Professor Tim Spector says an easy trick with bread can not only prolong its life, but also make it healthier. Bread is a favourite for Brits – it is purchased by 99.8 per cent of households, equating to around 11 million loaves a day.
The average Brit buys more than 60 loaves per year. However, a lot of it goes to waste – approximately 900,000 tonnes of it a year. That’s about 24 million slices a day.
There are also question marks about its health benefits. Ultra-processed white bread can have very few nutrients, while consuming too much white bread can contribute to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
However, Prof Spector has a hack which he says can ‘slow blood sugar spikes and support your gut health’. He was talking about the benefits of freezing food, and said that some of the ‘healthiest’ stuff you can buy is actually frozen food.
Prof Spector, who is the founder of the Zoe health app, said: “Even bread can benefit from freezing. Sliced and stored in the freezer, it won’t go stale, and the starch converts to resistant starch, which may slow blood sugar spikes and support your gut health.”
According to Cambridge University Hospitals: “Starch is a type of carbohydrate. It gives us energy and is an important part of our everyday diet. It is found in foods such as bread, pasta, pastry, potato, rice, and pulses.
“Although most starch is completely digested and absorbed into our bodies, some is not. This is called resistant starch as it is resistant to digestion.”
It can help with digestion, weight loss, disease prevention, and other important functions. The resistant starch feeds good bacteria while it remains in our gut. Resistant starches are a type of complex carbohydrate. Complex carbohydrates have a complex chemical structure that your body needs more energy to digest. They are generally healthier for you and more nutritious.
Resistant starches have only 2.5 calories per gram, while regular starches contain 4 calories per gram. This means it may help to swap other starches for resistant starches if you are looking to lose or maintain weight.
Speaking of using your freezer, Prof Spector even said that some frozen foods are actually even healthier than fresh produce. This is because it is often frozen so quickly after being picked that much of the natural goodness is retained, while fresh goods may have lost nutritional value by the time it reaches your plate.
The professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London said: “Some of the healthiest foods can be frozen foods. This idea that it has to be fresh and is going to be expensive (is wrong). Peas and green beans, spinach when frozen – it has all the nutrients – sometimes even more than the fresh stuff because by the time the fresh one’s got to you, wherever you are living, it won’t be as fresh. The frozen stuff is often better. Tinned beans and things are sometimes better than the dried ones.”
He continued: “Frozen food isn’t just cheaper and more convenient—it can also be just as nutritious, if not healthier in some cases. It’s a great tool to reduce waste and make healthy eating more manageable.
“I often use fresh herbs for their polyphenols, but rarely finish the pack before they wilt. Storing them in the freezer preserves both their nutrients and flavour.
“Peas are another great example. When frozen soon after harvest, they retain more vitamin C than fresh ones and deliver 7g of fibre per 100g—an easy way to boost your meals.
“I also use frozen mixed berries in my morning kefir. They’re more cost-effective, reduce waste, and let me add variety without buying multiple punnets. Like peas, berries are frozen quickly, locking in nutrients. So, if you’re aiming for 30 plants a week to support your gut health, don’t underestimate the power of the freezer.”