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
I have eaten various kinds of Ezekiel bread [love the sesame] for many years and still enjoy every guilt free bite. I now have a bread maker and want t make my own. I would love to hear some recipes!
We LOVE Ezekiel bread and it’s a favorite around here, I never feel slugish after eating it like with regular wheat! It’s also nice that my kids like it, I would rather they eat that bread any day rather than processed wheat that wreaks havoc on their teeth and makes them moody.
Great article, I didn’t know that there were that many good breads out there. However I make my own bread from scratch, grinding organic wheat, and it’s not as hard as people make it out to be. I can have 2 loaves and a half dozen cinnamon rolls (using butter, cinnamon, and maple sugar) in just a couple of hours, finished, hot out of the oven!!! Wow is it good, much better than any boughten bread that you can buy. I don’t make it all the time, my hubby doesn’t like sandwiches. Besides the fresh ground wheat, I use local honey for sweetening and add sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds, and sometimes other things as well.
REALLY it’s not that hard! And so much better for us!
Where do you buy your organic wheat? I dont have a wheat grinder. Any recommendations on organic flours? I have just started making my own bread. Thanks!
Bob’s Red Mill has great flour (they’re not specified as organic – yet) but they are GMO free.
Please send recipes! Thanks
I buy my sprouted bread from Berlin Bakery in Ohio. I order enough to get free shipping and freeze it. It’s better than any other product on the market in my book. Wonderful sprouted spelt bread and breadsticks, my favorite is the sprouted Biblical bread. Yummy!
Thank you for the great lead! Just checked out the website and bookmarked it…looks wonderful! I will be back.
Yes, the Berlin Bakery has the best breads!! I do the same, buy enough and freeze, it’s so delicious!! They make a great raisin bread also! I agree, the Biblical is so good and as far as bread goes, good for you!
Mary,
Your wheat bread & cinnamon rolls sounds great.
Got a recipe on how to make them as well as any tips on making
the bread?
V.
Someday would you address bromide/bromine in bread? It was put in bread/flour as a preservative back when iodine was taken out. It is not good for the thyroid, and maybe be carcinogenic. Dr Brownstein’s book has some good info. Thank you for all your good work
Have you heard of sami’s millet & flax brad? Wondering if you would consider it safe.
Nice. Good stuff. That is how to live life! Thank you so much, may God bless you always.
I have just discovered Rudi’s Fiesta Tortilla’s (yes they are gluten free but that’s not why I love them…they are so good!!). I see the bread is on your ok list, what’s your opinion? I read all ingredients & all looks good…..tastes great!!
Good info, but my store carry’s none of the recommended bread !!!!
What to do ????
Go to your local health food store!
You can request it….i found some of those breads in the frozen foods section
You can order Dave’s Killer Bread online!
Great post! Berlin Bakery is also an excellent choice for store-bought bread!
Do you have any specific Canadian made breads that are greatly recommended? How do you rate “rye ” breads?
flour,yeast,salt,water and some form of sugar to feed yeast
I buy an organic bread “Alpine Valley Bread” from Ventura, Ca and one of the ingredients are “natural enzymes”. Can you tell me about natural enzymes and if they are not recommended to eat?
I would like to know about this as well. I’ve been buying the same bread at Costco and switched from Rudi’s whole what in order to save some money. I am now thinking perhaps I should spend the extra on the Rudi’s bread again. Fortunately, we finally have a Trader Joe’s opening here in the fall and they have much better prices for the Rudi’s organic breads.
I started making my own bread with organic ingredients for this very reason. It is relatively easy and tastes great 🙂
Please share recipes. 🙂
Thank you for sharing
It’s encouraging to me
Hi Vani:
Thanks for the great lowdown on bread. I’ve been researching GMOs for a local organization and it would be great if you would do something more in depth on them. I noted you commented about insects’ stomachs exploding and wanted to clarify that the BT sprayed and/or inserted genetically into the plant is a natural element that basically makes worms (not insects) lose their appetite and stop feeding. This is used where corn worms can be a problem. I try to avoid all corn products that are not organic so I don’t have to worry about ingesting BT toxin (it can be used in organics sprayed on the outside of a plant and degrades quickly in sunlight), but it would be good to disseminate completely accurate info to educate people. I suppose maybe I misunderstood what your comment was referring to? The most common GMO crops are Round-Up ready corn, and soy (for weed control – not insects). Since that herbicide is so popular (and polluting) I would love to see your influence get the word out about it to people who may not know the extended ramification of using that handy little spray weed control in their gardens because people belief that it is “safe”. Thank you!
