Yesterday, I was talking to a friend about the best type of bread to buy. I decided to blog about my opinion on the most nutritious bread for good health. I am not an expert on gluten or allergies, so this is for people without any wheat problems.
First and foremost all brown breads are not healthy. Many brown breads have caramel color that makes them brown.
Secondly the word Natural, healthy or light should not be your reason for choosing that bread. Reading the ingredients should be the most important.
As a Nutrition Educator, on the label the words 100 percent whole wheat should be the first or second ingredient. That means the bread is made with the whole wheat grain. Wheat flour is not the same as 100 percent whole wheat. Wheat flour is whole wheat processed, the bran and the germ of which are the outer layers of the whole grain are removed. The flour is now light and fluffy and not coarse. That’s why wheat or white bread melts in your mouth. That processed flour is then enriched with the vitamins that are missing and that’s called “enriched flour.” If it’s white it’s bleached.
The bran or outer layer has the most nutrients like fiber, vitamin E and all the B vitamins. Bread like 12 grain or seven grain also have wheat flour as their first ingredient.
Lastly the bread should have very few ingredients, the more ingredients the more it’s been processed.
Breads from fresh bakeries are great but their only negative is the shelf life. Having no preservatives means the bread will not last long.
I love hearty breads as they fill you up and keep you fueled. After 100 percent whole wheat, they can have flax, oats and other grains. That’s a personal choice. Flax seeds have omega 3 the healthy fats.
Watch out for the sugar, fat and sodium too.
Remember all bread is a carbohydrate, but in moderation is okay, it has fiber, which we lack in our diet and fiber is shown in studies to help against many diseases.
So if you are choosing to eat bread, I hope this helps.
I always think it’s important to make small changes otherwise they do not last. Switching from white to whole wheat is a huge taste difference. So go slow.