Yes, I eat bread.
It’s time to address the many questions I get about one of most wonderful and satisfying foods on earth – Bread! I don’t want to live without it and you shouldn’t have to either.
Bread is a really hot topic and is targeted as the root of many health problems. Overall, bread gets a bad reputation because grains are not easy for your body to digest, can overwork your pancreatic enzymes, contain the anti-nutrient phytic acid and an abundance of dreaded gluten. Also, our wheat crops in this country have been through some serious genetic manipulation to make them profitable for the food industry and less healthy for us.
The main problem with wheat (unless you have a gluten sensitivity) is that we as a culture eat too much of it in general. Just take a look at the typical American diet – a bagel for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and rolls or pasta for dinner. That’s a lot of grain in just one day. Even larger amounts would be consumed if we take into consideration common snacks like crackers and desserts like cookies. Additionally, commercially available grain-based products that line grocery store shelves and are served at restaurants are unhealthy. They are full of ingredients that are not food, like azodicarbonamide (the same chemical in yoga mats and shoe rubber), other chemical dough conditioners, added sugars, artificial flavorings or coloring and GMOs. Flour can be treated with any of the 60 different chemicals approved by the FDA before it ends up on store shelves – including chemical bleach! Also, the industrial processing destroys nutrients, such as Vitamin E and fiber. Remember, it only takes 4 ingredients to make bread – flour, yeast, water and salt, there’s really no need for all that other nonsense.
If you are like me, you probably want to enjoy the occasional piece of bread without subjecting yourself to of all these questionable ingredients. I’ve done a lot of research on bread brands, and have uncovered what can make grains really unhealthy and which ones make a nutritious addition to any diet because they are whole, unadulterated and real foods.
Examples of Store-Bought Breads To Stay Away From:
Please note: Nature’s Own Bread recently took out azodicarbonamide, but is still not recommended. The picture of ingredients was removed after this news release in WSJ on 2/28/2014.
The Health Wrecking Ingredients in Bread:
- Dough Conditioners – these are unnecessary in traditional bread making and only make the process faster and cheaper for the food industry to make bread in big machinery. Many dough conditioners like azodicarbonamide (which is banned all over the world), DATEM, monoglycerides, diglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate are linked to health issues. Many dough conditioners start with manipulating fat – like soybean oil or corn oil, which is also most likely GMO. Nature’s Own, Arnold, Wonderbread, Martin’s, Sara Lee, and many other popular brands are guilty of using dough conditioners.
- Preservatives – Bread is supposed to be fresh and eaten within a few days from baking unless frozen. If you see preservatives like calcium propionate, which is linked to ADHD, put the bread down and keep searching. Warning: Pepperidge Farm uses this ingredient to “retard spoilage.”
- GMOs – Most commercially available breads contain one or many genetically modified ingredients like soy lecithin, soybean oil, corn oil, corn starch or soy flour. GMOs have not been tested long term on humans, however we know that the pesticides sprayed on them are absolutely toxic and considered to be poisonous. Some GMOs are created by inserting a toxic pesticide into the seed itself to make an insect’s stomach explode when they try to eat it.
- Added sugar – This is where you really need to watch out. There’s nothing wrong with a little honey to bring out the sweetness in whole wheat bread, but most manufactures are using high fructose corn syrup, GMO sugar made from sugar beets, or some other artificial sweetener like “Sucralose” that are not the best forms of sugar and can pose health risks. Almost all commercially baked brands have some form of added sweetener – especially watch out for “light” breads, which often contain more added sugar like “Arnold Bakery Light.”
- Artificial flavors and coloring – These ingredients are made from petroleum and are linked to several health issues like hyperactivity in children, allergies and asthma. They are easy to spot on the label because the FDA requires it. However, ingredients like “caramel coloring” can fool you into thinking this ingredient is a real food. Most industrial caramel coloring is created by heating ammonia and is considered a carcinogen when created this way. Martin’s potato rolls have Yellow #5 and Yellow #6, and Thomas’s English Muffins have caramel coloring.
Now before I share my top recommendations for the best (and healthiest) breads on the market – I should tell you the truth about how much bread I actually consume on a weekly basis. My diet consists of mostly plants like fruits, vegetables, seeds, beans and nuts along with the occasional meat, dairy or bread product. However, when I travel – I like to enjoy the local culture (think crossisants in France and pizza in Italy). I’m not about giving up whole food groups. My diet is about balance and choosing the most nutritious choices, but I do like to live a little and have my bread on occasion! At the grocery store, I buy the best of what’s available for my body and here are the choices I feel good about buying.
