In 2020, many people, while spending more time at home, started baking bread again. On one hand, great! The house smelled wonderful, and people felt like they were doing something worthwhile. On the other hand, something typical happened: when bread is always on the counter, your hand automatically reaches for a slice. Today, as we realize life is getting busier again, the story is reversed: bread is often industrial, sliced, soft, kept “just in case,” and you eat it on the go: with cheese, salami, spreads ... And then you feel like the bread is making you fat.

Is it true that bread makes you gain weight?

Bread only makes you gain weight when you exceed your daily calorie needs with it. If you eat more energy than you burn in a day, your body stores the surplus. This isn’t a punishment, it’s a reserve for later. Bread is mostly a source of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are fuel from which the body quickly gets energy. The problem arises when there is too much fuel and you don’t burn it.

That’s why it’s important that bread doesn’t become a constant base for everything: breakfast + snack + lunch + dinner + just one piece. The problem isn’t bread itself. The problem is when bread becomes the main source of calories.

Bread then and now: why the difference really matters

The bread our ancestors ate was different. It was often darker, coarser, fermented for longer, and wasn’t full of additives.

Today, much bread is made from refined flour, which means the most nutritious parts of the grain (bran and germ) have been removed, leaving mostly starch – a fast fuel, which fills you up, but often only for a short time.

There are also additives, which may improve appearance, softness, shelf life, or taste, but at the same time are a sign that bread is often no longer just a simple food made from flour, water, yeast, and salt.

And one more important thing: fermentation. Fermentation means natural rising, when microorganisms (yeasts and bacteria) slowly transform the dough. With sourdough bread, fermentation lasts longer, so the bread is often easier to digest and may affect blood sugar differently. Reviews of sourdough research show that such fermentation can lower the glycemic response and improve some nutritional properties of bread.

How much bread per day is safe for your weight

European dietary guidelines often state that one serving of bread is about 40–60 g, which can be a few slices or even several rolls—depending on size and thickness.

If you take a middle ground, around 120 g of bread per day is still a reasonable amount for many people, provided bread isn’t included with every snack, and other meals are balanced. 120 g is about 2 servings of 60 g each. That’s often around 3 to 4 normal slices, if they’re not huge and thick.

The key part of the sentence is: other meals must be balanced.

Why white bread is more problematic than whole grain

The calories per 100g in white and whole grain bread can be surprisingly similar (between 246 and 266 kcal/100g, depending on the type). So the point isn’t that whole grain bread is magically less caloric. The key is elsewhere.

Whole grain bread usually has more fiber. Fiber means parts of the plant that your body doesn’t fully digest, but help food move more slowly through digestion and help you feel full longer. That’s why with whole grain bread, you often eat less of everything else.

With white bread, things are different. It digests faster and raises blood sugar more quickly. You’re hungrier sooner ... and then another slice comes ... and another ...

An interesting piece of evidence, often cited in research on eating habits, is that higher consumption of white bread in some groups is linked to a greater risk of becoming overweight over time. In the SUN project (SpringerLink project among the Mediterranean population), for example, they found a link between higher white bread consumption (2 pieces per day) and the risk of being overweight.

Additionally, a review of the literature on bread and obesity points out that reducing white bread (but not whole grain bread) in the Mediterranean diet pattern is linked to a lower increase in weight and abdominal fat.

This isn’t a condemnation of white bread, it’s just a hint: white bread is easier to overeat, partly because it keeps you full for less time.

Which bread is the most fattening?

The most dangerous for your weight is bread that just looks like bread but is almost cake—lots of fat, sugar, additives, sometimes nuts, dried fruit, glazes ... If such bread is on the menu occasionally, it’s not a problem. But even baguettes, soft rolls, and sweet toast breads can be a trap because they’re easy to eat in large amounts, often paired with high-calorie spreads.

The practical rule (which people often notice themselves): bread rarely makes you gain weight by itself. What you put on it is what does. Butter + cheese + salami + mayonnaise is an energy bomb; bread is just the "carrier."

Sourdough bread: why people can manage it better in practice

Sourdough bread has become trendy, but for a reason. Because it ferments longer, it can affect how quickly blood sugar rises. Research reviews show that sourdough has the potential to lower the glycemic index of bread (from high to medium), especially if it’s also higher in fiber.

Glycemic index means how quickly a certain food raises blood sugar. While it isn’t the only health criterion, it’s useful if you’re hungry again an hour later.

What does “keto bread” mean?

Keto means a way of eating with very few carbohydrates. Keto bread is often made with more seeds, fiber, and protein, sometimes with less flour—it’s not a magic solution, though. If you eat too much of it, you can still take in too many calories. But it’s true that some versions are more filling.

So, if you want to lose weight without extremes, you often don’t need to go keto. Usually, it’s enough to change the type of bread and adjust the amount.

A trick that works for almost everyone: bread with meals, not between meals

If you eat bread with your main meal, it's easier to control. If you snack on it between meals, you’ll almost always eat more than you think.

A practical example from 2025, which people often describe: At work, I have a box of crackers or toast bread on my desk and eat it throughout the day. This is a typical way to consume excess calories because each bite seems small but adds up to a lot.

A homemade and cheap solution: the rule of two brakes

If you want to eat bread and also watch your weight, remember these two simple and cheap brakes:

• The first brake is fiber (whole grain bread, seeds, sourdough).
  
  
• The second brake is protein (eggs, cottage cheese, legumes, fish, lean meat).

When you combine bread with these two rules, it keeps you fuller longer and reduces the chance that an hour later you’ll be craving something sweet or another roll.

How much bread is suitable for you, then?

The most practical answer is 1 to 2 servings of bread per day (about 40–60 g per serving) is perfectly normal for many people, if the bread is good quality and you don’t “boost” it with fatty spreads.

If you’re very active, you might eat more without problems. If you’re sedentary, you might do better with less. But there’s no need to demonize bread. It just needs to be put in its right place.