The Best Bread Alternatives for Sandwiches

Stores now offer a wide array of bread alternatives, including pita pockets, sandwich thins, flatbreads, and tortillas that are perfect for sandwiches.

Follow the same strategy when choosing bread alternatives as you do when selecting the healthiest loaves of bread: Review the Nutrition Facts labels and ingredient lists.

Check the Flour First

When choosing any kind of bread product, opt for one made with whole-grain flour, a natural source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and beneficial phytochemicals; many of these nutrients are lost when grains are broken down in the process of refining. Bread products that contain at least 8 grams of whole grains per serving may carry a Whole Grain Stamp on their packaging, which identifies the grams of whole grains per serving. Your daily goal is at least 48 grams of whole grains, according to the USDA 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Be sure whole-grain flour is one of the first few ingredients; products that list “enriched flour” as the first ingredient consist primarily of refined, rather than whole, grains. And, don’t let bread color mislead you—some bread products contain caramel color to make them appear healthier.

What You Should Know

Avoid these common bread product additives and other ingredients:

  • Dough conditioners: Azodicarbonamide, calcium peroxide, L-cysteine, mono- and diglycerides, potassium bromate, sodium metabisulfite
  • Preservatives: Calcium propionate, fumaric acid, phosphoric acid, potassium sorbate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium propionate
  • Sugar substitutes: Maltitol, sucralose
  • Manmade fats: Partially hydrogenated oil (trans fat), interesterified oil

Many products also have extra fiber added in the form of oats or wheat bran. Choose bread items with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.

Look for a Short List

Avoid bread products with a long ingredient list that sounds more like a laboratory experiment than real food. Grocery store bread products are often laden with dough conditioners (to improve strength and texture), preservatives (to prevent spoilage), and artificial sweeteners and/or flavors.

Other additives, such as sulfites or sorbates (see What You Should Know), may induce sensitivity reactions, such as headaches or digestive problems, and are best avoided if you’re sensitive to them.  For bread products that are free of additives, you may need to look in your supermarket’s natural food section or a health-food store. Local bakeries and farmer’s markets are also likely to offer whole-grain, additive-free selections, but keep in mind that preservative-free bread can spoil quickly, so you’ll need to store it in the refrigerator.

Wrap It Up

One bonus of using wraps is that your sandwich fillings don’t fall out as easily as they can between two slices of bread. Take advantage by adding an assortment of healthy vegetables, such as shredded carrots, diced peppers, avocados, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and spinach. For tortillas, choose whole-wheat or corn tortillas—these pair well with south-of-the-border-flavored fillings, such as beans, cilantro, and fish. 

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