Toast bread: Why dietitians and doctors urge caution

Toast bread is an essential type of bread in kitchens. Unfortunately, dietitians do not have a very high opinion of it. It's not just about the calories; it's also about what happens when this food product is heated.

The popularity of toast bread should not surprise anyone. It is very convenient; we don't have to slice it, it rarely goes wrong, and we can transform it into delicious toast with ham and melted yellow cheese in just a few moments. However, this snack should not become a breakfast ritual. Both dietitians and doctors have something to say about it.

In an ideal world, toast bread would be made from just a few ingredients: flour, water, milk, yeast, and spices. However, reality is not what we would like to see. Because toast bread is exceptionally durable and consistent, manufacturers add many "extra" ingredients with a questionable reputation. We usually find preservatives, acidity regulators, and emulsifiers in such bread. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

From a dietitian's perspective, toast bread and the toast or sandwiches made from it are among the worst breakfast choices. In one slice, we can find as much as 100 calories, a lot of sugar and salt, and very little dietary fiber. This leads to a few concerns. Firstly, after such a breakfast, we will quickly become hungry again, and secondly, we expose ourselves to rapid changes in blood glucose levels.

As we have already mentioned, toast bread is associated with another problem. It's about what we prepare from it. Why should this bread not be put in a toaster? Because it is rich in carbohydrates, toasting it can cause the formation of acrylamide — a chemical compound that can cause cancerous changes. Doctors warn that acrylamide also adversely affects the nervous system.