8 High-Protein Breads, Ranked Worst To Best

"The best thing since sliced bread" has always been more metaphor than reality. That is, until sliced bread itself decided to level up. Low-carb, high-fiber, and whole-grain versions of the staple have been around for a while now. But now you can also find loaves that are bolstered with extra protein — today's golden macronutrient.

When thinking of ways to add more protein to your diet, your mind probably doesn't immediately wander to bread, and for good reason. Most standard store-bought loaves only contain about 3 to 4 grams per slice — higher for whole wheat than white. But brands are now hitting the shelves with recipes that sneakily pack in a few extra grams, thanks to additions like seeds, grains, and wheat protein. It may not seem like a significant impact compared to high-protein foods like chicken or cottage cheese recipes, but every little bit helps in order to hit your daily goals.

The tricky part is finding a bread that meets your nutritional standards but also doesn't compromise on taste. That's where this taste test comes in. I recently picked up a collection of several different store-bought bread loaves that each boast 5 to 7 grams of protein per slice and compared them side by side. I judged them based on flavor, texture, and versatility, looking for the kind of bread that you'll want to incorporate into every meal — from a high-protein slice of toast in the morning to an overstuffed sandwich for dinner.

It's not often you see a classic white bread with a lot of nutritional value. Personally, I don't typically eat white bread for its nutritional benefits: I eat it because it's the best pick for a nostalgic peanut butter and jelly or cinnamon toast. That said, Nature's Own has found a way to turn a loaf of soft white bread into a keto-friendly option. It feeds into that low-carb, high-fat diet (although the fat count here is also low) and also delivers 6 grams of protein in every single thick-cut slice.

At first, I was impressed by the too-good-to-be-true concept and the short list of ingredients. It's mostly made of modified wheat starch, wheat protein isolate, and water, with a handful of other add-ins like soybean oil and salt. Then reality started to set in. This bread has the most unusual texture and taste. It was extremely chewy, to the point where I felt like I was ripping each bite off with my teeth. It was also noticeably dry, oddly salty, and had a distinct potato-like quality — almost like instant mashed potatoes — despite not containing any potato-derived ingredients. Honestly, it tastes like something you're not supposed to be eating.

It's a better-for-you choice, but at what cost? I'd rather stick with the brand's 100% whole grain bread, which is still low in fat, decently low in carbs, and offers 4 grams of protein.

If you've never seen Food for Life in the store, you may be looking in the wrong place. Instead of the bakery section or bread aisle, these loaves are tucked into the freezer aisle. This is because the bread is considered "living," and with no artificial preservatives, it can mold within just a few days at room temperature.

Many of the brand's loaves are also built around the biblical quote from Ezekiel 4:9: "Take also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils and millet, and spelt and put them in one vessel..." The loaf includes all of these ingredients, and the one I picked up also contains organic flax seeds. It also contains no flour, no refined sugar, 5 grams of protein per slice — the list goes on and on. With all that goodness packed in, I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't. Although it tastes fresh (even from the freezer), I couldn't get past the dryness. And without much standout flavor, you start to feel like you're chewing on cardboard. The muted taste leans heavily on wheat and flax, and it's noticeably seedy throughout.

I will say it's much better when toasted. That's when those nutty flavors pop, and it becomes a sturdy base for whatever you load it up with. Just make sure it's something with a bit of moisture — like avocado or cottage cheese with a drizzle of honey.

Here in the Midwest, Brownberry is one of our more premium bread brands. The name actually comes from founder Catherine Clark, who once said her wheat loaf came out of the oven looking "brown as a berry" — we love it when people take the time to admire their own work. Clearly, it stuck, and now the brand offers a collection of whole grain, multigrain, and seed-studded options, including this seeded keto loaf.

Nutrition-wise, it holds its own, with 5 grams of protein and only 2 net carbs per slice. But what impressed me more than that was the texture. It's extra soft — almost sticky — and has a kind of squishy density to it that I actually preferred. Where it gets confusing is the smell and taste. It feels like it can't decide what it wants to be. For some reason, the initial aroma actually reminded me of blueberries, and the flavor feels like a blend between white bread and a bagel. There's a slightly gummy, almost powdery quality to it, and the sunflower, chia, and flax seeds are spread out, so you don't get a lot in each slice.

I actually preferred it over the dry Ezekiel slices, even though it may not have quite as many nutritional benefits. But it has a more approachable flavor that would make it a great choice for a sandwich loaded up with oven-roasted turkey, cheddar cheese, and a dollop of brown mustard.

Aldi's L'Oven Fresh bread is actually marketed as a protein bread, and when I first glanced at it, my eyes were immediately drawn to the callout of a whopping 14 grams of protein. I was shocked that it could pack in more than twice the amount of other brands. But then I quickly realized it's actually 14 grams for every two slices, so 7 grams per slice. Still a solid amount — but not the protein powerhouse I was picturing.

The bread has a very bouncy texture to it. If you press it down, it will immediately spring right back up. Different kinds of seeds are also sprouted throughout the dough — a combination of flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds — giving the bread a nice crunchy textural element to offset the spongy base. If you look closer at the ingredient list, you'll see that some of that protein is coming from pea protein and also chickpea flour, and I did notice a bit of that mildly earthy chickpea flavor. In some bites, it came off as bitter. Overall, though, it still feels like a "healthy" bread with a decent all-around flavor.

