{"id":604395307314,"title":"Is Dave's Killer Bread Healthy? An Ingredient Review","created_at":"2022-11-14T23:46:47-05:00","body_html":"\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\n{\n \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"Article\",\n \"headline\": \"Is Dave's Killer Bread Healthy? An Ingredient Review\",\n \"keywords\": \"dave's killer bread, is dave's killer bread healthy\",\n \"description\": \"Our research team reviews every ingredient in Dave's Killer Bread to give our take on whether or not it's healthy. We highlight one ingredient of concern, and compare the healthiness of Dave's bread to regular grocery store bread. We also share a video made by a Registered Dietitian on Dave's bread.\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/is-daves-killer-bread-healthy\",\n\"author\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"Calloway Cook\",\n \"url\": \"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/pages\/calloway-cook\",\n \"sameAs\": \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/calloway-cook\/\",\n \"jobTitle\": \"President\",\n \"knowsAbout\": \"entrepreneurship, dietary supplements, herbal supplements, eCommerce, medical research\",\n \"alumniOf\": {\n \"@type\": \"EducationalOrganization\",\n \"name\": \"S.I. 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Dave’s describes its products as “the best bread in the universe” and “packed with whole grain nutrition” and “organic ingredients.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBut is Dave’s Killer Bread really healthier than regular grocery store bread or are these just marketing claims? Does it contain ingredients shown to improve health? Does it contain any harmful additive ingredients? And how do real users rate it?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we review the ingredients in Dave’s Killer Bread and give our take on whether or not it’s actually healthy. We’ll compare its ingredients to another popular brand.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eIngredient Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Dave_s_Killer_Bread_21_Whole_Grains_Ingredients_Optimized_93e574f0-4640-4f67-8343-3071a965a57f.png?v=1668487900\" alt=\"Dave's Killer Bread ingredients\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe ingredients above are from Dave’s 21 Whole Grains And Seeds bread.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eInstead of just wheat flour, Dave’s Killer Bread provides a wide variety of different grains such as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eorganic triticale\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eorganic millet\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e. We consider this to be a healthier option given that dietary diversity \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4837298\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eis proven\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e in clinical research to optimize gut health. Put simply, the wider the variety of whole foods you eat, the more healthy your gut will be, and many Americans don’t eat nearly enough different types of plant-based foods.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDave’s bread is rich in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003efiber\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e. Each slice provides 5 grams (g) so a sandwich will provide 10 g. Fiber intake is associated with improved digestive health, reduced obesity rates and reduced blood pressure, and only 5% of Americans consume an optimal amount of fiber (which is a minimum of around 25 g for women and 30 g for men) according to a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6124841\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emedical review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAmerican Journal of Lifestyle Medicine\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDave’s bread also has a few exotic ingredients that are not commonly found in grocery store bread, like \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003esesame seeds\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e which are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease according to a 2020 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7584802\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003emeta-study\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe only issue we have with Dave’s bread, and the reason we don’t recommend it overall, is the inclusion of 5 g of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eadded sugar\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e per slice, which is a relatively high amount. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThere’s no need for two slices of bread to have over 25% of the added sugar in a Coke in our opinion, and as we documented in our review of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/nutella-ingredient-review\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eNutella ingredients\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, consuming added sugar in excess is associated with a wide range of negative health effects.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAll Dave’s Killer Bread products contain added cane sugar except for their Powerseed bread, which is naturally sweetened with fruit juices like \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eorganic apple juice\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eorganic peach juice\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e instead. We would recommend this product from a health perspective and it’s the healthiest bread we’ve reviewed on Illuminate Health to date.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eIs Dave’s Killer Bread Healthier Than Grocery Store Bread?