5 Healthiest Pita Breads on Grocery Shelves—and 2 To Avoid

Pita bread is a popular Mediterranean staple that can be easily found in grocery stores across the U.S. Many pita fans like it for its "pocket" center, which allows you to turn it into a sandwich alternative. Others use pita bread to dip with hummus or bake it and turn it into a healthier chip option. No matter how you use pita bread, there are many brands to choose from, and deciphering the healthy from the less nutritious can be tricky.

Like other types of bread, pita can be made with white or wheat flour, drastically changing its nutrition profile. You may also find sugar in some pita bread, options that contain various preservatives, and others with additives to improve texture and flavor. While all types and brands of pita bread can be eaten in moderation as part of a well-rounded diet, you may consider browsing the nutrition panel and ingredient list before you pick up your next bag. Read on to learn our picks for the healthiest pita breads and how we chose them.

How We Chose the Healthiest Pita Breads

• Fiber: Fiber content was a top priority when choosing the healthiest options. This form of carbohydrate can improve digestion and may even improve blood cholesterol. Ideally, 3 grams or more of fiber are in each serving of pita bread.
• Sugar: Sugar is another form of carb and one that should be limited in your diet. While the American Heart Association says up to 25 to 35 grams per day is acceptable, depending on gender, you should keep this number as low as possible. For this reason, brands of pita bread that contain more than 3 grams of sugar per serving were kept off our list.
• Protein: Protein is a filling nutrient that is not generally associated with bread. While bread may not be a concentrated source of protein, pita options that provide more than 3 grams of protein per serving are ideal. Including adequate amounts of protein in your diet can improve satiety.

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Healthiest Pita Breads

Best: Ezekiel 4:9 Prophet's Pocket

The Ezekiel 4:9 pita is one of the healthiest pita options on shelves. Its first ingredient is organic 100% stone-ground whole wheat flour, which helps the pita provide 4 grams of filling fiber per serving. For only 100 calories, you get 5 grams of protein with zero grams of sugar. A simple ingredient list without artificial ingredients makes this option one of our top picks.

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Best: BFree Stone Baked Pita Bread

Many gluten-free breads have a low fiber content, but this option comes in at 4 grams of filling fiber. However, it only contains 2 grams of protein. BFree pita includes 1 gram of sugar, and it's naturally occurring sugar from ingredients like pea, potato, and apple juice concentrate. Despite the lower protein count, this bread option made our best list as a gluten-free alternative that also provides an impressive fiber content.

Best: Arnold Healthy Multi-Grain Pita Pockets

For just 100 calories, you get a pita pocket containing 5 grams of fiber. The downside to this option is that sugar is on the ingredient list, although it only provides 1 gram of added sugar per serving. There are more filler ingredients in this product, like preservatives and xanthan gum, but it has an impressive nutrition profile.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

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Best: Papa Pita Greek Pita White Flat Bread

This pita has the highest protein content on our list, at 8 grams. It also packs 4 grams of fiber. While these factors make it a more filling option, it does provide the second-highest number of calories on our list. Sugar is listed in the ingredient list, and there are 2 grams per serving.

Best: Joseph's Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Pita

Joseph's Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Pita is the lowest-calorie option by a landslide. For only 60 calories, you get a pita pocket with 6 grams of protein. Although this selection only has 2 grams of fiber, it contains zero grams of sugar and has the lowest carb count. This is great for people who need or want to monitor their carb intake.

Pita To Avoid

Worst: Toufayan Pita, Classic White

This popular pita brand made our "skip it" list for several reasons. First is the fiber count. While it contains 30 grams of carbs, one of the highest counts on our list, it only provides 1 gram of fiber. Additionally, it contains added sugar, making it less nutritious than other pitas available. Toufayan does offer a multigrain option, which provides more fiber and the same calories.

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Worst: Kontos Pocket-less Pita

At 230 calories and 40 grams of carbs per serving, this option has the highest calorie and carb count on our list. In addition to these values, it contains only 2 grams of fiber and has 3 grams of sugar. For these reasons, this pita option made our "avoid" list. While it can be part of a well-rounded diet, there are better options on the market.