Nature's Own Honey Wheat Bread Nutrition & Tips for Diabetics

Nature's Own Honey Wheat Bread

Bread is a staple food for many people. However, choosing the healthiest options can be tricky, especially for those with diabetes who need to watch their carb intake. Nature's Own Honey Wheat bread aims to provide a tasty but nutritious baked good for consumers looking for a sensible bread choice.

An Overview of Nature's Own Honey Wheat Bread

Nature's Own Honey Wheat Bread contains nature's own honey wheat as its main ingredient. The company uses a blend of three wheat flours - 100% whole wheat, honey wheat, and enriched bleached flour. They sweeten the bread slightly with small amounts of honey and molasses.

Each serving provides 14g of whole grains per slice to give a nutty, wheat-like taste. At 80 calories per slice, Nature's Own Honey Wheat offers a lower-calorie option than many classic white bread brands. It has 2g of fiber per slice as well.

Nature's Own Honey Wheat Nutrition Facts

Here is the nutrition breakdown for a single slice (1 oz) serving of Nature's Own Honey Wheat bread:

• 80 calories
• 2g fiber
• 14g carbs
• 2g fat
• 4g protein

Due to the blend of whole wheat and enriched wheat flours, Nature's Own Honey Wheat contains more vitamins and minerals than white bread. You get small amounts of calcium, iron, potassium, folate, and B vitamins in each slice.

Choosing the Best Breads for Diabetes

Living with diabetes means keeping close tabs on carbohydrates from grains, bread included. The key is moderating portion sizes and selecting healthier whole grain, high fiber options whenever possible. Here is a detailed guide to finding the best bread when you have diabetes:

Tips for Picking the Healthiest Bread with Diabetes

Use this checklist when comparing bread products at the grocery store:

• Choose 100% whole grain as the first ingredient
• Aim for at least 3g fiber per slice
• Pick options with less than 15g carbs per slice
• Avoid high fat breads like croissants or biscuits
• Check the glycemic index - low is better
• Skip breads listing sugar within the first few ingredients
• Limit portion to 1 small slice at a meal

The Best Bread Options for Diabetes

Here are some of the top bread choices for managing diabetes:

• Sprouted whole grain breads (like Food for Life)
• Light or diet whole wheat breads
• Whole grain rye or pumpernickel bread
• Sourdough whole wheat bread
• 100% whole wheat bread
• Whole grain wheat bagels or pita

Oatmeal bread, seed breads like sesame, and certain nut breads can also fit into a healthy diabetes diet. These offer more fiber, nutrients, and blood sugar balancing properties compared to refined bread products.

Bread Ingredients to Avoid with Diabetes

Breads containing large amounts of these ingredients can spike blood sugar and hinder diabetes management:

• Enriched wheat flour
• Bleached wheat flour
• White flour
• Corn syrup
• High fructose corn syrup
• Trans fats like shortening
• Sugar

Avoid classic white and French breads as well as biscuits, sweet muffins, pastries, and other carb-loaded baked goods. Always check the nutrition label carefully for red flags whenever buying bread products.

Is Nature's Own Honey Wheat Good for Diabetes?

Based on its nutrition profile, ingredients, and fiber content, Nature's Own Honey Wheat Bread can fit into a healthy diet for managing diabetes. The blend of whole wheat and enriched flours provide more nutrients than regular white bread.

Due to the touch of honey, molasses, and enriched flour, other breads rank as better options if you have diabetes. But overall, Nature's Own Honey Wheat offers reasonable nutrition for a store-bought bread choice.

The Pros

Here are the positives of selecting Nature's Own Honey Wheat Bread with diabetes:

• Contains some whole grains
• Low glycemic index (55 or under)
• Higher in fiber than white bread
• Free of high fructose corn syrup
• Lower in carbs and calories than regular bread
• Contains blood sugar-friendly magnesium

The Cons

These are the downsides to consider:

• Includes enriched wheat flour
• Added sugars from honey and molasses
• Could be higher in fiber
• Not 100% whole grain

For those reasons, other whole grain breads beat out Nature's Own Honey Wheat in terms of diabetes nutrition. But it still ranks favorably compared to eating plain white bread.

Fitting Bread into a Diabetic Diet

Tips for Adding Bread with Diabetes

Here is how to incorporate bread as part of a healthy type 2 diabetes meal plan:

• Opt for whole grains - Choose 100% whole grain breads whenever possible for the highest nutrition and fiber.
• Watch portions - Stick to 1 small slice of bread at a time, measured out to the serving size.
• Pair with protein - Eat bread alongside protein-rich foods like eggs, nuts, seeds, beans, fish, or poultry to balance your meal.
• Add veggies - Top bread with vegetable toppings for added nutrition without spiking carb counts.
• Compare brands - Find a bread option aligning with your health needs based on ingredients, carbs, sugars, and nutrients.

Choosing good-for-you breads prevent spikes in blood glucose levels. But following healthy eating habits matters just as much for keeping diabetes in check.

Sample Menu with Nature's Own Honey Wheat

Here is a balanced diabetic meal sample using Nature's Own Honey Wheat Bread:

• 1 slice Nature's Own Honey Wheat Toast
• 1 scrambled egg made with 1 cup spinach
• 12 grapefruit
• 1 cup green tea

This meal provides 31g carbs, 20g protein, and 10g fiber. It makes a nutritious breakfast or light lunch that won't destabilize blood sugar levels.

Other Tips for Eating Right with Diabetes

Choosing healthy breads is one piece of creating an optimal diet for managing diabetes. Be sure to also:

• Load up on non-starchy veggies at meals
• Stay hydrated with water and unsweetened drinks
• Monitor portion sizes closely
• Reduce sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, and processed foods
• Incorporate protein, fiber and healthy fats at each meal
• Keep carbs steady from meal to meal

Working with a registered dietitian knowledgeable in diabetes nutrition can also help devise an eating regimen to improve your health.

Lifestyle Changes Beyond Diet

While food plays a central role, supporting your body in other ways matters too. Be sure to:

• Exercise regularly - aim for 30 minutes daily
• Lose weight if overweight
• Quit smoking if needed
• Limit alcohol intake
• Manage stress levels
• Get enough sleep nightly

Adopting healthy lifestyle habits plus choosing better-for-you bread options gives your body its best shot at balancing diabetes long-term.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.