Breadsticks are neither a healthy snack nor are they good for weight loss. Most commercial breadsticks lack vitamins, minerals, and fiber, whereas they’re packed with sugar, unhealthy fats, and calories!
Are breadsticks fattening?
Actually, breadsticks aren’t the best snack for weight loss. They’re high in calories. We should only eat breadsticks in moderation if we want to lose weight. They have about 410 calories per 100g! Just a breadstick contains 82 calories.[1]
Most calories of breadsticks come from fat! Fat adds flavor to breadsticks. Breadsticks contain about 13-22 grams of fat per 100g.
So, breadsticks are actually fattening. Most people eat more than one!
Are breadsticks healthy?
In addition, most commercial breadsticks aren’t healthy because:
- they’re high in calories
- usually made of refined flours, which lack of fiber
- contain added sugar or salt
- usually used low-quality vegetable oils
- lack vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
Actually, many food companies use cheap, low quality vegetable oils. These vegetable oils (e.g. sunflower oil) tend to be high in omega-6s. Certainly, we need omega-6s for good health. However, nowadays, we consume too much. The ratio of omega-6s/omega-3s should be close to 1. But, most people who follow the standard Western diet consume 15 times more omega-6s than omega-3s. This can lead to chronic inflammation, obesity, and disease.
Furthermore, breadsticks may contain added sugar. Too much added sugar is bad for our health. High amounts of added sugar may increase the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and caries. Sugar doesn’t have any nutritional value. As a rule of thumb, most people shouldn’t consume more than 25 grams of added sugar a day on a 2,000 calorie diet.[3,4]
In addition, breadsticks made from refined flour have negligible amounts of fiber. High fiber intake has been linked to a lower risk of developing heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and certain gastrointestinal diseases. Also, it may reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol, enhance immune functions, and improve insulin sensitivity.[5]
Whole-wheat breadsticks without added sugar, or rice cakes are much healthier snacks for weight loss.
How many breadsticks can I eat a day for weight loss?
If you want to lose weight, you shouldn’t eat more than 2-3 medium breadsticks a day. That’s about 200 calories!
However, most people consume much higher amounts without realizing it. So, maybe, it’s better to avoid eating breadsticks altogether if you want to lose weight. Fruits, such as apples and bananas, are much healthier snacks for weight loss.
Are other popular snacks for weight loss better than breadsticks?
Actually, the best snacks for weight loss are fruits and nuts. You can eat a banana, an apple, or a handful of walnuts or almonds, as a healthy snack between meals.
Other popular commercial snacks, such as rice cakes, and pretzels can make you gain weight as well.