While I agree that we consume too many “heavily” processed foods, you have some untrue statements in your post.
1. GMOs have been around since the 80s and a crop is tested for at least 7-10 years before it is approved for commercial production. A GMO is a product of biotechnology. Biotechnology is a lab method where we speed up the plant’s natural ability to fight off pest and disease by selecting genes (already in the plants genome) to be expressed. In nature, this happens via cross pollination and the changes we see expressed happen due to natural selection.
2. Being a GMO crop has nothing to do with the pesticides we spray. You are discussing apples and oranges. Pesticides are toxic. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t stop pests and diseases from devouring ours crops before we can harvest and enjoy them. However, pesticides (inorganic or organic) are also tested for 7-10 years before they are released for use. They also come with very strict guidelines on when and where they can be applied. Have you ever bought bug spray? Then you’ve purchased a pesticide.
3. We can not “insert a pesticide” into seeds or genes. Insects of the Lepidoptera order cannot consume a naturally occurring Bt protein crystal (it is found every where). We have engineered some plants (corn, soy, cotton) to make this protein and therefore naturally fighting off these evil little caterpillars. We have used this protein in organic farming for over 50 years.
How do I know all of this? I am a Professor of Ag Science and my husband is a farmer. He grows 33 organic and commercial crops year round (kale, lettuce, wheat, cotton, melons, alfalfa, beets, cabbage, broccoli, celery, radish, cauliflower, etc.).
I see you conduct a lot of nutritional research but I hope you will do more production research before making statements about pesticides and GMOs. These technological advances allow of us to feed billions instead of a few million people world wide.
A breath of fresh air here! Being informed is great. Being misinformed is dangerous.
Yes, being misinformed is dangerous and unfortunately that’s exactly what we get from the GMO side: lots of misinformation. Just read or watch “Genetic Roulette” and do your own research about what the GMO industry does not tell you.
Holly,
I may know your husband. I am guessing you are from California with that type of crop mix.
Judith, thanks for the advice. I have already been provided with a link to that video you mention. I would advice you to read a book entitled something like “The Myth about Frankenfood”. Not sure of the author or exact title but for every “truth” these days, there is another “truth” out there.
Holly, with that type of crop mix I am guessing you live in California. I probably know your husband if so if he is involved in some of the national crop organizations.
Judith, thanks for the link. Some here have already forwarded me that. I would advise you to read a book entitled “The Myth about Frankenfood.” That’s not exact and I don’t know the author off the top of my head but for every “truth” these days, there is another “truth” out there. Confusing world we live in.
So….”those evil little caterpillars” are the problem.
And 7-10 years of ‘testing’ designed to make the chemicals and methods acceptable to underfunded and undermanned regulators is absolutely enough for public safety?
I guess you have no problems with the die-off among the monarch butterflies, who feed and breed in the weeds alongside the crops your husband grows? Leaving caterpillars behind to continue the species.
When the monarchs are gone–and they will be soon given the current season’s low numbers down in Mexico–will we know what we have lost? Aside from the beauty of the creatures and the drama of seeing air-borne rivers of butterflies passing above us as they stream from all over Canada and the US to their wintering grounds to the south–what else about them will we miss? What parts of the ecological system will change in ways we can’t imagine when this hole is torn in the fabric of our environment?
I guess it really won’t matter to us as the globe warms and becomes more inhospitable to every living thing. Truly, we are now living in a culture of death.
While beautiful and beneficial as butterflies, they are evil in their larval state. If we didn’t stop them from eating our crops, we would soon not have any food.
