Ending Your Fear of Bread (And Carbs) (Persuasive)

Bread is a controversial food. On one side, it’s filling and can make your meal go from basic to terrific. One the other side, it can add a lot of extra calories to your day. When people go on diets, many of them avoid bread due to the idea that it “makes you fat” and can be high in carbohydrates.

Just like most foods, there’s different kinds of bread. White bread, multi-grain bread, pita bread, sourdough, banana bread, etc. Each kind has different ingredients, nutritional values, and caloric amounts. Many types of multigrain bread are low calories and can contain healthy ingredients, such as fiber and protein.

Here is the nutrition facts for Sara Lee Classic White Bread and Sara Lee Delightful 45 Calories Bread (in that order).

As you can see, although the breads have distinct caloric differences, they have very similar amounts of protein, sugar and fat. There is somewhat of a difference in carbohydrates. There are noticeable differences in the amount of calories and calcium.

As you can see, there is not much of a difference in carbohydrates, just 9 grams. Furthermore, carbs are supposed to make up 40% of your dietary intake. The truth is, carbs don’t make you fat. No one food will make you fat, unless you eat too much of it. Carbs are your bodies main source of energy, and can be stored for long term use.

There are different types of carbs; sugar, fibre, and starch. Different types of carbs have different effects on the body. Sugar is needed in moderation, but too much can put one at disease risk and cause tooth decay. Fibre is needed for digestion and can lower disease risks. Starches are needed as they are one of the bodies main sources of nutrients and provide the most energy. Carbohydrates also contain less calories per gram than fat does.

Do not fear carbs, as they are vital to your body and your health. They do not indeed “make you fat,” unless you eat too much of them and cause yourself to go into a caloric surplus. You can still “get this bread” (sorry, I had to) and stay healthy. Just try to stick to carbs that are made up of more fibre and starches, rather than sugars, and your body will be happy and healthy.

Sources:

NHS Choices, NHS, www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/why-we-need-to-eat-carbs/.