What is the healthiest pastry in the bakery?

With their crispy crust, golden color and added pearl sugar, pastry cream or chocolate, the pastries are among the most popular treats for young and old alike. Croissant, pain or chocolate (or chocolate, depending on the team), apple turnover, viennoise, raisin bread, choquettes… Although these products are among the first to be on the breakfast, snack or brunch table, they are not. every ally of our health. Is there simply a healthier option to choose from?

Not so innocent attitude

All pastries fall into the category of starchy foods, a valuable source of complex carbohydrates that provide energy to the body, but not all have the exact same nutritional contribution, says nutritionist Florence Foucault. Chocolate, for example, provides small amounts of iron and magnesium through its chocolate core. “There is a higher concentration of sugar in the circulation of bread with raisins or apples, which it contains in dried or cooked fruits, but it supplies a little fiber, which is an ally of transit,” adds the specialist.

Over-consumed pastries carry risks. As anti-aging physician and nutritionist Alexandra Daloo points out (1), high levels of sugars, salt and fat, particularly saturated fat, add up to a significant caloric burden, a factor in cardiovascular and metabolic disease. In addition, if the product is not homemade, its industrial processing process turns the proteins into “sugar, which is destructive to our antioxidant shield, which is responsible for aging,” emphasizes the doctor.

Popular natural version

So how do you find your way in front of a baker’s window? After carefully comparing the nutrition label of each, the big winner might be dairy bread or a simple Viennese baguette made with bread dough and milk, according to nutritionist Florence Foucault. Reason ? Their lowest concentration of lipids (15 grams per 100 gram serving) compared to all other pastries made with puff pastry and enriched with butter, such as croissants or raisin bread.

The advantage is obviously negated if we opt for a Viennese with chocolate chips, or if we add a spread or jam to our dairy bread. Then the calorie count remains the same as for an almond croissant, swiss pastry with cream or any other pastry made from puff pastry, explains the dietitian nutritionist.

Moderation and good associations

That being said, it’s all a matter of proportion. “As with all the other dishes and nutritional pleasures we indulge in, pastries should not be a systematic breakfast or snack, but an occasional one that can be eaten, for example, once or twice a week,” suggests the anti-aging doctor and the nutritionist. .

It is also possible to reduce calorie intake through certain food combinations. Indeed, with its high glycemic index, if pastries are eaten alone, they cause fatigue and the desire to eat quickly. According to dietitian, nutritionist Florence Foucault, the delicious version of pastries will be better accepted by the body. “A croissant at lunch with a side of vegetables, such as a salad, and protein, such as chicken breast, will be more balanced and will help you feel fuller and thus avoid cravings between meals. he suggests.

If you prefer something sweet, three items should be included in your morning plate or snack bag, according to Dr. Alexandra Dalou: whole grains in the form of porridge, dairy products such as Greek yogurt, oil seeds such as walnuts, pistachio, macadamia. , almonds and fruit. “The more pastries packed into a bowl of balanced meals, the less blood sugar spikes and the less impact there will be on snacking or fatigue,” she sums up.

(1) Alexandra Dalou is the author 100 Preconceived Ideas That Stop You From Being Good, foreword by Teddy Reinerpublished by Editions Leduc, 512 pages, €8.90.