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Home arrow Nutrition arrow Healthy Eating arrow Is Pita Bread Healthy? Calories and Other Nutrition Facts

Is Pita Bread Healthy? Calories and Other Nutrition Facts

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Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
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Fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
Last update: October 30, 2023
7 min read 775 Views 0 Comments
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Pita bread is a popular type of flatbread that can complement curry-based dishes or be stuffed with nutritious fillings. Either way, you might wonder whether it’s actually good for you. We provide the benefits and downsides to eating pita bread and a healthy recipe you can follow at home.

is pita bread healthy

Many people wonder whether eating pita bread is allowed on a balanced diet. 

Pita bread has a rich nutritional profile when it comes to fueling your body. The strong vitamin and mineral content can offer many innumerable health benefits. While this sounds great, it’s important to consider more processed versions that don’t contain wheat flour or grains. 

If you’re eager to follow a balanced meal plan, you should know exactly what pita bread to get from the grocery store. This also includes ingredients that can help you make the healthiest pita bread at home. 

Keep reading to learn more about pita bread and its nutrition. 

Is Pita Bread Healthy? 

It depends, whole-wheat pita bread is healthy due to the vitamins, fiber, and lack of saturated fats. Regular versions made with refined flour might not be as healthy. You should choose whole-grain bread to ensure you’re not fueling your body with preservatives. 

Pita bread is a flatbread used as a salad wrap or to complement meals. It mainly contains ingredients like yeast, water, and flour to make the dough. Depending on the type of grain, pita contains a handful of minerals that protect heart health and strengthen your digestive system. 

You should be aware that white pita bread can be unhealthy since it has more sugar, carbs, calories, and saturated fats. The nutrition content is the same as other foods like garlic bread and normal toasted bread, so it’s better to make your own whole-wheat version at home.

3 Health Benefits of Pita Bread 

Pita made with whole-wheat flour has a range of advantages on a diet. It’s important that you choose low-sodium options if you want to gain the benefits. 

Below are some health benefits of pita bread: 

#1 Supports digestion 

The fiber content in whole-wheat pita bread can support good digestion. Dietary fiber helps move food through your intestines without causing constipation. This nutrient also relieves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and other conditions like leaky gut syndrome. 

#2 Reduces cholesterol 

Pita bread can help reduce cholesterol levels due to fiber. Studies prove that whole-wheat flour especially stops low-density lipoprotein from entering your bloodstream. Low cholesterol can strengthen your heart and prevent cardiovascular disease and potential heart failure. 

#3 Strengthens muscles

Even though the protein content isn’t high in pita bread, it can still benefit muscle growth. You need protein to maintain strong bones and build muscle through strength training. Pairing pita with high-protein foods like carne asada and halibut can help you grow muscle quickly. 

2 Downsides of Pita Bread 

Regular pita bread can have some disadvantages on a diet. You should be aware of bad ingredients if you want to stay in good health and achieve your goals. 

Here are the downsides to consuming pita bread: 

#1 High sodium content

A high sodium intake contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease. 

This is because salt encourages the body to retain water. In turn, more fluids are circulating through your bloodstream, which puts strain on blood vessels leading to the heart. 

You should opt for whole-grain pita bread or versions that use whole-wheat flour. The sodium content is lower in bread that doesn’t contain refined grains and preservatives. 

It’s recommended that people stay below 2,300mg of sodium a day. 

#2 Contributes to weight gain 

Pita bread does contain a high number of calories in one serving. Going over your maintenance calories will lead to weight gain. Research suggests that too much weight gain can damage your long-term heart health, so it’s worth keeping the calories in mind when eating this food. 

Nutrition Facts of Pita Bread

Pita bread is healthier than white bread due to its vitamin and mineral content. You should learn more about this food to ensure it’s suitable for your balanced diet and health goals. 

Here is the nutritional value of pita bread per 100g

Nutritional value per 100g

Calories/ Nutrients (per 100g)Amount
Calories (kcal)275
Net carbs (g)53.5
Fiber (g)2.2
Sugar (g)1.3
Fats (total)1.2
Sodium (mg)536
Protein (g)9.1
Cholesterol (mg)0

Moderate amount of calories 

You shouldn’t eat pita bread if you’re trying to lose weight. This is due to the high number of calories that could ruin a weight loss diet. If you do want to enjoy pita bread as a lunch meal, opt for whole-wheat pita bread since this version doesn’t contain many preservatives and sugar. 

Moderate amount of proteins 

Pita bread has a moderate amount of protein content. 

However, it might not be enough to meet your daily protein needs, so if you are looking for something to increase your protein intake, we would recommend including more chicken, eggs, or seafood.

Low in saturated fats 

One great thing about pita bread is that it’s low in saturated fats. These types of fats are bad and can damage your health in the long term. Pita bread has only 1.2g of fat, of which 0.166g is saturated, making it healthier than white bread and other alternatives that aren’t whole wheat. 

