NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Bread is great for your gut health, but only if you choose the right loaf

By Tim Spector
Daily Telegraph UK·
9 Jun, 2025 06:00 PM8 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Homemade sourdough rye is a healthier option than store-bought bread. Photo / 123rf

Homemade sourdough rye is a healthier option than store-bought bread. Photo / 123rf

Why Tim Spector won’t stop eating sandwiches.

I eat a slice of bread a day, either for breakfast or lunch. That may surprise you, as bread doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to our health – but it’s misunderstood.

It’s one of the first things humans made – there are records of flatbreads going back some 14,000 years. So it’s part of our culture; let’s not demonise it but enjoy it.

But, in some forms, it should be a rare treat (for me, that’s when it’s topped with marmalade). If you’re having it on a regular basis like me, make sure that it’s both tasty and good for you.

My everyday bread – and favourite treat options

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Most days, I eat sourdough rye bread that I make myself with wholemeal flour, rye flour, malted flakes, water, salt, a sourdough starter and some mixed nuts and seeds (I’ve shared the exact recipe below). It’s got a really rich taste, a nutty feel to it, lots of structure and you know it’s doing you good. It’s heavy, dense and fills me up.

It’s free from additives and preservatives, full of high-quality grains, is high in fibre and fills you up – meaning you eat much less of it than you would a shop-bought equivalent.

I often make more than I need and freeze it – slicing it thinly, so it’s simple to take a couple of slices and toast as you need it.

But if I don’t have any, I’ll buy something like a rye and barley sourdough. Sometimes I’ll pick up a pre-packaged long-life German rye bread. These don’t look very appetising but are nutritious and do the job until I can next make my own.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

I certainly wouldn’t now buy the heavily processed supermarket bread that I used to, like white or even wholemeal sliced; but I’ll eat it if I’m at someone’s house or travelling and it’s really the only option available. They’re full of sugar, packed with artificial ingredients and won’t fill you up. Once you get used to healthier breads, these options no longer taste nice, either – they’re very light, dissolve in your mouth and feel very sugary.

But I don’t always just stick to my healthy rye sourdoughs. My guilty pleasure is warm bread in restaurants, which is often quite sugary but delicious – options like homemade ciabatta and focaccia that I cover in extra-virgin olive oil. I’ve found that I’m not very good at saying no to it but as I don’t go to restaurants every day, I see it as a treat.

Discover more

Lifestyle

That cup of coffee may have a long-term perk

02 Jun 11:32 PM
Lifestyle

'Really nasty substance': Why no type of alcohol is safe

29 May 06:00 AM
Lifestyle

Is red meat bad for your heart? It may depend on who funded the study

26 May 12:00 AM
Lifestyle

'King of fruits': How healthy are mangoes really?

21 May 11:00 PM

The healthy toppings – and ones to avoid

I’m now completely turned off the classic sandwich and popular fillings. In my 25 years working as a hospital doctor, I’d buy a daily meal deal (in health terms, probably the worst possible invention in the name of convenience). Tuna and sweetcorn or cucumber with mayo on brown bread was my go-to, with a packet of crisps and orange juice. At the time, I thought this was a healthy option but it definitely wasn’t – the bread was dyed and full of sugar and additives and I don’t think it had a single wholegrain in it. And all that tuna is probably why I’ve got high mercury levels now.

Instead, I now make much healthier high-fibre open sandwiches at home with whatever I have in the fridge.

If I’m in a hurry, I would opt for cream cheese topped with sauerkraut or kimchi. I’ve just done a new study for my book Ferment, which is out in September, and we tested Philadelphia cheese that counts as a fermented food as, surprisingly, it contains live microbes. We could be snobby and say it’s mass-produced but, ultimately, fermented food improves your digestion and gut health and we don’t eat enough of it – though I prefer to buy a cream cheese from my local delicatessen that tastes better (but I’m not too proud to buy Philadelphia).

If I have more time, I would drizzle my toasted bread with olive oil, spread over some hummus (either regular or beetroot) and top with jarred artichoke hearts, as well as some sauerkraut or kimchi.

As a treat, I love dipping bread into olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Not only does it taste fantastic, the dips are full of healthy fats, which counteract some of the sugar in the bread. It feels like a luxurious thing to do but may have some benefits.