Thankfully, you don’t have to get out the bread maker or learn to make bread from scratch. There are many healthy bread options available – if you just know what to look for!
The Healthiest Breads On The Market
Sprouted Grains – I love sprouted grains because they are technically vegetables. To sprout a grain, you just soak it until it begins to sprout into a little plant. These sprouts are then ground up to make bread. When you eat a grain that has been refined into flour, your body quickly metabolizes it like a sugar, which causes your insulin to spike. This can make you gain weight and contributes to diabetes and inflammation. For all of these reasons, I don’t buy bread that is primarily made from flours, especially “wheat flour” which is really just white refined flour. The sprouts are much more easily digested than starchy flour, and contain more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than whole grains. Phytic acid is destroyed when the grain sprouts, so your body is able to absorb the nutrients in these grains – which makes them that much better for you!
My favorite sprouted grain bread is the classic – Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread by Food for Life – it’s made up from six different organic sprouted grains and absolutely no flour! This combo of sprouted grains contains all 9 essential amino acids, which makes up a complete protein. I use their “Cinnamon Raisin” version to make this yummy breakfast casserole. There are no preservatives in these breads, so I keep them in my freezer and take out portions as I need them. I also love the sesame seed bread, whole grain tortillas, corn tortillas and english muffins by Food for Life. Hands down – they are the healthiest breads on the market. They are available in most health food stores and some conventional stores in the freezer section.
Other good sprouted breads are Manna’s Sunseed bread and Dave’s Killer Bread Sprouted Wheat, which are both a healthy combo of organic sprouted wheat and seeds.
Ancient Grains (spelt, quinoa, amaranth, millet, sorghum) & Gluten-Free – Unlike wheat, these grains are called ancient because they haven’t changed for thousands of years. They are packed with nutrients and many of these grains can be used to make gluten-free bread. Just make sure that the bread you are buying is labeled as “gluten-free” if you are trying to avoid gluten – because not all ancient grains are gluten-free and they may be blended with wheat. Manna makes a good gluten-free bread with brown rice, sorghum, millet, amaranth, quinoa and chia seeds. Please note, almost all gluten-free breads contain added sugar in the form of honey, molasses, agave nectar or evaporated cane juice.
Here’s A Quick List Of Healthier Breads:
Sprouted Grain Breads
- Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread – Food for Life (all varieties – 7 grains, sesame, genesis, flax, cinnamon raisin, tortillas, muffins)
- Sunseed Bread – Manna
- Banana Walnut Hemp Bread – Manna
- Sprouted Multi-Grain Bread – Rudi’s (contains added sugar)
- Sprouted Wheat Bread – Dave’s Killer Bread (contains added sugar)
- Sprouted Wheat Multi-Grain Bread – Alvarado St. Bakery (contains added sugar)
Gluten-Free Breads
- Buckwheat Bread – Happy Camper’s (contains added sugar)
- Gluten-Free Rice Almond Bread – Food for Life (contains added sugar)
- Gluten-Free Exotic Black Rice Bread – Food for Life (contains added sugar)
- Gluten-Free Super Chia Bread – Nature’s Path (contains added sugar)
- Good Morning Millet Toaster Cakes – Ancient Grains Bakery (contains added sugar)
- Gluten-Free Deli Rye Style Bread – Canyon Bakehouse (contains added sugar)
Ancient Grain Breads
- Gluten-Free Ancient Grains Bread – Manna (contains added sugar)
- Spelt Ancient Grain Bread – Rudi’s (contains added sugar)
- Good Seed Spelt Bread – Dave’s Killer Bread (contains added sugar)
See a PDF of the full list of ingredients here
Last – but NOT LEAST – Remember to always choose bread that is made with real certified organic ingredients. The wheat that is used to make most bread is heavily sprayed with pesticides and by choosing certified organic products you will avoid exposure to GMOs.
Now, let’s go break some bread with our loved ones and share this article with them. Everyone deserves good bread without chemical additives that can wreck their health.
