If you are one of those who buys bread, a lot of bread, to keep it frozen for a while and not have to go outside to get it on a bad weather day, let us tell you that you’re doing perfect, sweetie! And the thing is, although for years bread has been almost the “villain” of many diets, because it makes you gain weight, because it raises sugar levels, bread is not as bad as we have been made to believe.
And it all has to do with the way you prepare it, because something as basic as freezing it before eating it changes the way your body processes it.
Freezing bread
Freshly baked bread has a type of starch that the body digests very quickly, which is why blood glucose rises quickly and insulin with it. That is why for a long time we have been told that “it is bad”.
But when bread is frozen, part of that starch changes its structure through a process called “starch retrogradation“, and basically the carbohydrates turn into resistant starch. When the body ingests it, it digests it much more slowly and it does not cause those insulin spikes.
The invisible trick
This resistant starch acts more like fiber than starch, it is not absorbed immediately and helps energy be released more slowly, which also increases the feeling of fullness, and therefore you eat less.
That said, calories do not magically disappear, it does not become “light”, bread is still bread, but the speed at which your body processes it changes and metabolically, it makes a difference.
And if I toast it afterwards?
hat is what you should do. According to studies, the effect is better maintained when bread goes through a full cycle, meaning you freeze it, then thaw it and lightly toast it. Ready to eat. Reheating preserves part of the resistant starch that was generated while it cooled. And of course, warm toast tastes better than simply thawed bread.
So can I eat all the bread I want now?
No, bread is bread, it is carbohydrates, and as always, the key is moderation. Freezing it does not turn a whole baguette into “fitness” food, but its impact on your body may be much softer. Miracles have not been invented yet, unfortunately, because we love bread.
Does it work with all types of bread?
It is more noticeable in white or refined breads because these are normally digested very quickly, and it also happens in whole grain bread although the natural fiber in whole grain bread already slows absorption.
Why freeze bread?
As simple as everything we have just told you. And it also lasts longer and reduces waste, which is a plus. We are not saying you should buy bread for a scout camp every week, but you can buy it from time to time and always have a slice in the freezer. You will thank us on rainy days.
There are no bad foods
And although all our lives we have heard that there are “bad” foods, what is bad is the way we consume them. Now nutritional science is showing that the impact of food does not depend only on its calories, but also on how you consume it, and in this case, even on how you prepare it.
It is not about eliminating foods or demonizing them, but about understanding them better and adapting them to our diet in a coherent way and without excesses, even if we love bread and other foods that are also on the “forbidden” list.
Remember, what should always be healthy is your relationship with food, there are no bad foods, there are foods that should be consumed with caution 😉