There are several factors leading to the decline of monarch population; deforestation in Mexico, recent bouts of severe weather, and some scientist fear it is the use of glyphosate. These are all THEORIES. Producers don’t spray chemicals outside of their fields so what is happening to the milkweed population in native vegetation?
Holly…..Im posting here for your reply below, as there is no reply button on your post ………..
The ONLY food the monarchs eat is milkweed.
The milkweed grows between the rows and at the edges of the fields, which inevitably are sprayed along with the crop rows.
You claim to be a professor of ag science, but since you appear to not understand the difference between HYPOTHESIS and THEORY, I have to question your qualifications. I have to wonder if you are paid by a chemical company to post here.
Starvation happens. It is part of nature’s way of keeping the population from outgrowing the food supply. Too little nutritious food will act as a natural contraceptive.
Personally, I don’t look forward to Monsanto, et al., saying, when the feathers hit the fan, that “some things are unforeseen and out of of our control.” Now that would really p*$$ me off. And wouldn’t you be ashamed to face your family as they suffer the defective pregnancies and so forth when the chemicals really get going. Have you thought that the chemicals are just adding to the industrial chem load in our environment? Consider the possibilities there for awhile, and maybe you will re-think your position. How many babies will you accept being born with missing brains and a two-day lifespan before you re-think this whole issue. Look up Prosser, WA, and anancephaly (sp?) births.
Congrats. Your post above is the most arrogant and ignorant post I’ve read on this site yet and I’ve read alot of them. It would be great if you become a spokesperson for your movement.
Holly, I found your comment very informative. However, what testing has been done on animals for 7-10 years to insure there aren’t any adverse health affects? None that I can find. So you can’t with full confidence state that GM food and pesticides don’t affect health.
They test GM products on rats and chickens. Of course we can not say with 100% certainty that GM crops are 100% safe. But that isn’t because we are not trying our very best. This is science and nature and some things are unforeseen and out of our control. I would rather use this science than see people starve.
Holly, your statement is a little vague, and brings up a few questions. “GMO’s have been tested for 7-10 years”, by who? who is doing the testing? Because if it is the the ones who are producing the GMO’s, then i do not believe them, they are the ones who stand to lose a tremendous amount of money if the testing does not go the way they want them to, and since the FDA is not the ones doing the testing, not that i believe them any more then i believe monsanto, or the other chemical companies. Everything that i have read states that the testing is done, up to 90 days, far short of the 7-10 years you claim. Who do you work for? a professor of AG science for who? I have been around the health industry for about 25 years, so i have seen the health effects of GMO’s. You might be right about one thing, the gmo seed, as is, without the spraying, may be harmless to humans, but the pesticides that ARE sprayed on the plant is the problem. GMO’s are there so the farmers can spray for weeds, and the weeds have mutated, and now they are making it stronger. and they spray it on our foods. Round up is a systemic pesticide, that means that is enters our food, and we eat it. No way around that, and the number of diseases that we now have, that we did not have BEFORE the introduction of gmo’s into our food supply is way too much to ignore. Your staement about gmo’s allowing for more production, is just plain wrong, there have been numerous studies that prove otherwise. Bottom line. GMO’s are not safe in its final product.
Pat,
It seems to be a common thought that GMO has not increased yield. I am here to tell you that that is not true at all. I was looking at my yields yesterday over the course of the last 20 years (I do keep very good records) for crop insurance purposes and my yields are substantially higher than prior to 1996 when GMO crops were first introduced and have really spiked in the last 5-7 years. I would be happy to share them with you or anybody else here which means I have hard proof that the claim of no yield increase is totally false. My yield increases are very common among almost all my peers unless they’ve had some unfortunate weather event.