Xo,
Vani
What about La Brea whole grain bread? The ingredient list looks ok to me:
UNBLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, SOUR CULTURE, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, CRACKED WHEAT, DARK RYE FLOUR, MALT POWDER, HULLED MILLET, FLAX SEEDS, HONEY, SUNFLOWER SEEDS, CRACKED BARLEY, SALT, CRACKED RYE, CRACKED TRITICALE, YEAST, CRACKED OATS, CRACKED MILLET, CRACKED CORN, CRACKED SOY BEANS, CRACKED BROWN RICE, WHITE DEGERMINATED CORN MEAL, CRACKED FLAX SEED.
What do you think?
Betsy,
Just looking at the first ingredients, the “wheat flour” is refined. To get a “good” wheat, it should say “whole wheat”. That being said, I’ve heard most (or all?) wheat these days is genetically modified, so sprouted (or maybe organic) is recommended here.
Heard from who?
50% of this stuff is white flour. That explains the very long list of synthetic vitamins put in the white flour to “enrich” it. Degermed corn meal is crap. The corn germ was stripped out and removed and what is left ius nutrient devoid starch. Why dies the label falsely call it a whole grain bread.
I would not eat this stuff. Yoiu might as well eat cardboard because THAT has more fiber than this stuff.
‘Wheat flour” is a euphemism for white flour.
Now about that dark rye flour. It could be refined and have bran and germ stripped out and caramel cfloring added to makje it look dark. Caramel coloringbis made with heated ammonia and it is toxic and common ingredient in most junk food to give crappy bread a dark color.
Stick to bread with just a few ingredients. Sprouted bread with no flour iu utterly delicious. For breakfast I make Alvarado Street Bakery bread with pastured
how do they get by with not adding made-in-china, synthetic folic acid? The gov’t mandated that it be added to all grains, including wheat, corn and rice products.
Folic acid is terrible for you. It is not found in nature, it is made in a factory. Fortified and enriched means that the food was sprayed with the folic acid. In Europe, they don’t put Folic acid in their foods. It’s actually banned there. 44% of humans have the.MTHFR gene (I have it) which makes them unable to process it in their bodies. It can cause a ton of illness and can cause hyperactivity and loss of focus in children. My functional medicine nurse practitioner ordered the test to show that I have that gene. One of my favorite breads is Pepperidge farm hearty white and it’s listed as one of the top 10 worst breads that you could eat. The Morning Show with Mario Lopez on it had the “ ultimate human” Gary Brecka on, and he talked all about this. He said, if half of the children have this gene then that would explain why kids in school are hyperactive and loss of focus to where the teachers want to put them on Ridellan. If they are eating bread in the morning, that could cause these kids with that gene to act up.
People really shouldn’t be eating bread. It’s not good for you. Why? It’s too processed and it makes you fat among other problems.
Remember when we were young we used to mix flour with water in kindergarten to make paste? Hello? Do you really think you should be putting that in your body?
I don’t understand why they need to put sugar in bread. I had to stop eating bread or limiting it to once a week because it wasn’t doing my health any favors
Hey, guess what? Calories make you fat when consumed in excess. A sedentary lifestyle is a far worse hazard than eating bread. Bread has been around for thousands of years. Sedentary lifestyles (apart from royalty) are a more recent invention. You are espousing pseudoscience when real science offer s a clear answer. Now excuse me while I enjoy a Seitan stir fry with an excellent IPA. Enjoy your GF life!
You have stated what is generally believed, but my experience is quite different. Due to an injury I have not been able to walk more than a few steps at a time. This injury occurred at the same time I began to avoid carbohydrates to lower my blood pressure, and adjust my cholesterol levels. I have reduced my BP and look forward to getting my LDL’s checked. I lost ten pounds during the past month with no exerciser, and no hunger. My intake consists mainly of green leafy vegetables, healthy oils, cheese, and nuts. I used to be hungry all the time, but not any longer. I believe carbohydrates to be the major problem in most peoples diets. Corn fructose, and sugar are found in most processed foods, and bread, so I eat minimally processed organic food, and while I miss mobility I have maintained pretty good health, and hope to find alternative exercise now that I’m recovering. My point is that calories are not the culprit.
that’s a rather unhealthy comment. up until very recently most of civilization has subsided on bread. 5000 years of civilization has proved that. bread doesn’t make you fat your mind does. my ex girlfriend was one of those “carbs are bad for you” people and her poop stank. she thought real nutrition was vegetables and meat. paste is different than bread. sorry! the consistency is too liquidy and you COOK paste before you eat it. water, flour, salt and yeast. Bread!
