Hidden Nasties in Your Weekly Bread?

Have you ever given much thought to the bread you choose to eat and the influence it has on your health? Yes, some bread has more positive impacts on your health than others. I’m all about making the best choices for my health in any situation so I’m sharing a few tips on what to look for when choosing which bread to eat. After all, allergies and intolerances aside, bread is a delicious part of a balanced lifestyle. Let’s just make sure we making the best choice for our health and well-being whilst we are at it.

What to look out for:

One quick glance at the ingredients list on the back of your average store-bought bread shows you a long list of ingredients, half of which you can’t pronounce. This is a sure indication that the loaf of bread is packed full of things you ideally don’t want to be eating.

Many of these unrecognizable and hard to pronounce ingredients are hard on your digestive system, they actually cause inflammation in your body which is not something any of us want in excess.

The harsh reality is that most store-bought bread is manufactured with one goal in mind, to extend the shelf life of the bread as long as possible. To achieve this, food manufacturers need to add many preservatives and chemicals into the bread to prevent it from going stale quickly. So, if your loaf of bread of choice has a long-complicated ingredients list, it may be time to put it gently back on the shelf.

What you want in your bread:

So, of course, choosing to eat homemade food is revolutionary for your health. It’s literally one of the most valuable tools you have towards living a healthier lifestyle. Why? Because you know exactly what ingredients you are cooking with and what you’re ultimately putting into your body. No nasty preservatives or additives in sight!

HOWEVER, If you’re not much into home baking, or just don’t have the time to make your own bread don’t stress. We have put together a list of a few things to look out for:

• It’s important to keep your eyes open for a short ingredients list. The best way to be sure if the bread you’re buying is the real deal is to have a quick peak at the ingredients list. It should ideally be a shortlist of natural ingredients that you can easily recognise. Think butter, stoneground flour, yeast, water… you get the idea.
• Smaller bakeries, and coffee shops often have their own homemade artisanal bread on offer. These are, more often than not, made with stoneground flour and natural ingredients. Not to mention that they are super delicious! These artisanal breads tend to be made fresh every day with the best ingredients. YUM!
• I know i’ve already mentioned it but nothing beats homemade goodies. Check out my go to recipe for honey sweetened homemade brown bread.

Thinking it’s not worth the hassle?

Becoming a bit more selective about which breads you choose to eat may seem like a small step. However, all these small seemingly insignificant steps all add up. The reality is that we tend to overestimate the importance of a huge change or one big step and underestimate the value of these small daily improvements.