Is Bread safe during pregnancy?

Grains & cereals

Part of a healthy pregnancy diet

The US FDA names whole-wheat bread as a whole grain and enriched bread as a source of folic acid; the NHS lists bread among starchy foods.[1,2]

What official sources say

US FDA: Dietary Advice Before and During Pregnancy

  • Folic acid is sometimes added to staple foods to help people meet their daily needs, including: Enriched breads, pasta, rice, and breakfast cereals[1]
  • Examples of whole grains include: Whole-wheat bread[1]

NHS: Have a healthy diet in pregnancy

  • Starchy foods include bread, potatoes, breakfast cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, maize, millet, oats, yams and cornmeal.[2]

Nutrition per 100 g (USDA)

Energy254 kcal
Protein12.3 g
Fibre6 g
Sugars4.41 g
Iron2.56 mg
Calcium163 mg
Folate, total42 µg
Choline27.2 mg
DHA (omega-3)0 g
EPA (omega-3)0 g
Sodium450 mg

USDA FoodData Central: Bread, whole-wheat, commercially prepared (FDC ID 335240), per 100 g. Public domain. Values describe that USDA record; composition varies with variety and preparation.

Sources

  1. US FDA: Dietary Advice Before and During Pregnancy · fda.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  2. NHS: Have a healthy diet in pregnancy · nhs.uk. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). Not endorsed by the NHS.

Sources checked 26 September 2026.

Quotes are checked word for word against each source page, and paraphrases against the original text. Official bodies are named as sources only: none of them reviewed or endorses this page.

Educational information, not medical advice. Your own doctor or midwife may advise differently for you — follow their advice.