Everything in moderation. It’s so easy to get caught up in this is no good and that is terrible. But in my opinion everybody needs to watch what works for them and what doesn’t. I love reading what worked for others as it might work for me. So don’t stop posting. But don’t use that as the Bible.
I totally agree. Moderation is the best. Are forefathers mainly lived on grains.
“our” forefathers
What about Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery Brand that is organic on label and just has all ancient grains of 16 of them? I found it at these coops in Kansas.
Thanks!
Silver Hills is made here in Canada!
Ezekiel is expensive here, so I get it when it’s oa
Ok my phone if being a jerk.
Yes ….. a great company with quality, organic, sprouted grain breads & their products are delicious!
Are there recipes to make your own sprouted grain bread?
Hi,
Wow that is so amazing! Didn’t know there was so much crap going on! Do you have any healthy bread recipes, a DIY! Also can you tell me if any of these better breads are available at whole foods, trader Joe’s or other supermarkets? Thanks!!!
Trader joes was sued in march 2014 in a class action lawsuit for decades of deliberately lying about ingredients in their private label food. Google Trader Joes All Natural Lawsuit for details. On their product labels that said “all natural, no synthetic ingredients, no sugar” turned out there is a liustvof about 35 crappy junk food synthetic ingredients in the food.
They used regular white sugar and not oirganic sugar. Lots of really crappy ingredients.
I am fed up with trader joes and do not shop there anymore. Last week I got a dinky $40 settlement check as part of the class action lawsuit. Big deal. That does not make up for decades of putting junk in their private label brand and calling it healthy.
Find a local organic baker or start making your oiwn bread. Try to get sprouted bread and cloudless bread. I am experimenting making chapati type tortillas with coconut flour
http://Www.About.Me/EcoGastronomyEducation
I buy Trader Joe’s Organic bread, the honey sweetened one. There are NO added sugar or icky things in it. All is disclosed on the back of the package, AND it’s the most flavorful soft moist bread I’ve had in a long time.
While I do agree with most everything on here, KEEP YOUR GRUBBY HANDS OFF MY MARTIN’S POTATO ROLLS. Best d*mn hamburger buns and hot dog rolls on the planet. And, considering those are things I only have a few times a year, I just deal with it.
I totally agree. Don’t mess w/ my Martins potato rolls! All in moderation right! Sooo…. hmph! 😉
Would consuming Arsenic in moderation be okay with you? Poison is poison. Food for Thought:)
Hey Food Guru,★News Flash★
Arsenic’s in everything….our air, water, soil! There’s some food for thought! A Blessed Thanksgiving to you & yours! 😉
I have to comment here – I once bought a pack (about 6) potato rolls, and ate 2 a day for 3 days. I felt so bad it was insane! I had weird symptoms like my hands hurt, like arthritis like. It went away a day or two after, but never again will I buy those rolls, oh they do taste good but I am reformed!
It’s a great post, I really liked it and I believe you are doing a wonderful job, letting people know to consume healthy food with simple ingredients and not putting chemicals in their bodies. In this modern age, people love to eat fancy food just for the taste; which lasts for a few minutes, do not pay any attention to those horrible consequences they suffer all their lives. Home cooked food, just a few simple items; gives us great taste, heals the body, and keeps us healthy too. While writing my book I did little research, my husband and I stopped consuming wheat and dairy products for six weeks to avoid GMO and Chemicals. My husband lost 5 lbs and I lost 4 lbs Sudesh Abrol, Author of “Peaceful Mind Skinny Body”.
You can easily eat dairy and wheat and avoid GMO. I buy all my dairy at the farmers market and get raw goats milk from grass fed pastured goats. The rancher grows all his own supplemental feed like Milo and alfalfa to avoid GMO. Buy dairy from grass fed pastured ranchers like Organic Valley brand and find out local sustainable dairy ranchers.
Supermarket dairy is 100% GMO but there are brands like the Irish Kerrygold butter which is grass fed pastured cows. Supermarket animal protein and dairy is from livestock fed GMO coirn and soy. If you buy grass fed pastured type dairy animal protein it is not GMO.
You have a simplistic idea that all whgeat is GMO. Wrong. Supermarket wheat is GMO. Organic wheat ius not GMO.
The main GMO crops are corn, soy, canola, sugar. Yellow crookneck squash, papayas, and many other vegetables are GMO. There is hidden GMO like xanthan gum, maltodextrin and in supermarket type soy sauce.
You need to research GMO.
