Bread. What used to be one of my favorite foods eaten constantly (when my pancreas worked) was a bit tricky at first. Labels promising “1 net carb” enticed me to buy just about every type of bread out there and still, my glucose levels would skyrocket. “How!?”, I thought as I cursed the sky for striking my pancreas dead at 39.

After enough experimentation with these breads and monitoring my levels with a CGM (continuous glucose monitor), I came to the conclusion that carb counting works differently for us. Luckily, it’s not that hard.

Essentially, the fiber component does nothing. In fact, I have noticed if eating one of these high fiber content breads, my glucose levels were elevated for much longer than breads with less fiber. So when analyzing the nutrition label, assume that the total carb count (not the net carb count) is more than likely going to be how it registers. Sugar alcohols, depending on the type, will help with the total carb count, however. The two that work the best are Allulose and Erithyritol. Monk fruit also gets an honorable mention. Others, such as Maltitol, will still spike your blood sugar, so be careful when reading ingredient lists. Maltitol is also widely found in candies advertising to be sugar free like Russell Stover’s or any of the Hershey’s/Twizzlers/Jolly Rancher, etc sugar free ranges. I’ve noticed when eating these the glucose spike is equal to the carb count, so they’re not as impactful as their full sugar counterparts and make for a nice treat once in a blue moon.

A formula for a safe carb count should go like this:

Total carbs – sugar alcohol = T1D carb count

From my experience, the best bread to eat for those wanting to have the lowest glycemic impact is Nature’s Own Sugar Free 100% Whole Grain. 9 carbs a slice and no sugar substitute.

Another fantastic alternative is Lavash, which is a flatbread common in Armenia, Turkey, Iran, and Azerbaijan. I use it to make sandwich wraps and flatbread style pizzas. One Lavash (Atoria’s) is typically about 20 carbs and it only takes half of one to make a fairly large sandwich. Be sure to read the labels because some Lavash brands (*cough* Trader Joe’s) have over 40 carbs per sheet. In a future article, I’ll provide a few recipes using it but until then, good luck on your carb counting!