Pita Bread Nutrition

Pita bread is a kind of flat bread that is round in shape and is mostly used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. It is a very popular flat bread that is used for making pita sandwiches as well as an accompaniment to gravies. The unique thing about pita bread is the pocket that is produced in the center of the bread during baking. This pocket is then used for stuffing various fillings and condiments.
Pita bread is generally made from flour that has been leavened, although it is also made with different grains as well as whole wheat. This bread is baked in special ovens at a very high temperature. Due to the extremely high temperature used for baking flat bread recipe, the dough used for making the bread, expands rapidly, creating an internal pocket. After cooling, the bread flattens out but the internal air pocket remains. Since pita bread is made from both, white flour as well as whole wheat, therefore the nutrition of pita bread is different for different types of wheat used. Addition of different grains in the bread also changes the nutritional value of pita bread.Nutrition Facts about Pita Bread
One large pita bread made with white flour contains about 165 calories. It is low in both saturated fat and trans saturated fat. It has 33 grams of carbohydrates and 9 grams of protein. It is also rich in thiamin and selenium which is required for the healthy functioning of the body. It contains only 1 gram of fat and so is ideal for people who are looking to cut back on fat consumption in their diet. It also has about 1 gram of dietary fiber which contributes to about 5 percent of the daily recommended intake. Pita bread has 322 grams of sodium per serving and such it is a little high on sodium. Pita bread is quite rich in minerals like niacin, copper, calcium, riboflavin, folate and iron. For those people who are following a low carbohydrate diet, consumption of pita bread is not recommended due to its high carbohydrate content.
As mentioned earlier pita bread can be made with whole wheat too and whole wheat pita bread is much more nutritious than regular pita bread. Whole wheat pita bread nutrition facts are as follows. It contains about 35.2 grams of carbohydrates, 6.3 grams protein, 1.7 grams fat and 340 grams of sodium. It scores over regular pita in the field of dietary fiber as it contains around 4.7 grams of dietary fiber. This is much higher than 1 gram of dietary fiber that is available in regular pita bread. It is low in both sugar and saturated food and has zero cholesterol. Whole wheat pita bread is also high in manganese and selenium that is required for the normal and healthy functioning of the body. Addition of other grains improves the nutritional value of pita bread although the pita bread calories will slightly increase.
Many bakeries make pita bread and one of the most popular is the Toufayan bakery. One regular sized pita bread from Tofayan bakery contains 150 calories, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 6 gram proteins and 0.5 gram fats. The multi grain pita bread from Toufayan bakery contains 173 calories, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 8 gram protein, 4 grams dietary fiber and 1 gram fat. A half size serving of Weight Watchers pita bread contains 90 calories with 16 gram carbohydrates, 3 grams protein and 1 gram fat.
The best way to enjoy pita bread is by filling it with slices of fresh vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and onions and topped with creamy hummus. Avoid filling it with too much of mayonnaise, creamy salad dressings and red meat. Remember that the fillings used in pita bread will greatly increase the calories in it.

Pita Bread Nutrition