Loosing five pounds because you quit eating a certain food really does not prove much. Five pounds can just be water weight.
I eat dairy and wheat daily and it is GMO free because I researched who makes it. If you buy majority of your food at farmers market and ask growers and ranchers about their practices that us sdo much better than a short term fad diet. Please look for the No GMO certification seal on products you buy.
You can eliminate dairy and wheat from your duet and still be eating lots of GMO. All processed food, fast food has GMO.
http://Www.About.Me/EcoGastronomyEducation
I was under the impression for yeast to become activated it needs a small amount of sugar(tablespoons) it can also be honey. I am one for all things in moderation. I bake my own bread when I can, and have become an “ingredients reader” for years.
I just heard Sayer Ji say that Ezekiel bread is not good for you. What do you think? I know he was that at that recent conference with you, and I really value what he has to say. I also value what you have to say, though, so I’m wondering what your thoughts are on Ezekiel sprouted grain bread.
Is the Silver Hills bread considered clean? It sounds like it to me!
Any recommendations on good homemade bread recipe? No bread machine, please.
Stephanie (and also the other person who asked same question):
Go to YouTube and Search: Artisan Bread With Steve. He will teach you everything you need to know about making no knead bread. The only thing you have to remember is that you should “ferment” the dough in the refrigerator 20-24 hrs (requires some planning) but you then will eliminate the gluten and phytic acid which are problematic for a lot of people. Steve has many many recipes from hamburger buns to beautiful artisan bread loaves requiring no kneading, just mixing. Doesn’t get easier than that. This is how I make my own great bread from Non-GMO wheat. PS: Yeast DOES NOT require sugar to activate it, just water. Make sure the yeast is fresh (keep in fridge when not in use….NOT in pantry). Hope I’ve helped.
Sue Becker of Bread Becker’s in Woodstock, GA has an excellent web site with articles and free CDs explaining how healthy homemade bread is for you. She has a degree in Food Science. Her company is family owned and ran. She sells organic grains as well as all of the equipment you need to make homemade bread, with or without a machine. She also has entire classes filmed and posted on her site. There are also a lot of testimonials listed about how changing to homemade freshly ground grain has changed peoples health. She also has gluten free products and recipes for those who truly need it. My family loves it. Wholegrain muffins and pancakes are their favorite.
Hi, I was wondering about the “good” breads mentioned and is the flour has “potassium bromate” in any of them….
http://digestionsessions.com/sayer-ji-reg/
Just a suggested site, about grains, to check out!
: )
Who is this clown? As soon as he mispronounced “chitin” I switched off the video..
In Europe, GMO is banned. People have almost double the consumption of bread than in the USA. But why do they not even have close the allergy problems? Because the food industry does not play around with the consumers and they are aware they cannot put all those chemicals to food products (at least not with proper declaration).
That is why Landert Bread imports bread and pastry products to SW Florida, featuring all natural ingredients, no preservatives, no additives, free of artificial trans-fats and GMO-free, of course.
Did you know, that all our croissants are made with real butter?
Find our products here: http://www.landert.us
Couldnt find any prices at Landert Bread imports….must be expensive bread!
How about breads that are in an actual grocery store and not found in only health food stores and for those of us on a budget. Shaking my head at these so called “experts” that think everyone has the budget for this
I have been looking answer for the ‘bread question’ for the longest time. Amazing work. Thank you for your insights. I don’t live in US anymore (now Singapore), but all through the world, the questions are the same…
Am happy to note that the bread I enjoy (Ezekiel) is listed among the breads to buy. I’ve always been an ingredient reader n some of my friends have made fun of me for that. Thanks for taking the time to dig. Am surprised n a bit lost for words for trader Joes coz I buy lots of stuff from there thinking that they are the real deal!!!! Thx again food and. Keep up the good work. Flo
Just to clarify some facts: First, I am no fan of GMO’s. The soy products and various additives in bread are usually either GMO, sprayed with insecticides, cooked up in a lab, coated with sugar (bad in any form, really). The wheat, however, is not GMO and is not modified. There was a brief attempt to introduce a strain of it some years back but it was pulled when it was universally rejected by consumers. It also has the same level (or less) gluten than the ancient grains.
As someone who researches cause and effect of modern disease, I can tell you that I actually think we need to refocus what is causing the huge upsurge in autoimmune disorders. The question really needs to be: why are so many people having abnormal reactions to normal food?
