According to statistics, the popularity of bread is decreasing in Finland. The expert worries whether Finns get enough fiber from their food.
Finns get half of the whole grain rye bread they eat. Bread is an important source of fiber. Adobe Stock / AOP
The consumption of bread in Finland has decreased, according to the press release of Leipätieðutus.
According to the delivery statistics of the bread bulletin, in 2025 Finns ate slightly less than 38 kilograms of bread per person. About 31 kilos of the amount was domestic, soft bread and the rest was foreign bread and dry bread, such as crisp bread and sourdough bread.
This means about three slices of soft bread a day.
Delivery of bakery products has been monitored in Finland since the 1990s, and the annual consumption of bread per person was around 40–41 kilograms for a long time. In 2024, it dropped below 40 kilos for the first time in the 21st century.
– Intestinal diseases have become significantly more common in recent years. Adequate fiber intake is important for intestinal health, and a low intake of whole grains has been found to be one of the key nutritional factors behind years of life lost due to diseases, project coordinator and Master of Food Sciences Terhi Virtanen says in the announcement.
Bread and cereal products are the most significant sources of fiber for Finns. According to bread information, Finns get half of their whole grain from rye bread alone, and up to 70 percent of their whole grain from all breads.
– So the decrease in bread consumption cannot help but affect the intake of these important ingredients and thus our health, Virtanen commented in the press release.
We fear bread for nothing
Sometimes bread is left out of the diet because it is feared that it will make you fat. Nutritionist Meri Mustakallio However, the University of Helsinki previously said in an interview with Iltalehti that the fear is unnecessary.
– I think that the idea of bread being fattening comes largely from the low-carbohydrate diets that became popular in the 1990s and the idealization of thinness. These created a one-sided image in the media, which has survived to this day.
Whole wheat bread can even help with weight management because it maintains satiety better than light wheat bread.
– Then hunger stays away and the total amount of energy for the day can decrease, causing the weight to drop. There is strong research evidence that the use of whole grains reduces the risk of obesity. On the other hand, the consumption of whole grain products, i.e. low-fiber bread, increases the risk of obesity.
According to Mustakallio, bread should not be used as a substitute for meals. Whole grain bread works best as part of a regular meal rhythm – for example as a snack between main meals.
The popularity of snacks is growing
Food culture and eating have become sloppy. There was a 9 percent increase in deliveries of domestic edible bakery products in 2025. The import of edible bakery products has also been growing for several years.
Bread Information’s Terhi Virtanen urges to invest in quality and fibrous options when choosing snacks. Rice and Karelian pies are often baked with whole grain (rye) flour, and the selection of filled breads also has whole grain and fiber-rich options.
– Domestic products are often more fiber-rich than imported products, Virtanen says in the press release.