A review of Australia's Lowest Carb Breads

Bread has been the staple of Australian diets since we were kids. Like me, you probably had a couple of slices of toast for breakfast (my favourite was with vegemite), a sandwich (or two) for lunch and maybe another one for an afternoon snack when you get home from school. The desire for bread has most likely stuck with you through to this day – except since realising that you were eating way too many carbs – you probably started to avoid it, opting for lower carb choices. The good news is you no longer have to miss out on delicious fresh bread! In Australia, there’s a handful of lower carb breads which you can buy ready made, or as a packet mix which you can make at home yourself. In this article, I’ve compiled a list of 6 of Australia's Lowest Carb Breads. For each of these low carb breads, I’ve included the basic macro’s per serve– Protein, Total Fats, and Carbohydrates. Since this article is about carbs, I’ve sorted them accordingly, starting with the highest at #6, and working our way down to the lowest carb bread at #1. All nutritional values quoted are per serve (2 slices) and sources have been supplied at the end of the article. Alright, let’s get into it.

#6 – Bodhi's Hi Protein Lo Carbo

Nutritional Values Protein: 11.7 g Fat: 2.6 g Carbs: 20.0 g Gluten Free: ✘ Soy Free: ✘ Ingredients: Organic wholemeal wheat flour, Sour dough (spelt, water, naturally occurring bacteria and yeast), Spelt sprouts, Water, Soy protein isolate, Gluten, Linseed, Fibre, (resistant starch), Iodised salt, Olive oil. Starting off in position number #6 and almost a tie with position #5 is Bodhi's Hi Protein Lo Carbo bread. This bread is a relatively new addition to their extensive range of breads. It's got a good amount of protein – 40% more than regular wholemeal bread as claimed by their website, and it's quite low in fat with only 2.6 g / serve. If you're on the east coast of Australia there's a good chance you've never heard of Bodhi's Bakehouse, that's because they're based over in Perth. At the time of writing, Bodhi's Hi Protein Lo Carbo bread is only available in selected stores in WA. If you're not in WA. then read on to find out about Australia's Lowest Carb Breads that are hopefully available in a store near you.

#5 – HELGA’S Lower Carb Wholemeal & Seed

Nutritional Values Protein: 10.3 g Fat: 6.5 g Carbs: 19.0 g Gluten Free: ✘ Soy Free: ✘ Ingredients: Wholemeal wheat flour (43%), water, sunflower seeds (9%), milled linseeds (7%), wheat gluten, yeast, defatted soy flour, acacia gum, vinegar, iodised salt, cultured wheat flour, canola oil, soy flour, vegetable emulsifiers (481, 471, 472e), vitamins (thiamin, folic acid). Just nudging into position number #5 is HELGA’S Lower Carb Wholemeal & Seed. This is the newest flavour in HEGLA’S Lower Carb range, which was released toward the middle of 2014. It’s been received quite well amongst some as a simple swap for regular bread, but has fallen under criticism for still being quite high in carbs. I’ve selected the Wholemeal & Seed variant here as it’s the lowest carb bread out of the range with 19.0 g / serve. The rest of the variants fall between here and the highest being at 20.5 g / serve with the Soy & Toasted Sesame. If you’d like to read more, Catherine Saxelby has written a a great review of the product over at foodwatch.com.au

#4 – Bob's Red Mill - Wholegrain Low-Carb Bread Mix

Nutritional Values Protein: 11.0 g* Fat: 1.5 g* Carbs: 10.0 g* Gluten Free: ✘ Soy Free: ✘ Ingredients: Vital wheat gluten, whole grain oat flour, oat bran, oat fiber, flaxseed meal, whole grain rye flour, wheat bran, whole soy flour, active dry yeast, evaporated cane juice, sea salt (magnesium carbonate as flowing agent) In position number #4 is Bob's Red Mill, Low-Carb Bread Mix. This is a bake at home mix, requiring the customer to add water, cream, canola oil, and an egg. It is in fact an American product which is imported and sold in many shops around Australia. *Note: The nutrition quoted on their website and the packet, is of the dry-mix component of the product, not of the final product when made according to instructions provided. As a result, the nutritional values quoted may be inaccurate. According to MyFitnessPal, the actual carbohydrate value (once made according to the instructions provided is 18g per serve (2 slices). This nutritional discrepancy doesn't however effect it's position in this list of Australia's Lowest Carb Breads, still settling in at a comfortable 4th place.