I do not think the answer is in one thing. But there are a few to consider. First, we have drastically changed the way we prepare it. In the case of grain, in each case, there was a way of treating it so that it was converted to something our body could use. In the case of corn, it was nixtamalization, in wheat, it was slow fermentation with yeast and often a dairy product that was “soured” or fermented over a number of hours and often days. Think sourdough, the real kind. Contrary to the above comment, this does not remove gluten. What it does do is break down the grain so that the nutrients become bioavailable and the body can make sense of what it is eating. Subtract all the additives that confuse the matter and it is much less likely the body will treat this as a foreign substance and react to it.
Cheryl, I have heard that most wheat grown in the U.S. is drenched in pesticides right before harvest. I don’t know this is a fact, but I am wary. I agree that the methods used long ago to make bread and many other products has changed in our fast paced world. I think you make a valid point that that may be the reason, also, for so much food allergies. I have a son who has autism and I believe GMO’s play a big part. There was a huge surge in cases in kids born in 1994, his birth year. I read that the early 90’s is when many farmers started this pesticide-drenching method. Makes me wonder.
Alvarado Street breads are deeelicious! Yummo!
LOVE the emails and what you are doing! Appreciate this post about “healthy bread”. COSTCO has a bread similiar to the Ezekiel bread. Here’s the post: http://www.silverhillsbakery.ca/products/sprouted-bread/the-big-16-costco-us
Would LOVE to get your opinion on this product!
Thanks
Timothy
FYI: Spelt is not gluten free.
I heard that Organic sprouted Soybeans is not good for you (especially for men) but this is listed in the ‘Ezekiel’ 4.9 Bread ingredients
How can you say that this is healthy?
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/why-sprouted-soy-is-worse-than-unsprouted-even-if-organic/
Great article.
What is TER in the ingredients list (for some of the breads baked in Walmart)? I cannot find what this ingredient is or what TER stands for. Thanks.
My mistake. There was damage to the label and the “TER” looks to have been part of the word “water”. Sorry.
I am one of those people that has a poor digestive system so I try to stay away from breads but I occasionally crave a piece of bread or want to eat a sandwich. If the bread is made in a local bakery is it safer to eat? I would think that they would only add the 4 ingredients that you mentioned.
The great thing about a local bakery, is that you can ask them their ingredients and how they prepare their bread. Let me know your concerns and sometimes they can work with you. Take care!
I have been baking bread for some time now and have tried many, many recipes. If I were ever to recommend one bread recipe I would have to say that ‘Peter Reinhart’s’ Multigrain bread is the best recipe I have ever baked. I found it posted on the following website circle-b-kitchen.squarespace.com
Its not easy finding a really good bread recipe, many taste fine but have nothing special about them. Also, what I like about Peter’s recipe is you can change up the recipe a bit and it still comes out perfect.
If I were to recommend one thing it would be to buy a kitchen scale and digital thermometer. I bought the OXO kitchen scale because they were rated well but other less expensive scales would do the job. Most scales weigh in both grams and ounces. It is a bit of a bother to re-do all the recipes to metric (grams and ml’s, but it is worth the effort in the end and actually faster once you get the hang of it.
It is amazing the difference in a cup of flour spooned into a measuring cup verses a cup of flour weighed on a scale. There are 125 grams of American white flour to a cup, now try putting that same amount of flour into a regular measuring cup then we’ll talk, so if your wondering why some of your bake goods turn out dry you’re probably using to much flour.
If I’m following an American recipe I convert ingredients on a American conversion site as the ones listed below. Also it doesn’t hurt to double check the weight of ingredients on two different sites just to make sure and until you get used to it.
Digital thermometer are also great as you can stick one in your loaf of bread and if its between 190 and 200 degrees its done.
There are many good website on line for converting your recipes. One is called Convert-to.com, another one is http://www.convert-me.com. So I hope I have been helpful and am hoping to save you some time and disappointment when baking bread.
So Good luck and remember no set of measuring cups or spoons are exactly the same so if your a perfectionist like me kitchen scales will do the trick.. Grandma V
I just read Wheat Belly and it just blew my mind. It is so criminal what the gov’t has done to our food source and mostly to the health of the world. Current day wheat is poison.
I read it also! I lost my “wheat belly” about a year ago when I started eating Paleo type (not full blown maniac)! I used to have muffin tops and that bloat belly. The breads I was eating was usually Pepperidge Farms “Oatmeal” was my favorite! Now I get the Trader Joe’s “Organic Honey Wheat Bread” there is no sugar, made with Organic ingredients only!