Ultimately, many of us choose the easy route and have the same single-ingredient sandwich most days. As well as being unhealthy, it reduces the diversity of plants you are eating, depriving your gut microbes of a treat. So it’s important to look for new ways to enjoy our sandwich.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The UK’s more popular fillings – like ham and cheese, BLT, prawn mayo – are all pretty rubbish for our health. Instead of always having our bread with meat, try to think of veggie options you could make. Most people like hummus and have it in their fridge but most don’t think to put it on a sandwich. Try to be more adventurous.

How to pick a healthy supermarket bread

It’s pretty hard to find good healthy bread in most supermarkets. The top-selling breads all tend to have a nice healthy label promoting vitamins or fibre, some seeds scattered on top and they tend to look brown and may even mention the word sourdough on the front of the packaging.

But you’re never going to be able to tell from the appearance or the front of the packet whether you’re buying healthy bread because there’s no agreed legal definition for the words wholegrain, or freshly baked, and dyes are often added to bread to make them appear healthier than they are. Sourdough is sadly often added as a “fake” ingredient to sell the product.

If it’s “baked on the premises”, supermarkets don’t have to share the ingredients in it and this category includes breads that have been made in a factory, kept frozen for up to two years in warehouses and then thawed out and baked in-store. It creates a lovely smell in the shop but will do little for your health.

Instead, you need to look at the ingredients list on the back of the label. There, you’re looking for a high percentage of fibre in your bread (ideally over 6-10%) and as little sugar as possible. It’s also important to try to avoid too many ingredients, especially red-flag ingredients like emulsifiers and palm oils.

If vitamins have been added to the loaf, it’s often a sign that the bread isn’t healthy. A lot of the vitamins out there come from big factories overseas, often made using modified microbes, and there are real concerns about whether they actually contain what the labels say.

The combination of ingredients like salt, sugar and fats in unhealthy loaves are designed to make them very easy to overeat, which is known as hyper-palatability.

If you go for a healthier option with lots of fibre it will actually fill you up – you’ll eat less and feel fuller. Loaves made with rye flour, spelt flour or wholegrains are best. Another good sign is that it has a short ingredient list.

I know this is a really difficult food for people to work their way around and I don’t think people should stop eating bread, but I do think everyone should be trying to select a bread that is healthier than the one they’re eating at the moment.

If you’re just a bit fussier about the bread you eat, you can actually improve your health a lot.

Tim’s rye sourdough recipe

Ingredients

  • 100g wholemeal flour
  • 500g rye flour
  • 50g malted flakes or any flaked grain for texture
  • 300ml water – start with less, add more as needed
  • 10g salt
  • 100g active sourdough starter
  • 2-3 scoops mixed seeds

Method

  1. In a large bowl, combine the flours, malted flakes and mixed seeds
  2. Add your sourdough starter.
  3. Pour in the water gradually and mix until you have a tough but hydrated dough.
  4. Add the salt.
  5. Gently fold the dough a few times to incorporate air — no kneading necessary.
  6. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave it in a warm place overnight (about 12 hours).
  7. The dough should be bubbly and risen in the morning.
  8. Transfer to a floured cast iron casserole or tin. Let it rest while the oven heats.
  9. Bake in a hot oven (ideally with a lid or Dutch oven) at 220C for 30 minutes with the lid on, and 25-30 minutes with the lid off.
  10. Cool before slicing and enjoy.
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Lifestyle

Royals

Royal clash: Meghan's LA gala coincides with Trooping the Colour

11 Jun 12:08 AM
Premium
Lifestyle

Do I need to refrigerate sauce? An A-to-Z guide to storing condiments

11 Jun 12:00 AM
Premium
Lifestyle

'Flick a switch': Just how psychopathic are surgeons?

10 Jun 08:04 PM

Why wallpaper works wonders

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Royal clash: Meghan's LA gala coincides with Trooping the Colour

Royal clash: Meghan's LA gala coincides with Trooping the Colour

11 Jun 12:08 AM

Meghan will be honoured at the Night of Wonder gala in Los Angeles.

Premium
Do I need to refrigerate sauce? An A-to-Z guide to storing condiments

Do I need to refrigerate sauce? An A-to-Z guide to storing condiments

11 Jun 12:00 AM
Premium
'Flick a switch': Just how psychopathic are surgeons?

'Flick a switch': Just how psychopathic are surgeons?

10 Jun 08:04 PM
Premium
Why women should drink no more than six glasses of wine a year

Why women should drink no more than six glasses of wine a year

10 Jun 06:00 AM
BV or thrush? Know the difference
sponsored

BV or thrush? Know the difference

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP