How to Choose Bread?

Bread, we all love it, but we all run from it on the same breath. Where did this all go so wrong? This amazing warm, soft, delicacy went absolutely haywire in the past several decades. Here’s the thing, as manufacturers work hard to tantalize our taste buds, the industry started adding in all sorts of things as a means of selling something new and special, yet saving dollars along the way.

Bread is basically flour, yeast, water, and salt. You can’t get much simpler than that. Unfortunately, the last ingredient list that I saw for multigrain bread, at the store, had 75 ingredients, most of which I had no idea what they were. When you are choosing just the right bread for you and your family, here are my easiest tricks of finding the best of the bunch:

From the Shelves

This is where you will see all the manufactured, brand name breads that typically come perfectly sculpted in a square and sliced to perfection. These are the biggest challenges of all. Most of the ingredient lists are so long that they will take you to the next aisle over. Your goal is to choose the one with the shortest list and to be sure that every ingredient listed is something you can recognize and define. Oops, one more thing to mention, these typically have so many preservatives that they will stay fluffy and fresh for weeks…Fresh bread only lasts a few days. Keep in mind that most nutrition dissipates with oxygen, so the longer it lasts, the fewer nutrients it will provide.

From the Refrigerated or Freezer Section

Refrigeration is a means of preservation, so these choices will carry with them fewer preservatives than their store shelf counterparts. Once again your goal is fewer ingredients and nothing funny that you can’t pronounce or wouldn’t find in your traditional dictionary.

From the Baker

This is by far one of my favorite choices. More than likely you will have few, if any, preservatives and your ingredient list will come from the basics. Obviously, not all bakeries are created equal, so although the smell may be mesmerizing, you still want to look at the ingredient list to be sure that you are making the right choices, using your head as opposed to that amazing smell in the air.

From your Own Kitchen

Here’s the GOLD STANDARD of bread. You have full control over your ingredients, there’s no need for preservatives or any other funky ingredient, and you can enjoy it. Here’s also a great opportunity to play around with alternative flours made from oats, almond, or coconut. There are so many great recipes to choose from.

With all this said, one of the sad facts about bread is that no matter how you slice it, no pun intended, your body will treat it as a sugar and store it as fat if it’s not needed for immediate activity. In other words, if you get, or make, a loaf of freshly made bread, dip it in olive oil and enjoy every bite with a good movie your thighs will be the only ones reaping the benefits. Bread should be an accessory, never a main staple to a meal or snack. If you love bread make sure it comes with a good cardio routine to keep you lean and strong!

In Peace, Love, and Health,

Adita

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SuperPowers, A Busy Woman’s Guide to Health and Happiness

and

SuperPowers of the Family Kitchen

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