#3 – empower Golden Wholemeal Lo-Carb Bakery Mix

Nutritional Values Protein: 23.6 g* Fat: 11.8 g* Carbs: 5.0 g* Gluten Free: ✘ Soy Free: ✘ Ingredients: WHEAT GLUTEN, WHEAT PROTEIN ISOLATE, CORN STARCH, WHEAT BRAN, SOY FLOUR, WHOLEMEAL FLOUR (5%), LINSEED, SUNFLOWER SEED, SOY FIBRE, SALT, POPPY SEEDS, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, EMULSIFIER (221), THIAMINE (VITAMIN B1). Contains milk, soy and wheat derivatives. Coming in in 3rd place is empower's Golden Wholemeal Lo-Carb Bakery Mix. Another bake at home style mix, this time made here in Australia. It packs a punch in the protein department with 23.6 g per 88g serve (2 slices), but also does in the fat department too with 11.8g per serve. Being a bake at home mix makes it quite suitable for experimentation with empower themselves stating 1 packet of mix makes 2 loaves, or 6 pizza bases. It can be bought in numerous stores around Australia, as well as on many online shops.

#2 – Herman Brot Low Carb Bread

Nutritional Values Protein: 24.7 g Fat: Unknown Carbs: 4.8 g Gluten Free: ✘ Soy Free: ✘ Ingredients: Water, wheat protein, soy protein, lupin protein, soy meal, linseed, sunflower seeds, soy grits, wholegrain wheat meal, wheat bran, soy flour, yeast, vinegar, apple fibre, iodised salt, roasted malted barley flour, emulsifier (322 from soy), acidity regulator (262). In second place in our list of Australia's Lowest Carb Breads is a bread made by a Brisbane based company with a very German inspiration, Herman Brot. Their website states "Our bread has a certified Glycemic Index of 24 and a Glycemic Load of 1 –conducted by SUGiRS – University of Sydney, Australia". GI aside, it does have quite a good amount of protein and relatively low amount of carbs. It's available for purchase in various retailers around Australia.

#1 – Australia's Lowest Carb Bread is… Protein Bread

Low Carb Bread - Australia's Lowest Carb Bread

Nutritional Values Protein: 15.8 g Fat: 3.1 g Carbs: 2.0 g Gluten Free ✅ Soy Free ✅ Ingredients: Water, egg white, lupin flour, whey protein, golden flax meal, pea protein, almond meal, baking powder (gluten free), linseeds, chia seeds, cinnamon, iodised salt, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds and pepitas In position number #1 of Australia's Lowest Carb Bread, is Protein Bread™ by The Protein Bread Company. One serve of Protein Bread™ contains just 2.0 g of carbs. That’s 92% less carbs than regular wholegrain breads.^#

How is Protein Bread™ so low in carbohydrates?

By using a special combination of high protein and low carb ingredients such as almond meal, flax meal, pea protein and whey protein, we've managed to create a delicious bread that you can enjoy anytime of day, without feeling guilty ever again. Even better news for the Celiac's or growing number of people with gluten intolerance, Protein Bread™ is 100% gluten free.

Where can I buy Australia's Lowest Carb Bread?

You can purchase Protein Bread from our Protein Bread Stockists around Australia, or you can buy Protein Bread™ as a bake at home mix directly from our Online Shop and we'll deliver it straight to your door, anywhere in Australia. ^#Per serve average of Helga’s Mixed Grain, Wholemeal, Bürgen Soy-Lin. Data: 29/04/15.

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A Review of Australia's Lowest Carb Breads