Is TikTok's Cloud Bread Trend Actually Healthy? What Experts Say
Leave it to TikTok to amplify many wacky food trends. One of the latest, cloud bread isn't exactly new — it hit big on Pinterest in 2016. It surged on TikTok during the pandemic, as many people were stuck at home cooking their own meals. The recipe is rather simple because there are only a handful of ingredients. You start by whipping a few egg whites together, then add some corn starch, then fold in some egg yolks, some cream cheese, and maybe some sugar — depending on whether or not you want it to be sweet.
TikTok user Matthew Merril added some blue food coloring, and others added strawberry extract. Some love the taste and texture, but TikTok Tim says, "Imagine a stale cotton candy with a raw egg white aftertaste. It's really sweet and it tastes like nasty bread." With egg as the key ingredient, could this cloud bread be a healthy substitute for bread? A registered dietician told HUM Nutrition that cloud bread isn't necessarily unhealthy, but it's not a great swap if you like bread. There are also some other nutritional factors to consider.
How cloud bread can be healthy
Cloud bread is a great option for people with gluten intolerance or celiac disease because it's gluten-free. According to The Healthy, people who are following a keto or low-carb diet might love cloud bread because there are very few carbs (if you don't add sugar). If you're lactose intolerant, you can substitute the cream cheese for a non-dairy ingredient.
Most cloud recipes use three to four eggs. Whole eggs are a good source of choline and vitamin D. Choline is great for your brain and muscle health while helping to manage your blood pressure (via National Institutes of Health). Fat-soluble vitamin D helps support your bone health (via Harvard Medical School). Some recipes add psyllium husk, which will add a little fiber (via Diet Doctor). And if you make the version with no sugar and plain Greek yogurt, you'll have a low-calorie bread with just 35 calories and 4 grams of protein (via The Healthy).
Some cloud bread recipes can be short on nutrients
Unless you add psyllium husk, cloud bread lacks the fiber that will help keep you full. The low calories in cloud bread could satisfy you for the short term. Unfortunately, you'll most likely sabotage your diet with unhealthy options a few hours later because you'll be hungry (via Nine). You'll also be missing out on some healthy, essential fats and B vitamins.
Even if you're loving your low-carb diet, dieticians tell Women's Health that you need healthy carbs if you exercise. If you want to cut carbs with cloud bread, add vegetables or fruit to provide some healthy carbs. Compared to a slice of bread, cloud bread has the same amount of protein, according to The Healthy. Therefore, it's not really a high-protein food. Some of the recipes shown on TikTok don't add the egg yolks. Although a whole egg will give you 140 milligrams of choline, that choline is in the yolk, not the egg white. The TikTok recipes also add two or three tablespoons of sugar, which means it's no longer keto-friendly.