Healthy Breads: Choosing the Best Types of Breads

Photo by: Bigstockphoto
Photo by: Bigstockphoto

Let’s face it, most of us love bread and cannot imagine giving it up. Unfortunately, some types of bread are bad for the health. White bread is made from excessively refined flour, preservatives, and sugars. Consuming white bread could lead to weight gain, surging blood sugar level, and incessant snacking.

The good news is, you don’t have to give up bread for your health. Certain types of bread are much healthier than those made with refined flour. In today’s post, we are listing down the healthiest bread choices you can find in the supermarket. We are also sharing tips so you can make smarter choices when you shop for bread:

Flaxseed Bread

Flaxseed bread is one of the healthiest types of bread available in your local grocery. Of course, not a lot of supermarkets carry this type of bread so it is harder to find. But once you find it, pounce on it! Unlike white bread, flaxseed bread is packed with essential nutrients that keep the body healthy. These nutrients include manganese, potassium, and selenium. Flaxseed bread is also rich in essential fatty acids and dietary fiber that improve health and promote weight loss.

Rye Bread

Rye bread is not only nutritious, it is also accessible. This bread is low in calorie and 100% wheat-free! In fact, rye bread contains 20% fewer calories than regular bread. It also contains 4 times more fiber than white bread. Eating rye bread will not cause bloating, gas, and weight gain. Even better, rye burns slow so you feel fuller for longer.

Oat Bread

If you are watching what you eat but you are not ready to give up bread just yet, we highly recommend switching to oat bread. Oat bread is a great source of slow-burning complex carbohydrates. Eating oat bread will not cause the blood sugar to surge, which could lead to a sugar crash. Even better, oats are packed with fiber than improves gastrointestinal health. Fiber also reduces the risk of heart disease and hypertension!

Whole-Wheat Bread

Whole-wheat bread is incredibly high in nutrients including essential vitamins and fiber. Although it is high in carbohydrates, it will fill you up nicely without causing a sugar crash. That said, some companies are banking on the popularity of whole wheat through misleading labels. So always check the label when buying breads. Check the label to ensure you are buying whole wheat bread and not bread made with wheat flour!

How to Shop for Healthy Breads

Read the Label

We cannot stress this enough: always read the label of a food item when you shop. Again, some companies use misleading labels to fool consumers into buying unhealthy foods, including bread! If a bread is labeled as “whole wheat bread,” it should be made with all whole grains, like whole wheat, whole oatmeal, or whole rye. The grain’s kernel must be intact.

Spot the Grain

If you can’t see the intact grain kernels on the bread, it’s not whole grain bread. Whole grain bread should feature actual grains or pieces of grains all over the bread, not just on top! So don’t just grab any type of bread labeled as whole grain bread. Look closely and check for grains!

Avoid Refined Ingredients

Do note that wheat flour is just another name for white flour, which is a refined flour that contains little to zero nutritional value. Avoid breads that contain wheat flour and/or “enriched” flour.