An excellent book to read would be “seeds of destruction” I don’t know who is validating that there have been all these supposed ‘tests’ done. When you really look into it, all the farmers that are forced to buy seeds from Monsanto just to start their crops every year have to sign a legal agreement that prohibits them from having any tests done whatsoever on the gmo seeds and the crops grown from the gmo seeds. If you are further interested in learning more about the real effects of gmo an excellent documentary that came out about a year ago is called genetic roulette. Dr. Mercola has an excellent in depth newsletter that you can get for free and he has heavily researched grains and has some interesting things to say about grains naturally attract fungus and mold right away as soon as they start growing out in the fields, it’s just the nature of grains to do that before it even gets harvested. When we eat any type of grains whatsoever, unfortunately our brain becomes a storage container for those fungus and molds eventually helping to contribute to dementia and Alzheimer’s and other debilitating diseases. It’s a shame that we ever got the idea in the first place to think that grains were ever supposed to be food for our bodies in the first place. I wish that all bloggers were to first read Dr. Mercola’s article on grains before getting people excited about “healthy” bread there is no such thing.
Ted, I am not sure what you are referring to, if you are talking to me. The testing, that i am talking about is pre consumer testing, to confirm the safety of it. Holly mentioned that it had been tested for safety 7-10 years, i have found nothing over 90 days. Perhaps she was referring to development, i am not sure. If you are talking to Erin, yeah, i have no idea what he is talking about, it had nothing to do with my post. If you are referring to my follow up post, which i do not see here, it had links to the contrary of what you were saying was your results. I did not insult you, i was merely showing you what information is out there. But one fact does remain, if, you buy monsanto’s GMO seed, you will not be able to save your seeds. So if, you do not buy monsanto seeds, then no, you are not forced to buy their seeds. I have not looked into the other ag giants, to see if they allow farmers to save their seeds to replant, but it does stand to reason that they would follow the same criteria. I would like your input, as i believe we can all learn something from everybody. You did however mention that you planted GMO, if not monsantos, then whos? Do you mind telling us any restrictions that they may or may not have. Just here to learn, from all perspectives.
Pat,
I was referring to Erin’s post. I didn’t see a follow up post to mine to you about yields. I do know for a fact that my own yields have risen, almost doubled, since 1996. This isn’t completely due to GMO traits but they are definitely a factor in higher yields. I think if you check out yield information from those who actually gather it in this country, like RMA or NASS, you will see crop yields trending much higher over the last 20 years across the country. There have been numerous weather issues that have had an impact in different parts of the world that maybe the environmentalists use to say yields are not higher. I had an opportunity last year to visit with cotton growers in Pakistan. They all said that GMO traits, which have only recently been introduced there, had a tremendous positive impact on their yields. This was kind of bad news for US cotton farmers because they are our competitors but they were sure happy about it.
We aren’t supposed to save GMO seed. In fact, we aren’t supposed to save any harvested seed from our crops, GMO or non GMO. The seed companies get paid by selling technology (whether that be GMO or a conventional variety with unique qualities) and if a farmer saves the seed,they don’t get paid. I don’t have a problem with this because I know it going in. The only varieties that a farmer can legally save, I think, are the so-called public varieties of various crops that have been released by public entities, like a university. We don’t see those much any more. If a farmer is allowed to save GMO seed for replant the following year there would be no way to monitor or regulate a regulated crop because the people who do keep up with what is being planted where and by whom would have no idea what’s going on in the country. And they do keep up with it.
Sygenta and Bayer are a couple of the other big players in GMO seed. Monsanto does own much of the GMO technology out there though and sometimes even if I don’t plant seed from one of their seed companies I still have to pay them the technology fee. Other restrictions would be that in the case of the BT trait, regardless of seed company, you are supposed to plant a certain percentage of that crop to a non-BT variety to help prevent resistence to this trait by worms. Worms, BTW, are the only insect that the BT gene has any impact on and it’s only on a few of those, not all. Monsanto and some of the other players in GMO sometimes send employees out to pull leaf samples of my crops to make sure I am planting this so-called refuge. I am not sure what the penalties for not planting it today are but they used to be severe enough that you didn’t want to break that rule.
You will find farmers who grip though and the environmental and anti GMO/organic organizations throw them up on their websites as an example of how all farmers feel. Farmers are farmers because farming has an independence to it that most other occupations don’t have. There are alot of strong characters out there in my business who don’t like having to conform to anything, not just GMO requirements. Most of my peers see that there is a good cost/benefit ratio to planting GMO.
It was vague. This is a comment on a blog, not a thesis. GM crops are tested internally, then by independent labs, then by universities, and then USDA, FDA, and EPA conduct tests.