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0047\/1524\/9737\/files\/Martin_s_Potato_Bread_Ingredients_Optimized_c7153832-ff97-4095-8c6e-5e6f517b5d76.png?v=1668487917\" alt=\"Martin's Potato Bread ingredients\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eEven the Dave’s products that contain added sugar are significantly healthier than the average bread brand in our opinion because they’re composed entirely of whole foods ingredients.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAs a comparative example, the ingredients list above is from Martin’s Potato Bread which is another popular brand.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eNot only does this bread contain much fewer whole foods ingredients, it also contains questionable additives like the preservative \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003ecalcium propionate\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e which was shown in a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/12173999\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eclinical trial\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e to cause “irritability, restlessness, inattention and sleep disturbance” in children.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMartin’s bread is also “enriched” which means it contains added vitamins like \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eferrous sulfate\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003ethiamin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e. As we referenced in our \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/illuminatelabs.org\/blogs\/health\/beyond-meat-review\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBeyond Meat reviews\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e article, we consider it illogical for consumers to get added vitamins from so many processed foods, because this can push blood levels of those vitamins to dangerous levels in some cases.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe CBC \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/british-columbia\/wellness-milkshakes-chronic-vitamin-overdose-1.6363562\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ereported\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e in early 2022 that a wellness brand had to recall several products from the market because all of the added vitamins were causing toxicity in some consumers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDoes a Dietitian Approve of Dave’s Killer Bread?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOne of the most popular YouTube videos on the healthiness of Dave’s Killer Bread is published by a creator named Jamie Rothermich who’s a registered dietitian (RD).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe video is unsponsored, and he gives his take on the pros and cons of this bread from a health perspective and whether he would eat it:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xpXDsXckPlc\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAre Dave’s Other Products Healthy?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHere’s a quick rundown on the healthiness of the other Dave’s Killer Bread products.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThin-Sliced\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Contains the same ingredients as the regular bread. We would only recommend the Powerseed version.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eBreakfast\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e We don’t recommend any of Dave’s breakfast options due to the added cane sugar, although we consider all of them healthier than the average commercial alternative.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eBurger Buns\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e Both contain added sugar. We would recommend the “21 Whole Grains” version over the “Artisan” version because it’s significantly higher in fiber and contains more whole foods ingredients.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eBars\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e We don’t recommend any of these due to the added sugar, and we consider Dave’s bars to be less healthy than Dave’s bread because the added sugar content is higher.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eConclusion\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDave’s is a brand that clearly pays attention to the healthiness and formulation of their products. Most Dave’s breads provide a wide variety of nutritious, whole foods ingredients and are significantly healthier than the average bread you would find at a grocery store.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDave’s breads are rich in fiber and promote dietary diversity which can improve gut health.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe only Dave’s product that meets our high formulation standards is Dave’s Powerseed Bread (both regular and Thin-Sliced) because it’s free of processed sugar and is instead sweetened with a small amount of organic fruit juices. This is the healthiest bread we’ve reviewed on Illuminate Health.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe hope that in the future the Dave’s brand uses the same innovations that they applied to the Powerseed product to naturally sweeten all of their products. We would recommend all Dave’s products if they were free of cane sugar.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","blog_id":49281925193,"author":"Calloway Cook","user_id":26601750601,"published_at":"2022-11-14T23:57:51-05:00","updated_at":"2022-11-16T19:53:09-05:00","summary_html":"We review every ingredient in Dave's Killer Bread to give our take on whether or not it's healthy. We highlight one ingredient of concern, and compare the healthiness of Dave's bread to regular grocery store bread. We also share a video made by a Registered Dietitian on Dave's bread.","template_suffix":"","handle":"is-daves-killer-bread-healthy","tags":"_related:nutrition"}