Paradise existed here on earth before the advent of agriculture.
Wheat. The forbidden fruit. Did you really believe that it was an apple?
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground
I read an article recently that the majority of the U.S. wheat is toxic. This is disgusting in every way. It has me looking into another way to acquire “Safe Bread” or most likely bake my own from Roland Organic Einkorn Wheat, which is a product of Italy and sold online. Below is the link to the article. “The Real Reason Wheat Is Toxic” (it’s not the gluten).
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/real-reason-for-toxic-wheat-its-not-gluten/
Hope this informs and helps others:)
have you noticed they add wheat gluten to the 4:9 bread? What is the chance it is from sprouted wheat..seems a bit counter to the purpose of using sprouted grains. I also find something fishy about their nutrinfo. The 20g of starch and sugar in 2 corn tortillas (eaten with high fat beef and warmed in lard) causes 2x increase in my blood sugar as 40+ grams of starch and sugar in ice cream. Still trying to figure how that happens. This seems to be a special quality of grains, sprouted or not. My numbers have caused me to lose trust in their products and to question the spouted hype. Thanks and keep doing what you do!
Another option is to bake your own bread. I have found many easy whole wheat recipes online at King Arthur Flour (their 100 percent whole wheat bread is pretty foolproof) and I’ve even branched into sourdough. I just look for plain, easy whole wheat recipes–yeast or starter, whole wheat flour, water and a little bit of salt. Honey and oil can be added in small amounts for longer lasting bread/texture benefits, as well. Anyway, I know it’s not for everyone but I’ve been surprised to find just how easy, delicious and cheap it is–around where I live, to buy a truly great loaf of whole grain bread costs 5-6 dollars a pop.
Okay, then my next question is: are there any healthy breads that don’t taste awful?
Robert, I have been eating Dave’s Killer Breads for quite a while now and I really like the taste. If you haven’t tried it, you should. It is pricey though. I get it at WinCo for 4 plus dollars. On sale for 3 something. But I love it, so it’s worth it to me.
I agree! I love his breads and they have become available where I shop Now!
have you any recipe for breadmaker? l love to make bread than rather buy it.
Thank you for doing this research, Vani!
As a result of your findings, I am trying the Ezekiel 7 grain- with peanut butter (Smuckers Organic “peanuts only” PB which I love). What a great sandwich, the Ezekiel is really really good. And I don’t feel bad eating it because of what’s in it- and what’s not!
I can tell from eating one slice that this “bread” would taste good with anything on it, or as a side with soup or salad.
It’s always exciting to add something to the very short list of foods that I will eat- so thanks again!
I haven’t tried the Ezekiel bread yet, but I like their cereal. It has very little sugar, which is great for diabetics.
How safe is Essential Gluten free bread out of Seattle that is sold at Costco? It last for months with no refrigeration? Thank you
I eat spelt bread which is an ancient grain.
The only ingredients are spelt, honey, sea salt and vinegar. I buy it from Sprout market. It tastes good but it doesn’t have organic or no gmo label so I don’t know if it’s ok.
I have been a fan of Ezekial for years including food for life’s cinnamon raison bread…but not too long ago, I stumbled on Berlin Bread Bakery at my nearest Whole Paychecks. This has got to be the most addictive healthiest bread. Ex: Whole grain spelt bread. Ingredients: Whole Grain Spelt flour, water, honey, yeast, sea salt.
Best of all they are all part of the Non-GMO Project.
How about “Eureka” “Seeds the Day” bread? I would be interested in knowing how you rate this bread?
Me too! I love Eureka bread! I wonder where it stands on her list?
What about the Whole Foods brand organic breads (white, wheat, ‘snappy sourdough’)?
I like Eureka! Bread. It isn’t sprouted, but it’s certified organic…
Disappointed the article never mentioned fermented sourdough bread is very healthy iuf it is organic whole grain. True sourdough NOT that supermarket type fake sourdough bread. Fermenting the flour eliminates phytin and completely transmutes starch in grain to far easier to digest carb. Even white flour fermented sourdough is better digested than whole grain non fermented flour. Rye flour digests more slowly than wheat flour.
Even organic whole wheat flour is identical on glycemic index to sugar.
