Bread is the staple food in almost all around the world. How to choose the healthiest bread is something most of us want to know. Many families and food joints do serve bread in various forms and shapes. One can prepare so many recipes with bread. But they hardly have any idea of making a healthy choice in terms of choosing the bread. Below are some of the points to keep in mind while choosing the bread. They would make sure that the bread is not only good in taste, but also good for health.
What you need to avoid while choosing the bread:
- Refined Flours- Processed white wheat flour is very bad for your health. It is not the healthy option to make the healthiest bread. The flour does not have any nutrients, vitamins in it. It is just standard flour. It is not at all good for your health and gives you bad impact in the long run.
- Colorings, Preservatives and Fillers- The manufacturers add these things in the bread to maintain a good flavour. They add these things to maintain the freshness in the bread. They add bleaching agent to add volume and texture.
- Sodium, Refined Sugars, Hydrogenated Fats- Sugar helps to feed the yeast in the rising process. Refined sugar in the bread is not good for the health. You should avoid hydrogenated fats and vegetable oil at any cost. Salt is used to add flavour and the process of fermentation. In processed food, sodium is bad for heart health.
Now, let’s check the list of ingredients in the healthy breads:
1. Gluten-Free
If you are looking for gluten-free bread, then you can opt for Nut and Seed Bread. It takes only 5 minutes to prepare, and it is grain-free. It is loaded with healthy fats and protein. Gluten-free bread keeps you away from all the unnecessary habits that are bad for health.
2. Sourdough
If you order a fresh sourdough bread from a nearby bakery, then this is the healthiest bread that you can have for weight loss. Live yeast gives that tangy flavour to the bread. It creates lactic acid, which makes the other nutrients digestible. You can have this bread with a bowl of hot soup makes your day to start fresh.
3. Sprouted
The bread is made of sprouted and organic grains. They add health benefits because one can easily digest the bread. It is high in fibre. The bread is rich in nutrients like vitamin B, antioxidants and Amino Acids.
4. Whole Wheat/ Whole Grain
If you do not like sprouted, then go for whole grain. Before you buy the whole grain, check the stamp of Whole Grain on the bread packet. Read the list of ingredients and then buy the packet of bread. The whole grain bread comes with Buyer’s guide that will help you decide whether to choose the bread or not.
5. Healthier Flour
You should choose GMO-free and organic choice bread. In these flours, you will get less amount of pesticide residue. Basically, it is a healthier process, and you will get in various varieties like amaranth, buckwheat, sorghum, quinoa, almond, and millet. In sprouted grain, the grain is fermented, and that reduce the sugar in the grain, phytate content. It makes the bread digestible. It has less gluten, crabs and more protein.
How to choose Healthiest bread?
- Label should not confuse You- Whether the bread is made of 5 grain or 12 grain does not matter. What matters the most is that the grains made of whole grains. If you find on the label that it is 100% natural, then also it is confusing. A long list of ingredients with unknown names should be better left out. You should know that the bread is made of salt, water, flour, and sugar for yeast activation.
- Cancel out Unnecessary Additives- These days, bread contain extra ingredients that you do not need. These ingredients do not make the bread healthy. The extra ingredients may make the bread unhealthy. Added fats like trans-fat, vegetable oil increase the risk of heart disease. Avoid sweeteners in the bread. They add more calorie and sugar in your bread. Your bread should remain healthy without any extra additives.
- Healthy Essentials- As per Buyer’s guide, you need to select the bread, which has the fiber of 3 grams, 100 calories and sodium of 225 mg in one slice of bread. In whole grain, you will get cholesterol free items, the grain is low fat. It contains 10%-15% protein. It also has lots of healthy fiber, minerals, antioxidants, vitamins, and phytochemicals. It is good for weight loss, reduces the problem of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and stroke.
Myths to Break:
Myth 1- If it is brown bread, it has lots of whole grain and fibre
Truth is that if it is written “wheat flour”, then it has mostly white flour and not “whole wheat flour”.
Myth 2- Breads with “100% natural” written are the best
Truth is that what you see is not always true. Most bread is made of “wheat flour” and not the “whole wheat bread”.
Myth 3- 100% Rye bread is whole-grain with high-fibre
Truth is that rye bread is not made of 100% whole grain and it does not have high fibre in it. So, while buying rye bread, you need to understand the fact and read the ingredient list nicely.
Final Words
Now you can make a healthy choice with healthy bread and enjoy your breakfast, lunch, and dinner at any time. It will keep your check on your health. So, there is nothing to worry, and you can actually make a huge difference. So, make sure you choose the right bread for you and your family. A healthy food habit always gives you a great option to stay fit and healthy. So, break all the myths that you have in bread and look for the reliable option that will give you excellent help to make the right choice.