What to Look For When Choosing Bread
by Shereen Jegtvig
We eat a lot of bread. For many of us, it would be difficult to imagine going through a day without eating some type of bread. Toast at breakfast, sandwiches at lunch or as an accompaniment to dinner. Maybe even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a snack. The bread and cereal group is the foundation of the USDA food pyramid and the USDA suggests we eat 6 to 11 servings of bread and cereal every day. Does the type of bread you choose make a difference to your health?
Absolutely. The USDA tells us that half of our breads and cereals should be whole-grain, like whole wheat or ‘brown’ bread. Regular white bread has been made with refined flour that is bleached and has had a lot of the fiber and some of the nutrients removed. The white flour is enriched with a few vitamins and iron, but it remains low in fiber. This is good for making a soft fluffy loaf of bread, but not so good for your body. You need fiber to keep your digestive system healthy and to slow down the absorption of the starch that makes up most of the flour.
Whole grain flour retains the fiber so it makes a better choice for healthy bread. Always look for the words “100% whole-wheat” or “100% whole-grain” to be sure you getting all whole grains. Some brands of bread will have labels that claim they are “made with whole grains,” but it may only contain a small amount of whole grain flour and a larger amount of regular white flour.
You might be able to find white bread that is made from light flour that’s still high in fiber and considered to be a whole grain. This flour comes from a lighter type of wheat and tastes very much like regular white bread, which is good for picky eaters who just don’t like the flavor and texture of 100% whole grain bread.
Breads and Allergens
If you’re trying to avoid wheat, it’s possible to buy bread made from other flours, such as rice bread or buckwheat. Some individuals who are sensitive to wheat may be able to tolerate breads made from sprouted wheat flour or spelt bread (but note that these types of bread won’t work for a person who has celiac).
Some food allergy sufferers aren’t sensitive to wheat, but may be sensitive to other ingredients such as dairy, corn, or soy. In these cases, you’ll need to read the ingredients label to look for whey protein (dairy product), high fructose corn syrup, soy flour or soy oil.
FoodEssentials Lists to Help You Choose Bread
Use our FoodEssentials lists to find out what’s lurking in those loaves of bread:
Whole Wheat Bread Containing Sweeteners
Resources for Bread
WebMD Whole grains are important for good health and should be a part of every healthy diet. Here are some tips from WebMD to get more whole grains into your diet.
Rebecca Wood Need some help with wheat alternatives? Rebecca Wood is cookbook author who explains some of the different ingredients you can use in place of wheat.
Mayo Clinic This article explains the importance of fiber in your diet. Whole grains are one source of fiber, along with legumes, fruits and vegetables.
Linus Pauling Institute article describes the diseases that can be prevented by eating lots of whole grains, plus tips for adding more whole grains every day.
Shereen Jegtvig has a masters degree in human nutrition and 16 years clinical experience in nutritional counseling. She writes about nutrition for About.com and TypeAMom.net. She is also the co-author of the upcoming book, Superfoods For Dummies.
Tell us what type of bread do you like to eat?
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