Bread Buying Tips

Bread Buying Tips

As part of your healthy eating you can enjoy eating bread. With the wide selection of breads at the grocery store, choosing the best one may be a challenge. So here are some tips to help you!

Choosing the Best Breads

As you peruse the bread aisle at the grocery store, the answer is simple: Go straight pass the white bread or "Best of Both" and head towards whole-grain varieties. Rich in B vitamins, iron, fiber and protein, whole grains are essential in any healthy eating plan and provide you with sustained energy. Studies show that eating whole grains can also help lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Be sure to check that the label says “100% whole wheat” or “whole grain.” If the label uses words like “multigrain” or “100% wheat,” there’s no guarantee that the bread is truly whole grain. Also, make sure that the bread contains no more than 3 g of sugar and at least 3 g of fiber per serving and has no trans fats. Avoid breads containing “enriched wheat flour” or “unbleached flour” because they can be made with refined flour.

Here’s a list of whole-grain bread varieties you can enjoy:
• Homemade breads made with whole grains (buckwheat, whole wheat, spelt, whole oats, bran, rye, multigrain)
• Oat and bran bread
• Rye bread
• Sprouted-grain bread
• Whole-wheat bread
• Bagels, whole grain — 1/2 small (1 oz.)
• Pita — 1/2 pita (1 oz.). Most contain 2.5 g of fiber per half pita; varieties with 3 g of fiber are the best choices, such as stone-ground whole wheat.