Spelt Bread (100%)

Why spelt bread (100%) is rated low

Bread made entirely from spelt flour is low at about 1 slice (35g), and fructans and GOS stay at a low level at that serve. It moves to moderate at larger portions and is high at much larger portions, as fructans and GOS build with a bigger helping. About 1 slice (35g) is a single slice of toast, which keeps this loaf useful, but there is not much room above it, so an open sandwich is comfortable while a two slice sandwich or a day built around bread at every meal is a different matter. The flour on the label matters: the rating belongs to a loaf made with 100% spelt flour, and added wheat flour or other ingredients can change the picture.

What changes your risk

• Weight, not slices About 1 slice (35g) is low, larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high. A single slice of toast sits in the low range, while a full sandwich, or toast at breakfast plus bread with dinner, is a different total altogether.
• 100% spelt versus a blend A loaf where spelt is only part of the flour, with wheat flour making up the rest, is not the bread rated here. Check that the ingredient list names spelt flour alone.
• How thick the slice is cut Slices vary a lot between loaves. A thick bakery cut weighs considerably more than a standard sandwich slice, so two slices off one loaf are not the same as two off another, and the gram figure is the one to go by.
• What goes on top The bread is often the innocent part of the meal. Honey, onion-based chutneys and relishes, hummus and garlic spreads bring their own load. Peanut butter, hard cheese such as cheddar, eggs and plain meats do not.
• Added fibre in the loaf Bakery and supermarket loaves sometimes have inulin or chicory root fibre added for texture or fibre claims, which changes what you are eating. The ingredient list will say.

What else works

If you want to rotate breads, gluten free bread fills the sandwich role at its own serve, and oats, rice, polenta, quinoa and buckwheat cover the wider starchy base at breakfast and dinner. Ordinary yeasted wheat bread, rye bread, wheat rolls, naan and pita are not stand-ins for this loaf, and neither is a multigrain loaf whose ingredient list leads with wheat flour. A loaf where spelt is only part of the flour blend is a separate food with its own rating, so do not read this one onto it.

How to keep it low

Read the ingredient list before the name on the bag, since a loaf sold as spelt can still be mostly wheat flour, and ask the bakery directly if the loaf is unlabelled. Check for added inulin or chicory root fibre too. Weigh a couple of slices off your usual loaf once, so you know how your bakery's cut sits against about 1 slice (35g), and then you can go by eye afterwards. Freezing the loaf sliced makes portioning easier, though freezing does not change the FODMAP content, it only stops the loaf going stale before you get through it.

Common questions

is 100% spelt bread low fodmap

Yes, at about 1 slice (35g), which is a single slice of toast. It moves to moderate at larger portions and is high at much larger portions.

how many slices of spelt bread can i eat

Go by weight rather than slices: about 1 slice (35g) is low, larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high. Weigh a couple of slices of your usual loaf once to see where they land.

is spelt bread with some wheat flour the same

No. The rating here belongs to bread made with 100% spelt flour. A loaf that blends in wheat flour or other ingredients can behave differently, so check the ingredient list.

can i eat spelt bread during the elimination phase

100% spelt bread at about 1 slice (35g) fits the elimination phase. Watch the toppings, since honey, onion relishes and garlic spreads bring their own load. Tolerance varies, and reintroduction is best worked through with a dietitian.