High in carbs 

Pita bread is not suitable for low-carb meal plans like the keto diet. The high-carb content encourages your body to burn more glucose rather than fat. Eating too many carbs can also increase the risk of heart disease, weight gain, diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension. 

Rich in minerals and vitamins 

Pita bread contains minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and B vitamins. A study found that vitamin B can boost your metabolism to encourage weight loss. Calcium also supports strong bones and muscles to prevent conditions like osteoporosis and arthritis. 

Pita Bread vs. Naan 

Here is a comparison between naan and pita bread: 

 Pita breadNaan 
OriginMiddle EastIndia
ServingPita can be made into wraps or served with vegetable dishes Naan complements curry as a side dish 
Calories per 100g275291
Protein per 100g9.1 9.62
Total fats per 100g1.2 5.65
Net carbs per 100g53.548.2
Sodium per 100g536mg 465mg 
Cholesterol per 100g013

Source: pita bread, naan 

Healthy Pita Bread Recipe 

You should make pita bread at home if you want to protect your health. Branded versions usually contain sugar, preservatives, and unnecessary fats that don’t have any benefits.

Here are the ingredients and directions for making healthy pita bread:

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tsp dry yeast
  • 1 tsp honey 
  • 192g whole-wheat flour
  • 160g all-purpose flour 
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions 

  • Combine the honey, water, and dry yeast in a bowl and let that mixture sit for around 3–5 minutes. 
  • Add whole-wheat and all-purpose flour, olive oil, and salt. Stir that for a few minutes until everything is well combined. 
  • Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface for the dough.
  • Place the dough onto the surface and knead for 5 minutes. Make sure it is smooth, and only add more flour if it becomes too sticky. 
  • Once that is done, make a large ball out of the dough. 
  • Place that onto a well-greased bowl, cover it, and let it sit for 60 minutes.
  • After the dough has doubled, take it out of the bowl onto another clean surface. Lightly cover it with flour and cut it into your desired shape. The most popular option is to make 9 equal balls.
  • Take a rolling pin and roll over each ball, ensuring they’re ¼in (½cm) thick. 
  • Cover the flat pieces with some plastic wrap. 
  • Preheat your oven to 446ºF/230°C. 
  • Place the dough pitas onto a baking sheet covering a tray. 
  • Bake for 4–5 minutes until the pitas start to rise. 
  • Remove the tray from your oven and let the pitas cool down. 

For those who want to learn more healthy recipes, consider trying nutrition apps. They can give you a wide variety of meal plans that cater to unique dietary preferences. There could also be grocery lists, progress tracking, and educational guidance for building a balanced diet. 

FAQs 

Is pita bread fattening?

Pita bread can be fattening when you eat too much of it. The high-calorie content can exceed your maintenance calories and encourage weight gain on a diet. Eating pita bread in moderation is perfectly safe, but always monitor how much you eat if you want to lose stubborn weight.

Is pita bread good for weight loss?

No, pita bread is not the best option for weight loss. This is due to the high number of calories and carbs that stop your body from burning stubborn fat. You should avoid breaded products as much as possible by opting for healthy foods like pork, fatty fish, oatmeal, and green salad.

Is pita bread high in sodium?

Yes, pita bread does contain a high amount of sodium in a 100g serving. Consuming too much sodium can lead to a range of health problems. Some of these might be an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, stroke, and painful gastric ulcers.

A Word From a Nutritionist

Breaded products are more unhealthy when it comes to a balanced diet. Pita bread does contain a high number of essential vitamins and minerals, but it may contain bad ingredients as well. Some brands add too much salt, which naturally increases the sodium content.

There could also be preservatives like citric acid, calcium propionate, or potassium sorbate. It just depends on the type of pita bread you buy at the supermarket. A study found that citric acid may cause serious constipation and bloating in those who are prone to gastrointestinal issues.

You should make whole-wheat pita bread at home if you want to be healthy. Then, turn the pita bread into wraps by filling them with olives, cream cheese, avocado, and chicken. This makes pita bread healthier than white bread and other processed wraps you see in the grocery store.

Conclusion

Pita bread is healthy when you make it at home or eat it in moderate amounts. There are many brands that use preservatives and sugar to enhance the taste, but this isn’t good. Instead, grab some ingredients from your local grocery store and have fun making pita bread yourself.

Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
Edibel Quintero is a medical doctor who graduated in 2013 from the University of Zulia and has been working in her profession since then. She specializes in obesity and nutrition, physical rehabilitation, sports massage and post-operative rehabilitation. Edibel’s goal is to help people live healthier lives by educating them about food, exercise, mental wellness and other lifestyle choices that can improve their quality of life.
The article was fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
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HR_author_photo_Edibel
Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
HR_author_photo_Rosmy
Fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
Last update: October 30, 2023
7 min read 775 Views 0 Comments
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