It also comes at a steal of a price compared to other breads in this category, and I could see myself buying it again. But there are other offerings out there that deliver similar benefits and more of a classically balanced taste.

The Simple Truth of this Kroger bread is that it's a Dave's Killer Bread dupe. It comes really close to the name-brand's Whole Grains & Seeds Organic Loaf — it even has exactly 21 grains and seeds to match. However, despite the obvious similarities, it tastes just different enough for me to still prefer Dave's (a bummer, since this one comes at a fraction of the price).

As a Simple Truth product, the packaging notes it's "free from unwanted ingredients" like artificial preservatives and high fructose corn syrup. But with those 21 grains and seeds, the ingredient list is unsurprisingly still a mile long. You can find everything from barley and buckwheat to pumpkin seeds and quinoa hiding in your loaf. The base is predominantly made up of organic wheat flour and organic vital wheat gluten (which is high in protein). The slices are on the flatter side but still pretty sizable because of their width.

I like that it has a light sweetness to it, kind of like a honey wheat bread. And it doesn't come across as too grain-forward or overly dense. Where it falls short compared to the higher-ranked breads is the texture. It's almost too soft, to the point that it sticks to your teeth like white bread. The seeds also aren't as well-distributed. So with these two notes, Simple Truth did well in the rankings, but I can't say it was my absolute favorite.

I had never heard of this brand before I plucked it from the Kroger shelf. It was a shot in the dark, as I flipped it around to check its protein content, and you can imagine my surprise when I saw that it contains a total of 7 grams per slice — tied with Aldi's bread for the highest in the taste test. Major score. The better news, though, is that it's actually good. In fact, it was one of the best ones I found.

It looks more like a gourmet sandwich bread than a high-protein bread. And it even outlines its traditional European bread-making process on the bag. Each large slice lands somewhere between dense and fluffy, with an almost sourdough-like quality to it. In addition to wheat flour, there's also rye flour, potato flour, and sourdough, which all come together to give it a noticeably more complex flavor. You still get a decent amount of seeds scattered throughout and more concentrated along the firmer crust as well. It's the kind of bread I could eat on its own, or, even better, served alongside a ramekin of extra virgin olive oil and Italian-style seasonings.

The higher calorie and carb count did knock it down slightly in my book. But if you're willing to sacrifice those for higher protein and a great taste, this is the bread for you.

Dave's Killer Bread feels like it's about to fix all your life's problems. When it first came out in 2005, it disrupted the market as a completely new way to bread. It came on strong with a hearty texture, organic whole grains, plenty of nutrients. This "killer" recipe that Dave created clearly resonates with people, because his face was all over the bread aisle at each of the many grocery stores I visited.

The brand now has a colorful array of options, but I went with the 21 Whole Grains and Seeds loaf – a reliably tasty pick with 6 grams of protein per slice. It's just good bread, plain and simple. The texture is both soft and grainy at the same time, with seeds packed into nearly every square inch. You'll find rolled oats and whole sunflower seeds pressed into the crust, and they're applied generously enough that you end up with a granola-like pile at the bottom of the bag. It also has a natural sweetness — presumably from the molasses and organic cane sugar — which makes it more enjoyable while still staying neutral enough to work with just about any toast or sandwich pairing. It's just a smidge better than the Simple Truth variety in every category and it also beats out The Rustik Oven's bread thanks to its lower calorie and carb count and standout flavor.

The Hero your bread box needs. This pick masquerades as your average everyday loaf of bread — almost like a mix between a brown and white. But there's so much more to it.

The Hero brand's Seeded bread, which I found at Fresh Thyme Market, is one of the brand's sliced loaves. It's described as a "fluffy wheat bread with pumpkin, sunflower, and flax seeds for a hearty texture." But it's also made with olive oil and comes with a wealth of benefits like only 1 gram net carb per slice, 12 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein — just what I like to see. What's more, though, is that even in the midst of all these nutritional perks, it also has a taste that makes you want to eat it as a snack. It looks just like a fresh homemade sandwich bread loaf, and it tastes like it, too. Its texture is somehow both cloud-like and chewy at the same time, with a doughiness that made it more delicious than it should have been. In terms of flavor, it's mildly yeasty and nutty, thanks to that trio of seeds.

It's all about the flavor and gets its extra bump of protein from a combination of wheat protein and fava bean protein. It doesn't feel like you're sacrificing health for flavor, and based on the high rating on the brand's website, I'm not the only one who thinks so.

Each of these breads offers a similar amount of protein per slice, with between 5 and 7 grams each. In the grand scheme of things, the difference between 10 grams and 14 grams of protein in your sandwich isn't going to make a dramatic impact. So instead of focusing solely on the exact number, I based this ranking on the other benefits each bread offers — namely, the taste.

After finding each loaf at grocery stores like Kroger, Fresh Thyme Market, and Giant Eagle, I tried them one slice at a time. I paid close attention to texture, hoping to find something that was supple, soft, and had a light chew when it was untoasted. Personally, I'm also of the mindset that the more seeds, the better. I enjoyed the subtle crunch they added, like small textural reminders that you're getting more out of your bread than just the basics. As for flavor, I looked for slices with a mild, earthy profile and didn't mind a hint of sweetness. I also tracked other nutritional elements like calories and carbs, giving some preference to breads that fall on the lighter side for both. Price was noted as well, though it didn't weigh heavily in my final ranking.