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The great 'low carb bread' con

Nicole T

Well-Known Member
Messages
334
Location
Cheshire
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I've been baking very low carb bread (the Keto King recipe) but it's expensive and time consuming. I've seen Hi-Lo mentioned on here a couple of times, but only certain Sainsburys stores stock it (none of them less than an hour from me) and, as I've just discovered, though you can order it for click and collect from any Sainsburys, the ones that don't stock it will simply substitute it for another product.

Which brings me to Hovis Nimble 400g Wholemeal. Only 8g of carbs per slice. A clear winner out of all of the regular (primarily wheat based) breads available, where 15-20g is the norm.

So rather than reject them, I thought I'd give them a try. But look at the size of the slices. They're tiny.

I think I've just paid £1 each for 4 loaves, sold on the enticingly low carbs per slice value. When I've gone to my fridge, I've compared the per 100g figure with the Morrisons own brand wholemeal that's still in there (I'd frozen it) which costs half as much per loaf, and a quarter of the price by weight.

Hovis Nimble: 37g of carbs per 100g of product.
Morrisons wholemeal: 38g of carbs per 100g of product.

I feel like I've been swindled. I've just spend 400% of the cost by weight to save less than 3% in carbs. The only value is psychological, in that I can have two small slices of toast in the morning, rather than one larger one cut in half.
 
Weigh a slice of each one I bet you’ll find a slice of nimble weighs a lot less than a slice of Morrison’s wholemeal - it’s always best to go by portion size than per 100g
 
in the order, I think, of < 1g a slice has been reported on here as being the Keeto bread you can order on Amazon or form their site

however, it’s also much more expensive and I believe still tiny
 
This technique is one favoured for Weight Watchers branded items.
But it is as old as supermarkets - if a manufacturer want to keep price the same when input costs are higher they reduce the item size.
If a breakfast cereal wants to be heathier (less sugar) they just reduce the recommended portion size.
 
Nicole T said:
I feel like I've been swindled
Click to expand...
Trust that feeling
To be fair I found the low carb bread really useful in the early days as I was working it all out. Now I eat "normal" things and control by portion size, carbs per 100g and my bg response measured by the meter. Bread is the new cake . If I'm going to eat it I want it to be nice bread and a smaller portion. Someone elsewhere on the forum bakes their own bread and slices it really fine (I can see that working well).
 
Nicole T said:
I feel like I've been swindled. I've just spend 400% of the cost by weight to save less than 3% in carbs. The only value is psychological, in that I can have two small slices of toast in the morning, rather than one larger one cut in half.
Click to expand...
Bit like the pricing of GF (gluten-free) bread, smaller and 3 or 4 times the price
 
Nicole T said:
as I've just discovered, though you can order it for click and collect from any Sainsburys, the ones that don't stock it will simply substitute it for another product.
Click to expand...
Not if you tick the "don't substitute" box for that item.
 
Mr_Pot said:
Not if you tick the "don't substitute" box for that item.
Click to expand...
I suspect you just get 'no substitution' then, rather than the item you actually wanted.

I've been back and had another look, and I think I may have judged it a little hastily. The Hovis Nimble looks so much smaller than the Morrisons, but when you actually put them back to back, the difference isn't that huge. While the Morrisons one is a big rectangular brick, with every slice is roughly the same size, the Hovis Nimble one has a distinct arch to it. The tallest slices in the middle are probably a good 90% of the size of the Morrisons ones. Those nearer the end, probably closer to 60 or 70%. The Hovis slices also look slightly thicker, too.

So the variable must be the density of the bread.

This might just work for me after all. I feel a toast experiment coming on. And if I'm feeling suitably scientific, perhaps bag one of each up watertight and see what volume of water each displaces.
 
Rokaab said:
Bit like the pricing of GF (gluten-free) bread, smaller and 3 or 4 times the price
Click to expand...

I concur with you, it is so expensive, it's tiny and not really a great taste. I find scrambled egg on toasted bread is acceptable.
 
I keep a HiLo in the freezer. I get it from Sainsburys and have worked it that it is only delivered once a week. For us its a Thursday.
 
Don't forget the wholemeal bran/roughage will make the bread weigh heavier and look denser, I understand the 'bran' doesn't get digested.
 
Nicole T said:
I suspect you just get 'no substitution' then, rather than the item you actually wanted.
Click to expand...
AFAIK substitutions will only be supplied if the specific item is out of stock. I use the No Substitutes option (when available) where alternatives are unsuitable, and I'd rather do without than accept something I don't/can't eat or want.
 
Robbity said:
AFAIK substitutions will only be supplied if the specific item is out of stock. I use the No Substitutes option (when available) where alternatives are unsuitable, and I'd rather do without than accept something I don't/can't eat or want.
Click to expand...
I know my local Sainsburys doesn't stock Hi-Lo at all. I was hoping that, given a few days notice, they might bring some in from a central distribution point, but clearly they don't. Since you select the store before choosing your produce, and the item was available to add to my basket, it seemed like it was worth a shot.

So we're back to the only way I can obtain actual Hi-Lo being to travel at least an hour to one of the few Sainsburys stores that stock it, and hope they actually have it on their shelves when I get there. I'm not willing to do that, but if I pass close by to one on my travels, I'll nip in and stock up.

I'm having very variable results with the Hovis Nimble that they substituted. Had 2 slices one morning (18g carbs, total) and got a 0.9 rise after 2 hours. Had 2 slices this morning along with a coffee, and got a 2.9 rise 2 hours later. Though I'd been out (school run) and driving does seem to increase my blood sugar.

Diabetes management is definitely more of an art than a science. I think baking my own keto bread is going to be the long term solution, unless I'm willing to do without altogether.
 
I think Nimble is normal bread but with small slices and a lot of air bubbles so not very satisfying. If you can find or make some low carb bread with wheat gluten, soya, nut flour etc., they are higher in protein and fat, much more satisfying, take longer to digest and half the carbs of your 2 slices of Nimble will probably be enough.
 
Have you tried the Burgen Soya & Linseed? Off the top of my head it's about the same carbs per 100g as the Hovis "low carb" bread, but you get a full size loaf for the same price as the half size low carb one
 
@Nicole T is there a Tesco near you? I have their high protein bread which is 10g carbs per slice and doesn't affect my BS too much - usually one slice is enough as it’s quite filling.
 
I only buy bread for one slice of toast in the morning and I prefer HiLo over others tried. Since the Spring I have been doing fortnightly C&C with Sainsburys but in the last 6 weeks they haven’t been able to supply me with any. Btw my C&C isnt available at my nearest store and if I order a delivery it comes from an even more distant store to my C&C. All I ask for is one small slice of toast with my morning tea and HiLo is the one that hits the spot but I wish it was more widely available. It costs £1.75 and I can a c ept that but I do not want drive an hour either to find it!
 
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