Nutrigirl is no stranger to carb consciousness. In addition to being a dietitian who counsels clients with diabetes, pre-diabetes, and weight management, I also have to deal with a familial condition of pre-diabetes myself.

My father had diabetes from the time he was 40 and my mother developed it later in life. I was not surprised to find out my glucose was elevated 5 years ago.To be clear, carbs are not the “enemy”.

Our diet needs carbs for adequate energy, fiber, and B vitamins. Carbohydrates (AKA carbs) are found naturally in all grains, fruit, starchy vegetables, beans, lentils, and dairy products. Added sugars in soda, sports drinks, desserts, and candy are less healthy carbs we should limit in our diet.

Excess intake is linked with higher rates of chronic disease including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Unless a protein is breaded, most meat, fish, pork, and poultry products have zero carbs.Whether carbs come from natural sources or are added to foods as sweeteners, both will raise blood sugar.

Carbs break down into glucose, which our bodies either use for energy, store as glycogen or change to fat if too much is consumed. Reducing carbs of all types has some health benefits.

Curbing Carbs

Cutting back on carbs is an effective way to manage and control blood sugar. Recent research shows that compared to traditional calorie-controlled diets, limiting carbs may aid in diabetes prevention and reversal.

Reducing carbs in your diet is also associated with weight loss and potentially longevity.Often, one of the first things a person with diabetes (or prediabetes) does is cut out bread. This is one of the saddest things to hear as a food lover! Yes, bread has carbs, but there are a handful on the market that have been formulated with less. Let’s take a look at a few new ones.

Aunt Millie’sAunt Millie’s out of Ft. Wayne, Indiana is no stranger in the bread aisle. Their company has been around for 120 years and features everything from bread to buns to rolls. Their latest line “Live Carb Smart” includes three varieties of breads as well as hamburger and hot dog buns.

For the purpose of this review, I’ll focus on their white bread.For starters, the loaf looks like regular bread. The slices are uniform in size with the heel of the bread being slightly smaller. Each slice contains 45 calories and just .5 grams of fat. The sodium content is low at just 115 mg per slice.

The bread is fortified with vitamin D and contains 10% of the Daily Value, which is considered a "good" source of the nutrient.The carb count is 12 grams per slice of which 6 are net carbs.

The slices contain 6 grams of dietary fiber, which is subtracted out of the total carb count to yield the net carbs. Like other low-carb bread, it has no added sugar. The texture is soft and it tastes like regular bread! The bread toasted up nicely.

Doh Joy

Doh Joy is a new Cincinnati-based company. Its white bread is dubbed “keto-friendly” and would be appropriate for individuals with diabetes or others limiting the carbs in their diet. Like Aunt Millie’s, it has no added suga.and its base is made from modified wheat starch and wheat protein isolate.The protein content is 5 grams per 40-calorie slice.

Doh Joy boasts 30% more fiber than Aunt Millie’s: 9 grams per slice versus 6 grams. Their net carb count is also lower, 1 gram per slice instead of 6 with Aunt Millie’s. Doh Joy contained less potassium than Aunt Millie’s, making it a good choice for individuals on a low potassium diet, such as renal patients (kidney disease).

The taste and texture of Doh Joy are similar to Aunt Millie’s, but a little chewier. Both of the breads toasted up well and had a mild, “white bread” taste. Doh Joy contains 1.5 grams of fat per slice, compared to Aunt Millie’s .5 grams per serving. Doh Joy does not contain vitamin D.

The Bottom SliceIf you’re looking to reduce carbs in your diet, please don’t completely cut out bread. What fun is that? You certainly can’t make a sandwich or French toast without bread!

If carbs are your concern, Doh Joy is lower than Aunt Millie’s with most of the other ingredients being close in comparison. It certainly gives Aunt Millie’s a run for the money.

I received samples of both breads for this comparison but was not paid for the review. To find either of the breads online, visit: Baking Memories From Our Family to Yours - Aunt Millie's (auntmillies.com)DohJoy Under 1 Net Carb Keto Friendly White Bread