It is a misconception that low-carb dieters have to skip the bread. A number of substitutions for traditional white flour in breads are high on taste and low on carbs. Choosing a low-carb bread made with almond flour over it's traditional white bread counterpart will cut your carbohydrate intake by a whopping 75 percent per serving, allowing you to continue to lead a successful low-carb lifestyle while still eating bread.
About Almond Bread
Because almond bread does not contain traditional wheat-based flour, it is gluten free and caters to a number of dietary needs. The lack of yeast in this variation makes almond bread denser than traditional breads. Other nut-based flours can be used in place of almond flour, if you desire. This will slightly change the taste of the bread without adding any additional carbohydrates.
Sample Recipe
To make low-carb almond bread, combine 2 1/2 cups of blanched almond flour, 1/2 a teaspoon of sea salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk three eggs, and add a tablespoon of honey and 1/2 a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and continue stirring until thoroughly combined and scoop the batter into a small well-greased loaf pan. Bake the bread for 45 to 55 minutes at 300 degrees on the bottom rack of your oven. This recipe yields about 12 servings.
Nutrition Facts
When prepared as directed above, low-carb almond bread contains about 157 calories, 13 grams of fat, 53 milligrams of cholesterol, 2.5 grams of fiber, 6.5 grams of protein and 6.5 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Compared to traditional white bread, almond bread is significantly lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein and fat content. To lower the cholesterol and calories in this recipe, you can substitute Egg Beaters when eggs are called for.
Why Low-Carb Bread?
According to The Mayo Clinic, a low-carb diet excludes or limits most grains, beans, fruits, breads, sweets, pastas and starchy vegetables -- this includes most traditional variations of bread made with wheat flour, which tend to be high in carbohydrates. Substituting a lower carb almond bread can help you attain a daily lower carb intake because it contains about 75 percent fewer carbohydrates than regular bread products. The premise of the low-carb diet is that, if your body does not have access to carbohydrates to burn for energy, it will begin to burn stored fat instead, resulting in weight loss. With so many people adopting a low-carb lifestyle, food manufacturers have begun to offer low-carb substitutions and variations of traditional products, like low-carb almond bread for white bread, making it simpler to adhere to a this diet.
References
- LIVESTRONG: My Plate
- The Mayo Clinic: Low-Carb Diet
- "Comfort Food Diet Cookbook"; Reader's Digest; 2005
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