If you follow The Average Joe's (TAJ's) instagram account, then you probably aren't surprised that the first blog post on The Average Joe's website would also be about toast! Although these two platforms may share the same topic, this blog will dive deeper into why and how toast is beneficial, and even expose an impactful wellness secret!
When you hear about having toast, what comes to mind? For me it's the smell of browning bread, the taste of butter and jam, and seeing the bubbly broil of cinnamon and sugar in the oven - a true childhood delicacy.
You may be thinking...wait a minute, isn't this a health and wellness blog? And if so, isn't bread "off limits?" Why are you tempting us with carbs??
I'm glad you asked!
To answer your questions: yes, this is a health and wellness blog. No, bread is most definitely not "off limits." And I'm talking about carbs, because when consumed in moderation, they can be both delicious and nutritious! Furthermore, when partnered with protein (like an egg) and fat (like an avocado) toast becomes a well balanced meal or snack.
Let's break down why -
The body needs three macronutrients: carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Carbohydrates help provide immediate energy, protein provides satiety, and fat provides longevity of satiety. Just like a car needs gas, oil, and air in the tires, our bodies need carbs, protein, and fat to help keep all our systems up and running.
If our body needs carbs then why has diet culture canceled bread? For many years it was thought that bread was the food making people fat. I'm here to tell you that is not the case! Bread does not make you fat. In fact, chips don't make you fat. Even chocolate does not. make. you. fat!
Remember when I told you an impactful wellness secret would be exposed? Well, here it is...*drum roll please*...the thing that makes anyone gain weight is a caloric surplus! This means no matter what one may consume, if they surpass their body's daily output (aka TDEE: Total Daily Energy Expenditure) then they would be in a surplus. But don't worry, one would need to consume an extra 3,500 calories to gain one pound - so don't sweat it if you indulge every now and then. We'll dive further into this topic in a later post, but let's get back to what we were originally talking about, toast!
Most of the toasts posted on TAJ's instagram feed are a great combination of the macronutrients making them balanced choices. Keep in mind that every body is different due to varying aspects (i.e. gender, height, BMR, activity expenditure, etc.); therefore, every body has different macronutrient needs. With that said, these are the daily recommended amounts per macronutrient as a baseline - carbohydrates 225g-325g, protein 40g-90g, and fat 40g-80g.
Let's review each toast and see why they are good choices -
Peanut Butter and Banana Toast
This toast gives a beneficial boost of quick energy! This quick energy comes from the carbohydrates that all three ingredients provide. In addition, bananas help combat cramping from the potassium they contain. The protein from peanut butter will help you feel satisfied, and the fat from the peanut butter will keep you feeling fuller longer.
Nutritional Value (for toast pictured):
Calories 182
Total Fat 6.4g*
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 220mg
Total Carbs 28.2g*
Dietary Fiber 2.8g
Total Sugars 9.3g
Protein 5.2g*
Avocado Toast
This toast is a great combination of carbohydrates and fats, meaning you’ll get some quick energy and be fuller for longer. Adding an egg will give extra protein which will leave you feeling even more satisfied! In addition, avocado is often referenced as a "healthy" fat because it can aid in lowering cholesterol rather than increasing it.
Nutritional Value (for toast pictured):
Calories 348
Total Fat 25g*
Cholesterol 164mg
Sodium 373mg
Total Carbs 24g*
Dietary Fiber 7.2g
Total Sugars 2.8g
Protein 10g*
Toast and Scrambled Eggs
This toast's mixture of carbohydrates and protein give your body and brain the fuel to function quickly and efficiently! Furthermore, contrary to common belief, eggs can help raise one's HDL (aka "good") cholesterol (when eaten in moderation, of course). Feel free to reference this link that provides information on a study in regards to eggs and cholesterol: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8120521/. Nevertheless, if you want or need to avoid cholesterol stick with egg whites. Egg whites still contain protein and are delicious.
Nutritional Value (for toast pictured):
Calories 177
Total Fat 9.2g*
Cholesterol 174mg
Sodium 394mg
Total Carbs 15.3g*
Dietary Fiber .5g
Total Sugars 2.3g
Protein 8.1g*
French Toast
This toast is a delicious treat that is full of macronutrients - protein from the egg, carbs from the bread, and fats depending on your milk of choice. Another perk of French toast is cinnamon - there are a multitude of benefits that come from cinnamon including helping lower blood sugar and being an anti-inflammatory. Cinnamon also helps bring out sweetness, so if you have a sweet tooth I’d say this is definitely the choice for you!
Nutritional Value (for toast pictured):
Calories 346
Total Fat 10.7g*
Cholesterol 174mg
Sodium 562mg
Total Carbs 52.1g*
Dietary Fiber 2.1g
Total Sugars 21.6g
Protein 11g*
Thanks for TOASTing to the launch of The Average Joe's blog! Here's to setting the foundation for many more posts to come.
This post is so informative and I couldn’t love it more!