Foodie Crush combines fiber-rich blueberries and oats, making this a filling and satisfying option, Warren says. You’ll score 1.77 milligrams (mg) of iron, which is about 10 percent of the DV. The National Institutes of Health notes that iron is a mineral that helps your nervous system function well. The nervous system, research shows, is responsible for things like walking, speaking, and breathing. Meanwhile, “the addition of Greek yogurt helps enhance the protein of this recipe,” Warren says. You get nine slices, and each slice provides 333 calories, 12 g fat, 50 g carbs, and 7.2 g protein.
RELATED: 10 Healthy Foods That Are Great Sources of Iron
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High-Protein Zucchini Bread
Plant-based vanilla protein powder and natural peanut butter spikes the protein higher than in the typical bread recipe, says Warren. Thanks to the zucchini, you’ll get a serving of veggies with plenty of fiber and nutrients, she adds. For example, a ¾ cup portion of zucchini (the same amount the total recipe calls for) provides 12 mg of vitamin C, or 13 percent of the DV, notes the USDA. Vitamin C may help aid wound healing, prevent infections, and improve immunity, among other potential perks, according to a review in the Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry. Meanwhile, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and mini chocolate chips give this recipe from The Healthy Toast a dose of sweetness. The recipe makes 12 servings, and each serving provides 195 calories, 12 g fat, 14 g carbs, and 8 g protein.
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Pumpkin Cranberry Yeast Bread
This yeast bread from Seasons & Suppers is loaded with healthy, fall-inspired ingredients like pumpkin, raisins, pecans, and fresh cranberries. “The addition of pumpkin adds a dose of fiber and eye-health-supporting nutrients like beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, and lutein,” McDaniel says, and an article published in the July 2014Journal of Oleo Science supports this. Meanwhile, nuts such as pecans offer a good dose of iron (1.44 mg, or 8 percent of DV per ¼ cup serving, according to the USDA). One slice provides 1.4 mg of iron, or 8 percent of your DV. The recipe makes 20 slices total, and each also has 172 calories, 6 g fat, 27 g carbs, and 2 g protein.
RELATED: 12 Easy-as-Pie Pumpkin Recipes for Fall
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Honey Whole-Wheat Bread
If you’re looking for an easy, healthy bread recipe, try this whole-wheat version from Tastes Better From Scratch. “This recipe incorporates plain Greek yogurt, which is high in protein and will give the bread a delicious and soft mouthfeel,” McDaniel says. Plus, because it's made with whole-wheat flour, it's higher in fiber than the all-purpose variety, she says. According to the USDA, ¼ cup of whole-wheat flour provides 3 g fiber for 10.7 percent of the DV, compared with 0.99 g of fiber, or 3 percent of the DV, in all-purpose flour. Have a slice to start your day off right: It will give you 4 g of fiber, or 14 percent of the DV. The recipe makes 20 slices, and each one offers 162 calories, 3 g fat, 31 g carbs, and 5 g protein.
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Easy Cranberry Walnut Bread
This easy bread from A Mind “Full” Mom combines simple ingredients like white wheat flour, dry active yeast, dried cranberries, and chopped walnuts. “Although the term ‘white wheat flour’ may be misleading, it is in fact a whole grain flour,” McDaniel notes. Indeed, white wheat flour offers all the nutritional advantages of traditional whole-wheat flour, but the flavor is milder, according to the Whole Grains Council. “The mildness of the white wheat flour will allow the flavor of the cranberries and walnuts to shine,” McDaniel says. One loaf offers 16 slices, and in each one there are 100 calories, 1 g fat 21 g carbs, and 3 g protein.
