It’s common to hear people say among themselves, “Should I eat Multi-grain or whole grain? Does the bread have enough fibre in it? Should it be thin-sliced/low-carb?” Then again when we make decisions upon getting bread products such as muffins, pancakes, wraps, bagels, and a whole bunch of other choices – our heads often end up in a whirlpool as we don’t know exactly what should we be buying!
Well, now let me share with you these wonderful tips for making a great choice then. The key is to keep your eyes pinned to the labels’ nutritional facts/ingredients. This guide is absolutely simple, and it will surely help you navigate to make the healthiest choice. (I'm just so health conscious, oh dear!)
#1 Let’s identify the Types of Flour
Whole wheat flour is the no.1 ranker in bread as it is made off complete grain, including the germ and the bran. That means, you would receive naturally from the grain all the healthy benefits!
Enriched wheat flour is flour that has been artificially enriched with certain nutrients that are lost in the procession of bread-forming, this often includes minerals like niacin, vitamin D, iron, calcium etc. You can say that despite adding back some of these nutrients; the bread still does not contain germ nor bran and isn’t as good as compared to the whole wheat flour!
Wheat flour looks and sounds similar to Whole wheat
but does not contain the germ or the bran and therefore it is not entirely nutritious as whole wheat flour.
#2 Look out for the ‘Words’ on Labels
Often you see many types of words and ingredients listed on the labels – that keeps you confused as you don’t know exactly what to look out for to have yourself make the best choice whilst seeking the healthier option. Therefore, look out for breads that have the word “Whole” on the label. Bread with words like “Whole grain, whole wheat, stone-ground whole wheat” are kings upon making choices. These are the products that provide you the entire health benefits – as well as entire germ and bran.
#3 Read out the Ingredients List in Hierarchical Order
When you look onto a list of ingredients on a bread package, make sure you read it from top to bottom. This is because the first ingredient mentioned is always the largest amount which then descends by weight down the list until the last few ingredients. So now you know if the word “Whole wheat” appears far at the bottom on the list – it probably means that it contains very little content of that, however if it appears FIRST on the list – it has got to be rich and full of that ingredient. Pick those types of bread!
#4 Avoid bread Ingredient-marketing Gimmicks!
Sometimes you pick bread and on their package captions you read “made with whole grains” – noticed carefully the words used and you would be able to see that most of the time these breads do not always contain whole wheat. For example, “Made with Whole Grains Gardenia White Bread” uses enriched wheat flour, and not whole wheat flour! Whole wheat only appears 4th on the list of ingredients after water. Would you prefer bread with more water than true good old wheat? I guess not.
#5 Serving Size
This is one portion that’s many-a-time often unlooked! You have to check that out. Let’s say if you were to reduce your calorie intake, choose bread with thinner slices as they weigh less. You have to decide the serving size depending on your personal goals and perspective towards what you want to get!
For example, if you pick Brand “A” bread which has a serving size of 38 grams and 100 calories per slice vs Brand “B” bread with a serving size of 27 grams and 70 calories per slice – in a loaf, you’re actually cutting yourself down on 400+ calories!
p.s. I hope this article has added value in your search for making the right bread choices to stay healthy, fit and looking good!
Enjoy!
Paul
