Garlic bread is likely one of the most delicious types of bread out there. It’s cheap, tastes terrific, and goes well with other foods.
However, frozen garlic bread is generally not considered all that healthy. It is often made with white bread and contains artificial flavoring, which will only give you empty calories. Quality garlic bread eaten in moderation is nonetheless perfectly okay to enjoy.
Read on and find out more about the nutritional value of garlic bread, what the healthiest garlic brand brands are, and how often you should eat it.
Is Frozen Garlic Bread Considered Healthy?
Overall, frozen garlic bread is not healthy. Most of them are made from white bread, giving you bad carbs, empty calories, and little to no fiber.
Some frozen garlic bread brands also use artificial garlic flavoring and butter, which aren’t good for your health either.
If you are going to buy frozen garlic bread, make sure to read the label carefully to see what the bread actually contains!
I have researched quite a few brands and checked their nutritional information so that you can get a general picture.
The average serving of frozen garlic bread contains the following:
- 150 calories
- 8 grams of fat
- 3 grams of saturated fat
- 210 mg of sodium
- 15 grams of carbs
- 3 grams of protein
That’s about 10% of your daily fat intake and 9% of your daily sodium intake in one slice of garlic bread (i.e., not very healthy for you!).
What Brand Makes the Healthiest Frozen Garlic Bread?
There are numerous frozen garlic bread brands out there, but what are the options if you are looking for a healthier alternative?
It wasn’t easy, but I found two brands that produce both delicious and healthy garlic bread.
They may not be lower in calories, but they have more nutrients and contain natural ingredients, which is something I always look for when buying ready-made food.
Let’s check them out:
New York Brand Texas Toast, Whole Grain, Garlic
The biggest issue with most frozen garlic bread is the fact that it’s made with white bread. The New York Texas Toast is made with whole wheat, so you’ll have quite a bit more fiber in your garlic bread.
The whole wheat provides you with more iron as well, giving you 4% of your daily intake. That’s definitely not too bad!
The full-calorie and nutrient breakdown is as follows:
- Calories: 160
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 2.5 g
- Trans fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
- Sodium: 270 mg
- Carbs: 17 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Iron: 4%
The low amount of saturated fats and sugar and the absence of both trans fats and cholesterol are also noteworthy, as you should aim to stay away from those as much as you can!
Katz Gluten Free Texas Toast
Katz frozen garlic bread is amazing because it is made with natural ingredients.
Rather than using artificial flavoring, their bread uses real garlic and parsley, which also enhances the bread’s overall flavor.
Without all the additives and strange chemicals, you skip out on all the harmful side effects of typical frozen garlic bread.
Katz frozen garlic bread is also gluten-free, so anyone in the family can enjoy the delicious toast!
The full-calorie and nutrient breakdown for this brand is as follows:
- Calories: 130
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated fat: 2.5 g
- Trans fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Carbs: 19 g
- Fiber: <1 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
This one has even fewer calories and sodium and contains very little sugar. It could, however, contain more fiber.
Both of these brands are pretty healthy choices that you can enjoy with a good conscience!
And speaking of which: how often should you enjoy those tasty garlicky slices? Keep reading to find out!
How Often Should You Eat Frozen Garlic Bread?
Though there are healthier frozen garlic bread brands, this food is definitely something that you should only eat on occasion.
Thanks to its small portion size, eating it a couple of times a month or so should be more than okay.
Frozen garlic bread is delicious and convenient, so it’s not something you’d have to quit altogether.
But, regardless if you go for lower or higher-quality brands, there will always be plenty of calories and quite a bit of fat and sodium!
It’s just not something you’ll be able to get around, so don’t overdo it if your health is essential to you.
If you want to eat garlic bread more often, it may help to make your own fresh garlic bread at home!
There are plenty of super-tasty and straightforward recipes out there, so you don’t have to spend too much time making it.
This way, you can ensure that all the ingredients are natural by making your own garlic bread.
You can also choose to make it with whole-grain bread, which will give you all that good and healthy fiber. And, if you ask me, whole-grain bread also tastes way better than plain white bread!
Is Frozen Garlic Bread Good for Weight Loss?
Once again, this will depend on how often you eat this type of food.
If you eat frozen garlic bread once in a while, it could be an excellent way to get your carb fix without too many calories.
The serving size for most frozen garlic bread is one slice. So, if you stick to this serving size, it should not affect your weight journey too much.
On the other hand, if you eat a whole garlic bread every day, you may not lose weight. On the contrary, all those calories and carbs are likely to increase your weight further instead!
Is Frozen Garlic Bread Good for Muscle Gain?
When people go on a diet, they tend to cut out carbs. But, carbs are actually necessary for those who are trying to gain muscle.
Eating garlic bread could help with muscle gain as they contain quite a few carbs. Unfortunately, though, those are mostly empty carbs.
For muscle gain, it’s way better to consume whole-grain carbs that are rich in fiber.
If you want to incorporate frozen garlic bread, try eating one that is made with multigrain or whole-grain bread!
Is Frozen Garlic Bread Vegan?
It is quite difficult to find vegan garlic bread as most are made with butter.
There are a few brands out there, but it is always best to check the ingredient list first.
For frozen vegan garlic bread, it may be better and safer to make your own at home.
It is possible to batch-make garlic bread and freeze it for later. Making your own garlic bread will ensure that you know what ingredients are being used, and that it is fully vegan.
Summary
After reading this post, you have hopefully gained a bit more knowledge on frozen garlic bread. Though it is delicious and full of garlic flavor, it doesn’t always have many nutritional benefits.
Frozen garlic bread may not be the healthiest side dish, but it is completely fine to eat it in moderation.
Eating healthy does not mean you have to give up everything that is “bad” for you. It is all about balance and choosing quality over quantity.
So keep on enjoying that garlic bread; just buy a quality brand and don’t eat it too often!
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