Is Dave's Killer Bread Healthy? An Ingredient Review

Is Dave's Killer Bread Healthy? An Ingredient Review


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Read our Editorial Guidelines to learn more about what makes our site the premier resource for online health information.

Dave’s Killer Bread is a popular bread brand available both online and in-store that brands itself as a healthier alternative to commercial bread companies. Dave’s describes its products as “the best bread in the universe” and “packed with whole grain nutrition” and “organic ingredients.”

But is Dave’s Killer Bread really healthier than regular grocery store bread or are these just marketing claims? Does it contain ingredients shown to improve health? Does it contain any harmful additive ingredients? And how do real users rate it?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we review the ingredients in Dave’s Killer Bread and give our take on whether or not it’s actually healthy. We’ll compare its ingredients to another popular brand.

Ingredient Review

Dave's Killer Bread ingredients

The ingredients above are from Dave’s 21 Whole Grains And Seeds bread.

Instead of just wheat flour, Dave’s Killer Bread provides a wide variety of different grains such as organic triticale and organic millet. We consider this to be a healthier option given that dietary diversity is proven in clinical research to optimize gut health. Put simply, the wider the variety of whole foods you eat, the more healthy your gut will be, and many Americans don’t eat nearly enough different types of plant-based foods.

Dave’s bread is rich in fiber. Each slice provides 5 grams (g) so a sandwich will provide 10 g. Fiber intake is associated with improved digestive health, reduced obesity rates and reduced blood pressure, and only 5% of Americans consume an optimal amount of fiber (which is a minimum of around 25 g for women and 30 g for men) according to a medical review published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

Dave’s bread also has a few exotic ingredients that are not commonly found in grocery store bread, like sesame seeds which are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease according to a 2020 meta-study.

The only issue we have with Dave’s bread, and the reason we don’t recommend it overall, is the inclusion of 5 g of added sugar per slice, which is a relatively high amount. 

There’s no need for two slices of bread to have over 25% of the added sugar in a Coke in our opinion, and as we documented in our review of Nutella ingredients, consuming added sugar in excess is associated with a wide range of negative health effects.

All Dave’s Killer Bread products contain added cane sugar except for their Powerseed bread, which is naturally sweetened with fruit juices like organic apple juice and organic peach juice instead. We would recommend this product from a health perspective and it’s the healthiest bread we’ve reviewed on Illuminate Health to date.

Is Dave’s Killer Bread Healthier Than Grocery Store Bread?

Martin's Potato Bread ingredients

Even the Dave’s products that contain added sugar are significantly healthier than the average bread brand in our opinion because they’re composed entirely of whole foods ingredients.

As a comparative example, the ingredients list above is from Martin’s Potato Bread which is another popular brand.

Not only does this bread contain much fewer whole foods ingredients, it also contains questionable additives like the preservative calcium propionate which was shown in a clinical trial to cause “irritability, restlessness, inattention and sleep disturbance” in children.

Martin’s bread is also “enriched” which means it contains added vitamins like ferrous sulfate and thiamin. As we referenced in our Beyond Meat reviews article, we consider it illogical for consumers to get added vitamins from so many processed foods, because this can push blood levels of those vitamins to dangerous levels in some cases.

The CBC reported in early 2022 that a wellness brand had to recall several products from the market because all of the added vitamins were causing toxicity in some consumers.

Does a Dietitian Approve of Dave’s Killer Bread?

One of the most popular YouTube videos on the healthiness of Dave’s Killer Bread is published by a creator named Jamie Rothermich who’s a registered dietitian (RD).

The video is unsponsored, and he gives his take on the pros and cons of this bread from a health perspective and whether he would eat it:

Are Dave’s Other Products Healthy?

Here’s a quick rundown on the healthiness of the other Dave’s Killer Bread products.

Thin-Sliced: Contains the same ingredients as the regular bread. We would only recommend the Powerseed version.

Breakfast: We don’t recommend any of Dave’s breakfast options due to the added cane sugar, although we consider all of them healthier than the average commercial alternative.

Burger Buns: Both contain added sugar. We would recommend the “21 Whole Grains” version over the “Artisan” version because it’s significantly higher in fiber and contains more whole foods ingredients.

Bars: We don’t recommend any of these due to the added sugar, and we consider Dave’s bars to be less healthy than Dave’s bread because the added sugar content is higher.

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Conclusion

Dave’s is a brand that clearly pays attention to the healthiness and formulation of their products. Most Dave’s breads provide a wide variety of nutritious, whole foods ingredients and are significantly healthier than the average bread you would find at a grocery store.

Dave’s breads are rich in fiber and promote dietary diversity which can improve gut health.

The only Dave’s product that meets our high formulation standards is Dave’s Powerseed Bread (both regular and Thin-Sliced) because it’s free of processed sugar and is instead sweetened with a small amount of organic fruit juices. This is the healthiest bread we’ve reviewed on Illuminate Health.

We hope that in the future the Dave’s brand uses the same innovations that they applied to the Powerseed product to naturally sweeten all of their products. We would recommend all Dave’s products if they were free of cane sugar.




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