I realize you are questioning my background, but I have not just read a few articles. I grew up in the Ag industry, I teach botany, and my husband farms 2000 acres year round. We don’t just talk about taking care of our land, conserving water, and feeding millions- we actually do it.
I thought they were genetically engineering foods to produce their own pesticides?
Ex. Corn…then we consume the poison
I’ve found that for Canadian sprouted grain breads, Silver Hills makes a really great product, and they’re just over half an hour away from where I live. Costco here even sells it, for the budget conscious shopper 🙂
Hi Vani!
Was wondering if you’ve ever checked out Nova’s Bakery here in Charlotte and done any research on them?
I want Gluten Free without giving up GMO Free, Whole grain, sprouted grain and ORGANIC. Please help us.
Food For Life breads are mostly fantastic! I LOVE the sesame seed Ezekiel mmm toasted sesame :o) I’ve found this brand it to be the only available and cost efficient option short of making my own.
Although, I am a bit apprehensive about most of their products because they still contain soy; though organic is still bad for you.
This is something to consider while choosing a bread.
“Soybeans — even organically grown soybeans — naturally contain “antinutrients” such as saponins, soyatoxin, phytates, trypsin inhibitors, goitrogens and phytoestrogens. Traditional fermentation destroys these antinutrients, which allows your body to enjoy soy’s nutritional benefits. However, most Westerners do not consume fermented soy, but rather unfermented soy, mostly in the form of soymilk, tofu, TVP, and soy infant formula.”
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/soy-health_b_1822466.html
Hey, Vani – – –
Appreciate your quick response. I know about Whole Foods in Duluth, but that store is about 100 miles from here as well. A good bet for a Sunday aftenoon drive or a mall visit, but mostly too much gasoline, and not a god idea in this goofy snow/sleet/ice/below zero tundra life! Actually I did want to know about the Brownberry Bread, tho – the 12-grain…..
Nancy
I don’t find these breads in my local stores so what do I do? I guess I will have to make bread myself.
Hi Vani,
I recently tead that persons required to be on a gluten-free diet csn use coconut flour for baking? Would you know antything about that? Thank you.
http://overgrowthesystem.com/un-report-says-small-scale-organic-farming-only-way-to-feed-the-world/
Dawn,
I know this sounds like a very simple solution but it is not at all. I have read and heard presentations that if we go to an organic food production system just in this country alone we would have to increase land devoted to ag production by 300%. I would assume world-wide it would be at least increasing it by 2 times what it is now. I’m not sure if there is that much more land that can be brought into production. There will also be a tremendous increase in labor requirements which could be a problem. Tillage would increase as that’s about the only way to control weeds with organics. Fertilization would be a problem because the best fertilizer for organic is animal waste. Increasing tillage and spreading of manure on that many acres would create some major water and air quality, and possibly health, problems. You may think that’s not such a big deal but it is huge. The world’s population is growing by 12,000,000 people per year. With the current technology, knowledge and resources available in the world today I think it is, without a doubt, impossible to feed the world organically.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5amLAMRQk5I
This is a great video! Thanks for posting. It should be required viewing for everyone on this website. I thought I would have trouble watching an almost 30 minute thing but it was hilarious on top of being dead on. And for those of you who questioned the status of the food babe’s breasts in another thread, at the end of this one you will see that the proper use and placement of chemicals does “enhance” the lives of many…..though this sort of thing interests me only from a purely scientific approach.
One thing I learned to look for in bread is L-cysteine. Just a simple amino acid, right? NOT! When I found out it is made from hog hair, duck feathers or, most commonly, Chinese HUMAN HAIR, that’s when I started making all my own bread products. Don’t eat hair!
Love, Love, Love Dave’s Bread! And my 7 and 11 year old boys love it too!
Plus it’s easy to find in No Cal..
Thanks for breaking this down for us all! Love you even more than Dave’s bread, lol!
