It’s no secret that regular bread isn’t exactly a health food. With very little protein or fiber, it spikes blood sugar without filling us up, leading to overeating in the long run. This study found that just two slices of bread a day was linked to a 40% increased risk of becoming overweight in young adults.

But, hey, who doesn’t love a good sandwich or piece of toast? Especially as busy parents, we really need bread in our lives. Is it possible to have all the ease, texture and taste of bread but without the low-protein, fiber-less spike in blood sugar?

Yes, we can.

Consider giving these low-carb, high-fiber, high-protein breads a try.

What’s a low-carb bread made out of?

Each brand has a slightly different formula, but they’re generally made with a mix of different fibers (that don’t convert as quickly or at all into blood sugar) and different proteins. One slice of normal bread like this has 4 grams of protein, 26 grams of carbohydrate, and only 1 gram of fiber (for a total of 25 grams of net carbs). A slice of low-carb bread like the ones listed below has between 3-7 grams of protein, between 5-12 grams of carbohydrate, and between 4-12 grams of fiber (for a total of between 0-4 grams of net carbs).

Low-carb breads are generally more expensive than normal bread and often have some trade-off with texture and taste. We’ve found five higher-protein, low-carb breads that have the fewest trade-offs. They’re all dramatically better when it comes to net carbs, and a few come so close to real bread that the only significant trade off is on price.

Here’s a quick overview, with links to Amazon for purchase*. Because we have no affiliation with any of these companies, we’ll just go in alphabetical order:

Base Culture

Macronutrients per slice: 4g protein | 4g

net carbs | 4 g fiber

Main protein type: Wheat gluten

Main fiber type: Flax meal

Kids review: "Tastes healthy." "This is for grownups."

Pro/Con: Top notch, healthy ingredients but least regular bread-like

Best flavor: Cheese bread

Cost: $0.71 per slice

Carbonaut

Macronutrients per slice: 7g protein | 2g net carbs | 7g fiber

Main protein type: Wheat gluten

Main fiber type: Bamboo fiber

Kids review: "Close to real bread." "Chewy and good for toast."

Pro/Con: Great texture but taste might not fool bread lovers

Best flavor: White bread

Cost: $0.39 per slice

Kiss My Keto

Macronutrients per slice: 6g protein | 0g net carbs | 5g fiber

Main protein type: Wheat gluten

Main fiber type: Oat fiber

Kids review: "Soft and chewy." "Good for PB & J"

Best flavor: Golden wheat

Pro/Con: Good texture and taste but pretty pricey

Cost: $0.63 per slice

Sola:

Macronutrients per slice: 5g protein | 4g net carbs | 4g fiber

Main protein type: Wheat gluten

Main fiber type: Oat fiber

Kids review: "The bread is really good but the hot dog buns are the best."

Pro/Con: Hot dog buns are great, but they're pricey

Best flavor: Sweet & buttery

Cost: $0.67 per slice

Costco "Artisan Bakers Keto Bread":

Macronutrients per 40 gram slice: 3g protein | 0g net carbs** | 12g fiber

Main protein type: Wheat gluten

Main fiber type: Inulin (chicory root fiber)**

Kids review: "It's one of the best. Tastes like normal white bread."

Pro/Con: Great taste and texture but it's not likely that it's as low-carb as they claim on the Nutrition Facts**

Best flavor: Multiseed (the only flavor)

Cost: $0.25 per slice

Why is low-carb, high-protein better?

Protein is the most important macronutrient in our diet. Not only is it necessary for building muscle and bone and is used in many other processes in the body, it’s the most filling of the macronutrients (carbs and fat are the other two macronutrients.)

As we explained in this article on the protein leverage hypothesis, our bodies need protein so when we eat meals low in protein, our bodies will still be hungry, searching for more protein.

When we eat higher-protein meals, we’ll be less hungry and our bodies will have more of the nutrients it needs.

Reducing net carbs in our meals also reduces the amount of non-protein calories that can slow fat metabolism.

Bottom line: more protein, fewer net carbs = healthier metabolism

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