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What Is the Best Bread to Buy and Eat

By Diane Hanson

I’m a huge carb lover. I just cannot resist the aroma of a freshly toasted bread with my morning coffee and strawberry jam. It reminds me of those carefree childhood days in the kitchen, watching my mother knead the dough and waiting excitedly for it to rise. Thinking about it now, I really missed a wholesome loaf of homemade multigrain bread.

With so many things on our hands these days, most of us simply do not have time or patience to spend hours and hours in the kitchen baking breads. Hence we opt for convenience and buy them from the supermarkets. We all know that wholemeal bread is nutritionally better than white bread and so, we confidently grab a loaf, thinking we’re making a really healthy food choice. But the truth is many store-bought “wholemeal” breads are just enriched flour doused with caramel colouring.

The best bread to consume are those made from whole grains. Whole grains are loaded with a variety of Vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are required by your body for optimal health and avoidance of chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

What Is the Most Healthy Bread to Eat?

Eye the Ingredients
Look for “whole” or “wholegrain” before the first ingredient. Avoid anything that has refined white flour, which is commonly found in rye bread, pumpernickel, oatmeal, raisin, French and Italian. This type of flour is stripped of the most nutritious parts of the grain kernel thus fiber, together with essential fatty acids, Vitamins and minerals is significantly reduced. It is then required by law to be enriched meaning that some nutrients – B vitamins and iron – are added back to the flour.

How do you tell you’re getting whole wheat bread? Check for “whole wheat flour” as the only flour listed. Not “wheat flour”, “unbleached wheat flour”, or “unbleached enriched wheat flour”. These are refined white flour in disguise. Any bread, roll, or bun with “whole wheat” as part of its name must be made with only whole wheat flour.

And if you’re a huge fan of multi grain breads, then look for whole wheat flour or some other whole grain as the first or second flour listed. It’s also a good idea to check and see that you can actually spot bits of grain in the bread, and not just on top.

Also, don’t be misled by the term “light breads”. They may be slightly lower in calories (about 50 calories) because they’re thinner per slice (half that of most regular slices). Therefore, always compare caloric content based on calories per 100 grams.

In addition, “light breads” and bread packages that bear a wide range of big health claims – “heart-healthy” or “for digestive health” – are not necessarily healthier, so to speak. They’re in fact, all or mostly made with refined white flour. Some manufacturers have probably added highly processed cottonseed, oat, or soy fiber to make them sound healthy but these ingredients don’t supply the same nutrients and phytochemicals like whole grain bread.

In a word, always read the ingredients label carefully. Don’t be fooled into believing a bread is healthy just because is darker in colour or the words “whole grain” or “whole wheat” are on the package.

Find the Fiber
You also want to choose a healthful loaf of bread that provides you with at least 2 grams of dietary fiber per slice. White bread is usually half a gram per slice.

Ingredients to Avoid in Store-Bought Breads

Partially Hydrogenated Oils

Consumption of partially hydrogenated oils has been linked to increased incidences of multi sclerosis and allergies leading to arthritis.

Caramel Colouring

Caramel is burnt sugar and remember anything burnt is carcinogenic.

Artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweet, Equal, Aspartame
Some people may experience unpleasant side effects including headaches, stomach cramps, muscle fatigue from ingesting artificial sweeteners. It’s also worth noting that NutraSweet has been linked to neurological disorders such as Fibromyalgia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

High Fructose Corn Syrup
In recent years, sucrose has been replaced in many commercial baked products by corn syrup, which is obtained when the polysaccharides in cornstarch are broken down. Corn syrup is primarily glucose. Numerous studies have indicated consumption of high fructose corn syrup elevates blood lipid levels and may contribute to obesity.

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