Best and Worst Breads for People With Type 2 Diabetes
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The Best and Worst Breads for People With Type 2 Diabetes

The Best and Worst Breads for People With Type 2 Diabetes
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Updated on July 29, 2025
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Contrary to popular belief, people with type 2 diabetes can eat bread — the right kinds and in thoughtful portions. As a starting point, breads made from whole-grains (such as whole-wheat bread) are fine in moderation for people with type 2 diabetes, although white bread should be avoided.

If you’ve been nervously avoiding the bread aisle at the supermarket until now, fear not. Once you get label-savvy, you’ll be able to find the healthiest, most satisfying bread for you.

8 Whole Grains That Can Help Prevent Or Manage Type 2 Diabetes

Replacing refined, simple sugars with more complex sources is an important step in managing type 2 diabetes. Eating complex carbohydrates rather than refined grains leads to better blood sugar management, according to the American Heart Association.
8 Whole Grains That Can Help Prevent Or Manage Type 2 Diabetes

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Read Nutrition Labels Carefully

According to Susan Weiner, RD, CDCES, a coauthor of Diabetes: 365 Tips for Living Well, it’s essential to read the nutrition labels on packaged bread, for several reasons.

  • Fiber Weiner strongly encourages people with diabetes to choose a high-fiber bread, with at least 3 grams (g) of fiber per slice. “Aim for a whole-grain bread with ingredients like oats, quinoa, or bran,” she says. “They may contain a good portion of fiber, which will improve glycemic response.”

  • Carbs and Calories Count If you’re making a sandwich with two slices of bread, choose a variety that has no more than 15 g of carbohydrates and 100 calories per slice. If the bread is higher in carbs and calories, use just one slice for an open-faced sandwich (a romaine lettuce leaf or another vegetable can double as the top “slice”), says Weiner.
  • Whole-Grain Versus White Flour Maria Rodriguez, RD, CDCES, the program manager for the Mount Sinai Diabetes Alliance in New York City, says you can tell if any packaged loaf is 100 percent whole-grain by looking at the ingredient list. “The first ingredient will say ‘whole.’ You can also look for the whole-grain stamp,” she says.

The Healthiest Breads You Can Buy

Whole-grain breads are ideal for anyone monitoring calories and carbohydrates. If you’re unenthusiastic about the typical whole-wheat varieties, you’ve got plenty of other choices.

  • Spelt, Flaxseed, Chia Seed, and Almond Flour Breads These breads can deliver lots of fiber, protein, and healthy fat. But be sure to check labels: These loaves may also be higher in calories. If a slice contains more than 100 calories, have one slice instead of two.
  • Whole-Grain Wraps and Tortillas Look for wraps that are 100 percent whole-wheat, whole-corn, whole-rice, or lower-carb (many contain non-GMO ingredients), or try a lower-carb, high-fiber tortilla: “It may have half the carbohydrates and twice the fiber of a typical slice of bread,” says Weiner. (Just pay attention to calories per serving, since wraps and tortillas tend to be large.) Fill them with scrambled eggs for breakfast or lean protein and vegetables for lunch.
  • Organic Whole-Grain Bread Many companies are now turning organic ingredients into delicious and nutritious loaves. Some are also sliced especially thin so they’re lower in carbohydrates per serving.
  • Sprouted Bread Ezekiel bread and the like can be great for people with diabetes. Instead of refined flour, these breads are made with whole grains that have begun to sprout.

  • Traditional Pumpernickel Bread Made with rye flour and often wheat flour, pumpernickel bread can have a lower glycemic index. For example, pumpernickel bread has a glycemic index of 45, compared with 90 for white sandwich bread.

     Just avoid loaves containing molasses (sometimes used for coloring), which will increase the carbohydrate and sugar content.
  • Gluten-Free Corn and Rice Tortillas and Breads While these gluten-free choices aren’t always made with 100 percent whole grains, they’re ideal for people who have both diabetes and celiac disease. Again, read the nutrition facts closely for ingredients and fiber content since they can vary.

Breads to Avoid

The worst breads for someone with diabetes are made with refined carbohydrates, such as white flour. Processing grains to make white flour softens the texture, but it also strips away fiber, vitamins, and minerals and results in a higher glycemic index.

Manufacturers often add back vitamins and minerals that were lost during processing, but that won’t increase the fiber content (unless they add that back, too). Understanding how to read labels will help you avoid breads that contain enriched wheat flour.

Other types of breads to avoid are those that list sweeteners, such as sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, or molasses — among the first ingredients.

Lastly, avoid breads that contain raisins or other dried fruit, as these are higher in carbohydrates as well.

The Takeaway

  • People with type 2 diabetes who want to include bread in a balanced diet should choose whole-grain varieties like whole wheat, whole oat, and whole rye, searching for loaves that offer 3 g of fiber per slice.
  • If you’re using two slices of bread to make a sandwich, make sure each slice has less than 100 calories. If your bread contains more than 100 calories per slice, use it for open-faced sandwiches, with just one slice.
  • Pair bread or low-carbohydrate tortillas with a healthy protein source to reduce postprandial (after-meal) blood sugars and help you feel full.
  • Skip white bread or other choices made with white flour, such as wraps, bagels, rolls, or Italian bread.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Understanding Carbs. American Diabetes Association.
  2. Giuntini EB et al. The Effects of Soluble Dietary Fibers on Glycemic Response: An Overview and Futures Perspectives. Foods. December 6, 2022.
  3. Whole Grain Stamp. Oldways Whole Grains Council.
  4. What Is Ezekiel Bread? Cleveland Clinic. October 19, 2023.
  5. Pumpernickel Bread. Glycemix Index Guide.
  6. White Flour Bread. Glycemic Index Guide.
  7. Types of Carbohydrates. American Diabetes Association.
  8. Overview of Food Fortification in the United States and Canada. Dietary Reference Intakes: Guiding Principles for Nutrition Labeling and Fortification.
  9. 6 Foods With Added Sugar That Will Surprise You. National Kidney Foundation. August 30, 2022.
  10. Fruit. American Diabetes Association.
Meet Our Experts
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Julie Cunningham, MPH, RDN, LDN, CDCES

Medical Reviewer

Julie Cunningham has been a registered dietitian for more than 25 years. She is a certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES) and an international board-certified lactation consultant. She has served as the president of the Foothills Chapter of the North Carolina Dietetics Association (NCDA) and has been a member of the executive board of the NCDA.

Ms. Cunningham received a bachelor's degree from Appalachian State University in North Carolina. She subsequently completed a master's degree in public health nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ms. Cunningham has worked in women's and children's health, cardiology, and diabetes. She is the author of 30 Days to Tame Type 2 Diabetes, and she has also written for Abbott Nutrition News, Edgepark Medical Health Insights, diaTribe, Babylist, and others.

A resident of beautiful western North Carolina, Cunningham is an avid reader who enjoys yoga, travel, and all things chocolate.

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Barbie Cervoni

Barbie Cervoni, RD, CDE

Author
Barbie Cervoni, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist, with a special interest in chronic disease prevention and management. She is professionally trained in plant-based cooking and is the founder and owner of an online virtual nutrition practice, Better Livin Nutrition. She understands the barriers, burdens, and challenges that come with managing a condition and believes in the power of nutrition for preventing, treating, and managing disease. She serves as co-leader for the ADCES plant-based nutrition community of interest group.
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