The Federation of Bakers has teamed up with The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) star Georgia Kousoulou to counter the perception among women that bread is unhealthy. 

The TV celebrity aims to raise awareness of the nutritional role that bread can play in the diet – specifically targeting women who follow a reduced or no-carb diet.

A survey conducted by YouGov revealed that almost half (49%) of British women aged 18 to 35 who have been on a diet are cutting carbs, with a third (33%) ditching bread in the last year.

“So many girls forget bread actually plays an important part in a healthy balanced diet – and even more think it’s bad, so just don’t eat it,” said Kousoulou. “To me that’s just mad as it’s a really healthy way to give your body the energy it needs.”

The TOWIE star recently took part in a photo shoot as part of the ‘we heart bread’ campaign, created by The Federation of Bakers and the Flour Advisory Bureau to remind people of the benefits of eating bread and dispel common bread myths.

TV doctor Dawn Harper, who is also supporting the campaign, said bread should be “a staple in any good balanced diet”. 

“Bread is not only low in fat and sugar, but also a good source of calcium, fibre and iron – all things that are particularly important for girls Georgia’s age,” she said. “There are a lot of pressures on young women today to look slim, but too often they follow unhealthy diets that cut out essential nutrients and energy sources. 

“There is no such thing as a bad food, but there are plenty of bad diets. It’s all about balance and portion control.”

For more information follow @weheartbread and the hashtag #BreadbyGeorgia on Twitter.