A few years ago, you'd have simply picked up a paper-wrapped, piping hot loaf from the baker, during your everyday walk. What we have now are cellophane-wrapped, bewildering varieties — whole-wheat, multi-grain, ragi, garlic, fruit, wholemeal-and-oat… — with ‘use-before' dates. What happened to the good old, humble bread?
Devoid of nutrition
Says Varsha, consultant and clinical nutritionist: “The basic white bread is a modern invention made of refined wheat flour, liquids and leavening agents.
But, after it was discovered that the refined flour is deficient in iron, folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, B-complex vitamins and fibre, bread has taken many avatars. So, you have breads enriched with milk, cereal, seeds, herbs, and more…”
Know your bread, she says. “Unfortunately, the claims on the cover do not give a clear picture of the contents; there's no indication how much these value additions are truly so.”
A ‘whole wheat' label is no guarantee that the bread is made from whole grains. Often, it's simply white bread with a little whole wheat added. So, look for bread that says 100 per cent whole wheat. Go for whole-grain bread, rich in fibre; bread with multi-grains and seeds are healthy too.
But, many of them fall short in nutrition compared to whole-wheat or whole-grain bread. Avoid white bread and those with labels such as 'unbleached / enriched wheat flour', ‘five or seven grains', ‘100 per cent wheat flour'.
If the bread has carrots, corn, apple and bananas, it has shorter shelf life. Buy just what you need for the next 48 hours.
And, watch out for bread with hydrogenated vegetable oil, trans-fats, partially hydrogenated oils, and vegetable oil shortening, which can increase cholesterol levels. .
Importantly, how good your bread is depends also on how well it's baked. Soft-and-fluffy is more easily digested than dense and coarse-grained. If it is for breakfast, take it with fresh milk, fruits and sprouts to make it wholesome. Or, top it with banana / apple slices.
But whatever the contents, remember, for us, bread is not a complete meal, Dr. Varsha points out. Also, the bread-butter-jam combo is a strict no-no for the diabetic, those watching their weight, and those with cardiac problems.
Bread is often eaten plain or dipped in tea — it fills the stomach but starves the body. But, she warns that the convenience of obtaining it must not dictate its inclusion in our day-to-day diet, for we pay a price in terms of health.
RISE & SHINE
Choose bread with whole wheat, mixed or multi-grain listed as the first ingredient
Added grains (wheat germ, whole grains and other cereals) and seeds are good too
Avoid bread with high-fructose corn syrup, honey, high sugar content, and colouring
A slice should have 100 or less calories, three or more grams of fibre and 225 or less mg of sodium
