Does bread make you fat? People who eat low carbohydrates say yes. People on a keto diet don't even look at bread. But if you don't eat bread, you don't get enough fiber, others say. We asked Lolkje de Vries of the Nutrition Center.
Lolkje de Vries, of the Nutrition Center:“It is a misconception that bread makes you fat. The carbohydrates in bread are an important source of energy. In addition, bread makes you feel full. The Health Council advises to get 40 to 70 percent of our energy from carbohydrates. In addition, bread contains even more good nutrients, such as iodine, B vitamins , protein and fiber. So it fits into a healthy diet. It is not necessary to leave bread because it contains gluten if you do not have a gluten intolerance. They are proteins that are naturally present in grain products. Your body does not differentiate between gluten or proteins from other foods, such as eggs. If you are not sure whether you have an intolerance, go to your doctor.”
GOOD BALANCE
“The following applies to all nutrients:if you eat too much of them, you will gain weight. A product in itself is usually not a fattener. It is important that you can get enough nutrients from a product. If you drink a glass of cola, you will get sugar and therefore energy, but no nutrients. That makes soft drinks unhealthy. Bread does provide good nutrients , especially if you opt for a whole grain variety, because it contains the most fiber. Bread only gets the label 'whole wheat' if it is really whole wheat, so you can easily check that on the packaging. Brown bread is in the disc of five, but contains less fiber. It is better to leave white bread alone. It contains few nutrients and it makes you feel less satisfied. Also good to pay attention to:whether there is baking salt added to the bread. This way you get more iodine in a simple way.”
VEGETABLES
“Because it is also not good to eat too much bread, the advice for women is to eat a minimum of four and a maximum of five sandwiches to eat in a day. For men, it concerns a minimum of six and a maximum of eight sandwiches a day. It also depends on the amount of energy you use. Do you have a physical occupation? Then you will probably reach the maximum faster. When you work in the office, you usually need less energy. You can also alternate bread with other grain products, such as oatmeal or whole wheat crispbread. How healthy a sandwich is, of course, also depends on the topping you put on it. With chocolate sprinkles you get more calories than if you opt for a vegetable spread or other lean toppings.”
Text:Maike Abma, Image:Getty Images
