Cheap supermarket breads found to be ‘healthier’ than £3 artisan loaves

A new study by UK consumer champion Which? has revealed that premium malted and artisanal rye breads — often costing five times more than budget supermarket wholemeal loaves — typically contain more salt and less protein, making them less healthy than their cheaper counterparts.

The consumer watchdog examined 60 popular loaves across five categories — wholemeal, seeded, malted, blended, and rye — in a bid to identify the healthiest options on UK supermarket shelves. The research compared loaves across all price points, ranging from budget options as low as 59p to premium breads priced at over £3. Which? evaluated the loaves using the 2004 Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) — the same system used to determine whether foods are high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) and are consequently restricted from prime advertising slots and in-store promotions. The model scores products out of 100, rewarding beneficial nutrients such as fibre and protein while penalising negative nutrients, including sugar, saturated fat, and calories.

Every loaf examined in the study surpassed the healthy NPM threshold of 62. However, there was a 10-point gap between the highest (80) and lowest (70) scorers. A top score of 80 indicates minimal salt and sugar alongside high protein and fibre — making these the most nutritionally dense options available.

Although pricier loaves — such as organic rye — may seem healthier, they frequently scored lower than more budget-friendly supermarket alternatives. That said, rye contains less gluten and carries a lower glycaemic index, which could mean it offers distinct advantages over other varieties of bread.

The research revealed that 13 loaves achieved an overall score of 80, with some of the most affordable brands, including Aldi Village Bakery medium wholemeal (59p), attaining the impressive nutritional rating. Other supermarket loaves from Asda, Co-op, Morrisons, M&S, Ocado and Sainsbury's also reached the same high nutritional score, while Aldi's medium wholemeal loaf also boasted one of the highest fibre contents (7.9g).

Hovis featured twice among the healthiest loaves, with both its wholemeal option and its 'blended' Best of Both loaf scoring 80.

Iceland's The Daily Bakery malted bloomer likewise attained the top score, recording some of the lowest levels of sugar and salt among the leading 13 loaves.

While Iceland's loaf performed impressively, many of the malted loaves — frequently marketed as Granary, harvest grain or Dutch-style malted — failed to reach the same standard. In fact, eight of the nine varieties assessed were found to use refined flour coloured with malt extract or caramel rather than fibre-rich whole grains.

Hovis Granary (medium sliced), for instance, received an NPM score of 72; it was marked down for containing approximately half the fibre (3.7g vs 7g) of the top wholemeal loaves and for being higher in salt (1.03g per 100g).

It's important to highlight that another loaf within this range, yet from the same brand - Hovis Granary Wholemeal - scored better (78) and is therefore a better choice for health-focused shoppers.

The poorest-performing loaf is one that many consumers would likely presume is the healthiest: Biona Organic Original Rye Bread. The rye bread obtained the lowest NPM score of 70 out of 100 despite its £3.10 price tag.

For those who frequently purchase this loaf, it's not necessarily an unhealthy choice, but it contains 1.13g of salt per 100g, positioning it among the saltiest loaves in the research. It also had among the lowest protein levels (4.2g) of all the loaves and was one of the most calorie-dense, although this is typical in high-density bread.

A score of 70 still sits above the Government's benchmark for 'healthy', but it places it at the lower end of the ranking because it isn't as nutritionally well-rounded as certain supermarket own-brand loaves.

For those mindful of their protein consumption, some of the seeded loaves might prove to be a good alternative. Sainsbury's Soft Multiseed Wholemeal (Taste the Difference) boasts an impressive 12.8g of protein per 100g, the highest among all 60 loaves examined. However, a high protein content doesn't automatically guarantee the highest health rating. Sainsbury's Multiseed loaf was narrowly pipped to the optimal 80 score by alternatives such as Ocado Wholemeal, which struck a balance between its substantial protein content (12g) and reduced salt and sugar levels.

While some achieved superior NPM scores compared to others, shoppers can take comfort in knowing that each of these loaves is fundamentally nutritious. All 60 loaves met the Government's Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) threshold, confirming that even the lowest-scoring options can form part of a balanced diet.