I only eat sprouted organic bread with ZERO flour and love Alvarado Street Bakery in Petaluma, California. They have been in business almost 40 years and it is a collective owned by workers. Once in awhile I eat organic soufough bread made from flour but only rye flour with some wheat flour as secondary ingredient.
I quit eating pasta, flour, crackers or anything made with flour. I’ve seen a few brands of organic pasta made from sprouted grain and it is nice texture.
I think Paleo diet is nonsense demonizing all grains and beans as “Toxic” to human digestive tract. First off, 100% of plants and animals porotein around in Paleolithic era went extinct millions of years ago. If whole grains and beans were toxic to human GI tract then humans race would have gone extinct millions of years ago.
The bug problem with wheat is it ius now GMO genetically engineered and drenched in glyohosate and pesticides and THAT is why so many people have developed gluten intolerance and celiac sprue disease.
10,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, Iraqi weheat had only 14 DNA chromosomes. Since WW II wheat has 28 DNA chromosomes. It isn’t even the same plant but some artificially tweaked freak grain excessively tinkered with growth hormones by junk food industry to pump up protein content and fast growing crop to boost profits.
Read Michael Pollan’s book “Cooked”. There is a full chapter on wheat and bread and it is great resource. Great section on artisinal sourdough bread bakers in Northern Califoirnia. A big loaf of traditional fermented sourdough bread made from organic whole grain flour can cost up to $5 or $6 but it is so chewy, dense and filling it can last one week so works out to a good deal.
If you can squish the loaf of bread with your hand and it is so soft that you can easily squash it in the package then it is crap and don’t eat it even if it is whole grain organic flour. Healthy good fermented sourdough bread is dense, chewy and has lots of airy holes in it
http://Www.About.Me/EcoGastronomyEducation
I think I should point out that you mention that sugar is added to almost every bread product. I’ll explain briefly, the yeast eats sugar causing gas to form making the millions of small wholes though out the bread. It is a necessary in producing normal bread products. So seeing natural sugar is ok. The yeast process can’t remove 100% of the sugar. The other option is to use sour dough. That could reduce the total number of ingredients to 3; water, flour, salt. Using fermentation could yield similar results.
Waaayyyy too much nonsense posted here to reply to all of it. I suggest those of you still eating wheat read the book “Wheat Belly” by Dr. William Davis. Unless it is einkorn or emmer wheat, it has been hybridized and/or genetically modified even if it says “organic.” Today’s wheat is not the same as it was 20 years ago which is why it is causing so much disruption to our digestive tract. Wheat also acidifies the blood leading to increased osteoporosis (only oats produce more sulfuric acid in the system, meat is less harmful). Wheat also has a high glycemic index (even whole wheat) which means sugar spikes and high glucose levels produce more AGE’s (Advanced Glycation Endproducts)….and on and on…again if you are eating wheat, take the time to read something based on science and clinical experiences: “Wheat Belly” by William Davis, MD.
The reason we folk buy bread because it has always been a food-staple on our tables. Most of us are not rich, so we buy inexpensive foods and if bread cost more than $3.00 or $4.00 a loaf, then that is quite high. I remember bread being .36 cents a loaf. Eating healthy/organic is expensive and you can argue with me until the cows come home on this issue. We buy what we can afford, and not-so-much on what is the healthiest. We try to buy healthy, but many times our budget will have us buying something cheap as long as it fills our stomachs.
best gluten free bread around —m ade with millet flour and a small amount of cultured brown rice!)–www.samisbakery.com!!! Not all of their products are gluten free though – they do clean the bakery thoroughly before making gluten free products. I have not had a reaction to them, but some have. Pitas, the bagels are the best around, wraps, breads (make sure you select gluten free on their menu).
Is OroWheat good?
For thise that think organic food is to expensive have you priced aancer lately?
cancer
Great post! Would like to know if you have any thoughts on Mestemacher Breads. They are whole rye based, no wheat.
We eat Panera’s sourdough bread. Here are the ingedients: Unbleached enriched wheat flour (flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, salt, yeast (yeast, sorbitan monostearate, ascorbic acid), dough conditioner (ascorbic acid, microcrystalline cellulose, corn starch).
Looks like there may be a few bad ingredients. What do you think?
If you want a great GLUTEN/ALLERGEN/GMO free bread mix, buy BREADS FROM ANNA!
Fabulous taste and texture, full of anti-oxidants, minerals and all things healthy!
http://www.breadsfromanna.com
Perfect example of “food as medicine”
YUMMMMMM!!!!