6 of the Best Breads to Eat for Fiber, According to Dietitians

In general, the best breads for fiber are minimally processed and made with whole ingredients. Eating such breads can boost the overall quality of your diet, as fiber is such an important nutrient. For starters, it's needed for gut health and regular bowel movements. Fiber can also manage blood cholesterol and blood sugar, which is key for reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes, respectively.

Plus, eating high-fiber breads will keep you full for longer, especially when compared to traditional white breads. It's a delicious way to get the most out of your meals, whether you're making sandwiches or enjoying toast. If you're not sure where to start, consider these high-fiber breads, recommended by dietitians.

Sprouted Grain Bread

Sprouted-grain bread, including popular varieties like Ezekiel bread, is one of the best high-fiber breads, with 4 grams of fiber per slice. According to Matthew J. Landry, PhD, RDN, FAND, FAHA, registered dietitian nutritionist and assistant professor of population health and disease prevention at UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population and Public Health, this type of bread is typically made from sprouted whole grains and legumes, such as beans and lentils. "Since the grains are sprouted, nutrients can be easier to digest," says Landry. This includes B vitamins and iron, which help support energy metabolism, he notes.

How to Eat

• For extra fiber, top this bread with half an avocado and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning, says Mary Mosquera, RD, LD, IFNCP, registered dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
• Try making Martha's favorite egg salad sandwich with sprouted grain bread.
• Use the bread for poached-chicken-salad sandwiches.

Seeded Bread

Seeded bread can contain about 4 grams of fiber per slice, according to Mosquera. Varieties with flax seeds or chia seeds also offer omega-3 fats, which have powerful anti-inflammatory properties, shares Mosquera. These fats support heart health and brain function, too.

How to Eat

• Make your own no-knead seeded overnight bread.
• Seeded bread is delicious in a Greek salad sandwich.
• Start your day by eating breakfast toast with seeded bread.

Multigrain Bread

Compared to bread that's only made with wheat, multigrain bread (which is made with multiple types of grains) is higher in nutrients. This includes fiber, which comes in at about 3 grams per slice, along with iron, magnesium, and B vitamins. When shopping for multigrain bread, "look for brands with grains like oat, quinoa, millet, kamut, buckwheat, or teff in addition to the more traditional whole wheat," suggests Mosquera.

How to Eat

• Mosquera recommends making breakfast toast with ricotta cheese, honey, and sliced pear for extra fiber.
• Toast and crush multigrain bread to make homemade breadcrumbs.
• Use multigrain bread to make avocado-and-sprout club sandwiches.
• For a homemade version, bake Martha's basic multigrain bread.
  

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Rye Bread

Another high-fiber loaf is rye bread, according to Mosquera. It offers nearly 3 grams of fiber per slice. What's more, "rye bread is rich in nutrients like selenium, iron, and manganese," she says, and "these minerals all play vital roles in energy production and metabolism." Rye bread also contains resistant starch, which can feed beneficial bacteria in the gut, says Landry.

How to Eat

• Rye bread is a classic component of the Reuben sandwich, which calls for corned beef, Swiss cheese, and gut-friendly sauerkraut.
• "Create a lox open-faced sandwich by topping rye bread with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and capers," says Landry.
• Replace pumpernickel with rye in a Scandinavian shrimp-and-cucumber sandwich.

100 Percent Whole Wheat Bread

Depending on the brand, whole wheat bread can provide about 3 grams of fiber per slice. It's also a good source of B vitamins, iron, and selenium, which support energy metabolism, says Landry. Bonus: Whole wheat bread is cheaper than other high-fiber varieties. Just be sure to choose a product labeled "100 percent whole wheat."

How to Eat

• For a simple yet satisfying meal, make Martha's turkey sandwich with 100-percent whole wheat bread.
• If you have stale whole wheat bread, turn it into stuffing.
• Spread homemade bean dip on toasted 100-percent whole wheat bread.

Oat Bread

In general, oat bread offers 2 grams of fiber per slice. It also has beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that helps lower LDL cholesterol (i.e., "bad" cholesterol) by binding to cholesterol in the digestive tract, according to Landry. This can reduce the risk of heart disease and support heart health.

How to Eat

• "Toast the bread and make a variant of bruschetta by topping with tomatoes, basil, and olive oil," says Landry.
• Make a turkey, cheddar, and green-apple sandwich with hearty oat bread.
• Top oat bread with fiber-rich guacamole hummus.