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The Healthiest Bread, Graded A to F. Whole Grain vs Refined Was the Whole Story.

The healthiest bread is a seeded whole-grain loaf with a short ingredient list, and our grades draw that line cleanly. The bread aisle is a tale of two loaves. The seeded, whole-grain ones, led by Dave’s Killer Bread, top the list on fiber and ingredient quality, while plain enriched white bread anchors the bottom, stripped of the grain that does the nutritional work. The honest catch is in the middle: even wholesome-sounding loaves like ‘Honey Wheat’ quietly fold in added sugar, so the name on the bag is a worse guide than the label on the back. Strip away the marketing and the pattern is simple, because whole grain versus refined is the whole story here.

The verdict

We graded 7 breads A–F: the category averages 77/100 (B), from 82 (B+) at the top down to 72 (B-) at the bottom.

Whole grain wins: Dave’s Killer Bread Powerseed Organic led at B+ (82), tied with its own Thin-Sliced version, while Wonder Classic White Enriched Bread came last at B- (72), separated on fiber and ingredients and not much else.

Top of the class B+ Dave's Killer Bread Powerseed Thin-Sliced Organic Bread 82/100
Bottom of the class B- Wonder Classic White Enriched Bread 72/100

The top picks, with the receipts

#1 Dave's Killer Bread Powerseed Thin-Sliced Organic Bread B+ 82/100

Pros

  • 3 g fiber per serving
  • No saturated fat
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

No dimension scored poorly.

#2 Dave's Killer Bread Powerseed Organic Bread B+ 82/100

Pros

  • 6 g fiber per serving
  • No saturated fat
  • No added sugar

Cons

No dimension scored poorly.

#3 Nature's Own Specialty Honey Wheat Bread B 77/100

Pros

  • No saturated fat
  • 3 g fiber per serving

Cons

No dimension scored poorly.

#4 Oroweat Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat Bread B 77/100

Pros

  • No saturated fat

Cons

No dimension scored poorly.

#5 Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread B 76/100

Pros

  • No saturated fat

Cons

  • 230 mg sodium per serving

Pros and cons come straight from each product’s own label. A dimension is listed only when its sub-score is decisive (78 or above for a pro, 62 or below for a con), so a merely-average number never gets sold as a strength. Every figure is per labeled serving — full panels on each product page.

The full report card — all 7 breads, ranked

#BreadGradeScoreWeakest link
1 Dave's Killer Bread — Powerseed Thin-Sliced Organic Bread B+ 82 sodium (64/100)
2 Dave's Killer Bread — Powerseed Organic Bread B+ 82 sodium (65/100)
3 Nature's Own — Specialty Honey Wheat Bread B 77 sodium (64/100)
4 Oroweat — Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat Bread B 77 sodium (60/100)
5 Sara Lee — 100% Whole Wheat Bread B 76 sodium (50/100)
6 Thomas' — Plain Mini Bagels B- 74 sodium (52/100)
7 Wonder — Classic White Enriched Bread B- 72 fiber (55/100)

Worth a closer look

The two ends of the list tell the story. Dave's Killer Bread Powerseed Thin-Sliced Organic Bread tops the class at 82/100 (B+); Wonder Classic White Enriched Bread anchors the bottom at 72/100 (B-). Click any product for its full fact sheet — the six dimension sub-scores, the per-serving label, and what would move its grade. Prefer to slice it yourself? Filter every graded product by the dimension you care about.

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How we graded these

Each product is scored on six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — combined into a 0–100 score and a letter grade. Every number comes from the product’s own label, verified against USDA FoodData Central. The grade is absolute (relative to all packaged foods), which is why a whole category can land in the same band. See the full methodology. Last graded 2026-06-04.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which bread scored highest?

The seeded whole-grain loaves led — Dave’s Killer Bread Powerseed Organic topped the list at B+ (its Thin-Sliced version tied it), with Nature’s Own Honey Wheat and Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat behind. See the ranked table above for the exact order and each one’s weakest dimension.

Why did the white bread score lowest?

Wonder Classic White Enriched Bread came last because enriching refined flour adds back a few vitamins but not the fiber, and fiber and ingredient quality are two of our six dimensions. It’s not a disaster — a B- — just beaten by every whole-grain loaf on the things that matter here.

Is bread healthy?

It depends almost entirely on the grain. Whole-grain, seeded loaves bring real fiber and grade in the B range; refined white bread gives you less and lands lower. The sneaky variable is added sugar — even ‘wheat’ loaves can carry it — so the highest-scoring move is whole grain with a short, recognizable ingredient list.

How is the grade calculated?

Six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — into a 0–100 score and a letter grade, from each product’s own label, verified against USDA data. See our methodology page.

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