For those looking for an easy method to find the healthiest loaves without scrutinising packaging, it's worth noting that, unlike terms such as "malted, "brown" and "grainy," "Wholemeal" is legally protected in the UK. Unless a loaf carries the label "100% Wholemeal," the brown appearance is probably just for show.

Shefalee Loth, a Which? nutritionist, said: "Our analysis sends a powerful message to shoppers: you don't need to pay a premium to get a nutritionally superior loaf. In fact, some more expensive breads may even be less healthy than budget wholemeal supermarket versions that cost a fraction of the price.

"Choosing 100% wholemeal guarantees bread naturally richer in B-vitamins, magnesium, and iron, providing essential fibre and protein for lasting satiety.

"For those not keen on wholemeal, our findings show that a blended loaf could provide a significant nutritional boost without compromising on the flavour of a white loaf."

Biona Organic said in a statement: “The Which? report is misleading and does not give consumers the full picture on bread nutrition. It ranks bread using the 2004 Nutrient Profiling Model — a 20-year-old tool designed to regulate children's TV advertising and fails to account for the qualities that make Biona’s whole grain organic rye bread genuinely distinctive.

"The study does not measure organic status, whole grain flour type, or the substantial science behind rye: a lower glycaemic index of 41–57 versus 70+ for standard wheat loaves, a proven lower insulin response, and significant gut microbiome benefits. It also penalises denser, more filling breads by comparing everything at a flat 100g regardless of how they are actually eaten. It also fails to measure the addition of emulsifiers, additives and preservatives present in many of the loaves assessed, meaning a heavily processed loaf containing multiple synthetic additives can score identically to, or even higher than, an additive-free organic bread.

"While it is welcoming to see that every loaf assessed — including Biona’s rye breads — cleared the healthy threshold, the full science of whole grain rye tells a very different story. We'd encourage anyone interested in the full science and benefits of whole grain rye to look beyond this study."

The healthiest loaves (listed alphabetically as they all have the same NPM score of 80)

• Aldi Village Bakery medium wholemeal
• Co-op Bakery Wholemeal Toastie
• Hovis Best of Both
• Hovis Wholemeal medium
• Iceland The Daily Bakery malted bloomer
• Lidl Rowan Hill Thick wholemeal
• M&S Wholemeal Farmhouse
• Morrisons wholemeal medium
• Ocado wholemeal medium sliced
• Sainsbury's Medium Sliced wholemeal
• Tesco Wholemeal Medium
• Waitrose Essential Wholemeal
• Warburtons Wholemeal

The unhealthiest loaves (listed with the lowest scorer at the top, followed by the next two, then the rest in alphabetical order, where NPM scores are identical)

• Biona Organic original rye bread
• Hovis Granary (medium sliced)
• M&S Only 4 Ingredients wholegrain sliced rye
• Aldi Both In One medium
• Aldi Village Bakery Classic Malted Bloomer
• Allinson's Lightly Seeded
• Biona Organic Rye Bread with sprouted seeds
• Biona Pumpernickel
• Black Sheep malted bloomer (sliced)

How to tell if your brown loaf is healthy or not

Not all brown loaves are as nutritious as they appear - some are merely white bread coloured with caramel or malt extract. Here are four ways to identify a genuinely healthy loaf of bread:

1. Check the ingredients list. Ingredients are listed in order of weight. If 'wheat flour' appears first, it's legally classified as white bread. For blended loaves (like 50/50), the packaging must clearly state the precise proportions of white and wholemeal flour.

2. Look for the term 'wholemeal'. In the UK, 'wholemeal' is a legally protected term - any bread labelled as such must be produced from 100% wholemeal flour. Words like 'brown', 'wheat', or 'multigrain' are not protected and frequently conceal refined white flour. For rye bread, opt for those with 'wholegrain rye' as the principal ingredient.

3. Try the 'squish' test. If a dark loaf feels unusually soft and pillowy, it's most likely made from refined flour and dyed to appear brown. Authentic high-fibre bread tends to be denser, as bran naturally restricts the fluffiness that gluten can provide.

4. Check fibre content. The Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) gives maximum credit at 4.7g of fibre per 100g or more, but to be legally labelled 'high fibre', bread must contain at least 6g per 100g (or 3g to qualify as a 'source of fibre'). Standard white bread usually has just 2.9g, while wholemeal bread typically contains around 7g.