-Mardi
Eighteen years ago I discovered that my daughters and I were sensitive to gluten. Since there was very little out there, I gave baking a try. Eight years later, I came up with a loaf that my family and friends (who were both gluten and gluten free eaters) were excited about. They kept hounding me to make the bread available to others and Arnel’s Originals Organic Buckwheat Bread was born. It is super easy to make and is the softest, healthiest bread I have ever come across. Just read the unsolicited testimonials on our web page…”About Us” tab. It is certified ORGANIC, non-GMO verified, certified GLUTEN FREE, and free of corn, soy, and dairy. I’d love to send you a mix, Vani, and have you see for yourself. What do you say? By the way, I did extensive research on xanthan gum, and when you use the non-GO kind, it is really quite benign. It is an inactive bacterium that grows on a starch through a fermentation process, and at that point, it is neither corn nor soy. It does a great job of holding gluten free food together. Warmly,
Arnel McAtee 805 647-5858
Hello,
I live in the UK, so not sure what bread is the best.
Thank you
Just make your own bread at home with a bread maker…unless you are too lazy to put the ingredients in the machine.
Regarding Holly’s comment dated 2/24/2014. Yes, Professor’s statement regarding the years of testing before approval for production of GMO crops is accurate. However, very important point is missing in this comment; labs hired and paid by the big AG or producer/developer of chemicals do the testing. Independent studies worldwide offer opinions to the contrary. Many of us recall the last 50 – 60 years of “safe” tobacco. Renowned professors and whole labs being on the tobacco industry payroll have reported on the safety of tobacco smoke. It turned out to be a smoke screen, no pun intended. Many, too many years, independent studies that proved to be accurate have been brutally squashed, trivialized and sometimes prosecuted. Apparently, all is in the eye of the beholder. It is my belief; it never hurts to err on the safe side of any issue. We are playing with a health of humanity, not group of laboratory rodents.
Great article! I’ve been eating the Alvarado St. Bakery breads for a few years now. Absolutely love it! My local Stop & Shop carries it. At a reasonable price too.
Keep up the good work Vani!
I also think you should include the Trader Joe’s brand of sprouted grain bread. It is great. It has no added sugar and low in carbs. Please let me know if you have found something wrong with it, but I think it is great and very affordable at under $3.00 per loaf.
I really appreciate what foodbabe does for us, but this one time I am not totally on board. After reading Wheat Belly, Grain-brain, Why isn’t my brain working, and many other books on paleo and lots of research I have done, I have totally eliminated ALL grains from my diet, and never looked back. I loved my European style – brick oven baked multi-grain bread that I was having for breakfast every morning (only 2 slices). I thought it would be the hardest thing to give up when I switched to a paleo diet, but it turned out to be no big deal at all, and once I gave up that bread, I started losing weight for the first time in decades of eating what I assumed was a very healthy diet.
I made the breakfast casserole in the article on Monday and my son loved it and so did I. We had it again this morning for breakfast. My daughter not so much she is on a rebellious streak since making the switch to healthier eating she is boycotting food she wants her chemicals back…I tell her I have made the switch because I love her but she is having nothing of it. What does not help is that the Dr says she reallt needs to gain 30lbs to be healthier. Any reccomomendations on how to get her to eat healthy organic non processed food. Fruit and veggis are not a problem because that is all she is eating right now.
My God!! It is enough to drive you to make your own bread! I am so disappointed in all of these companies! I don’t think I will ever trust another conglomerate again! It just makes it impossible to remain healthy. Thank you Food Babe! I always want to know the truth! Thanks for standing up for those of us who want to stay healthy and remain healthy into old age!
As I see Rudi’s Organic Bread included in your ‘okay’ list, I feel the need to let you know of my experience in October when I purchased a loaf of the Organic White bread from a local Whole Foods. We were about halfway through the loaf when I made a sandwich for myself after having just made one for my 4-yr. old grandson. I bit into the sandwich and found a rat’s incisor had been baked into the loaf.
Short version of results: Whole Foods corporate will not process this type of situation; you must deal with the store of purchase who they insist you deal with the manufacturer, Rudi’s Bakery. Complaints, including photos, were filed the local health department, and the FDA who said I should send the tooth and loaf to Rudi’s for analysis.
Reluctantly, I did that and then had to persistently pursue the results. The tooth was sent to a small California university where it was ‘analyzed’ by students and found to be an ‘unidentifiable item, likely an oat hull’. No analysis was done on the remainder of the loaf which they had insisted I send also.
The FDA agent agreed it was not properly handled; all agents who saw it said it was clearly a rodent tooth. A complaint for mishandling was filed with the FDA with no results. How is this kind of health risk brushed over so easily?
Your thoughts on this?
Donna LeRoy
Yes but what about the 100 days of real food recommended Honey Whole Wheat bread from the Great Harvest Bread Company in Charlotte?
Great article! What do you think about the fresh breads from local bakeries (Novas, Great Harvest) or the WF bakery? My kids love a soft bread for sandwiches. They seem to have minimal ingredients so I wonder if they are good options.
I have been buying better foods for a while, thanks to you, Food Babe, it’s easier to see the light. Now, what about breads, they do have soybean oil, but it’s organic…? Thanks a lot for your work.
Hi Vani! Thanks for the article. Question: Are sugar beets inherently bad? And if so, why?
FYI, the Ezekiel 4:9 blend includes soybeans, which are known to disrupt the thyroid gland… So if you know or suspect you have thyroid problems, you should probably try to avoid products containing soy…
Hi,
There is a fantastic history of bread in Michael Pollans book Cooked. He discusses how it actually used to be a very healthy part of a diet until it become processed. I recommend this section of his book.
Great info about bread! In countries such as Germany (and to some extend in Holland) it is not necessary to declare ”technical ingredients” in breads; since they ”evaporate” to nothing (?) when baked…Think about L-cysteine (made of corn, goose feathers or human (chinese) hair…). So in my opinion, the best is simply to bake your own bread with organic grain. No artificial stuff needed. I do it every couple of weeks; 1 or 2 oven fillings, when I have time. Today, my bread-baking results in the freezer: 4 wholegrain baguettes with (home dried) prunes/apples; 4 bistro breads with tomato, french herbs; plus 10 small (burger) buns of the same dough and a large lunch bread; 2 rye/wholegrain breads with muesli (breakfast cereals); and a brioche. All made with natural, organic best ingredients. No guilt feelings when eating this. And…everybody can bake bread!
Take a look: http://www.nicojo.nl under: recepten = picture of the breads of today
Thanks for making lists of recommended foods. That makes shopping much easier. We’ve been eating Ezekiel for a while and like it. It is quite different from what we were used to and took some getting used to the style but love it now.
If you feel like making some super tasty and healthy bread for snacking, check this out:
http://www.mynewroots.org/site/2013/02/the-life-changing-loaf-of-bread/
Please take on Monsanto!
You can buy all the local, organic, etc bread/flour you want, you can soak it, sprout it or mill it yourself but unless you are using heritage wheat chances are you’ll have some kind of reaction whether you realize it or not. When wheat was hybridized for higher yield in the 1950’s it changed the structure of the grain and made the least digestible gluten the predominant one. It’s not as simple as that and there are many factors today, including all the chemicals used to grow and process flour, that are causing gluten intolerance. Additionally, most modern commodity wheat doesn’t rise much at all so vital wheat gluten has to be added. There are hundreds of formerly gluten intolerant who were eating gluten free who are able to eat heritage wheat. This article tells more http://experiencelife.com/article/the-heritage-wheat-renaissance/
I noticed the “food babe” never responds to people commenting or disputing her research information.
Thank you so much for this list! I always struggle with whether or not my Udi’s is healthy. I don’t have it that often (maybe once a week?), but it’s good to know there are some better ones out there. It’s frustrating how many GF products are highly processed!
Also, does anyone else in the GF community find it funny how similar Udi’s and Rudi’s are?
pls. devote a blog to the definition of GMO vs non GMO.
Pls. help others to see that crops are outside and that if planted close to other fields,natural cross pollination will occur.
You can help calm others to understand ‘balance’ is key in staying healthy in a chemical world.
mustard seed= broccoli Is this considered GMO? why? why not?
It is impossible to do damage control, too much information and not enough communicating it to the correct amt of people to make an impact.