There are few foods as important as bread. By itself, bread is hardly a tasty and satisfying meal, but it is absolutely essential to countless dishes.
It is an absolute culinary catalyst: without bread, sandwiches It would be a distant fantasy breakfast toast would be non-existent, and Sunday mornings would be completely devoid of bagels and cream cheese (gasp!). Both literally and figuratively, the bread holds these dishes together.
Unsurprisingly, Americans just can’t get enough bread. In 2020 alone, it is estimated that 326.91 million Americans ate at least some bread. That’s nearly the entire population of the U.S. Plus, the average American is thought to consume a staggering amount 53 pounds of bread per year!
One thing is clear: those bread aisles in grocery stores across the country continue to see a lot of traffic. There are countless bread varieties, brands, and options to choose from today, but each one comes with its own unique nutritional profile. Some breads are much better for you than others.
“(Bread) can be really nutritious, a great source of slow-release carbohydrates in our diet, and full of vitamins and minerals,” the dietitian said. Jaime Rosa Chambers recently told Australia This day. “But we have to choose well.”
What is a good rule of thumb to keep in mind when looking for a healthy loaf of bread?
“The bread should look dark brown and dense with seeds and grains. That’s what we’re ultimately looking for, a bread like that is going to be very nutritious,” explains Rose Chambers.
While some breads are genuinely healthy, other varieties and brands are serious fault in the nutrition and quality department. Eating these breads regularly will not do your body any favors.
We put together a list of the top five grocery bread brands you should stay away from.
No bread is more synonymous with American and summer barbecue than wonderful bread. Unfortunately, the brand offers much more in terms of nostalgia than nutrition.
“One of the worst bread brands I’ve seen in general is Wonder. White breads are the least nutritious type of bread. The flour was processed to remove the bran and germ which are high in fiber and nutrients,” explains Rachel Lessenden. , founder of Health My Lifestyle.
When whole wheat flour is refined into white flour, tons of essential vitamins, fiber, and protein are sacrificed along the way. Even Wonder Bread’s 100% whole wheat option somehow only offers two grams of fiber per slice.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a grocery store in the US that doesn’t carry at least some Wonder Bread products. large grocery stores that carry Wonder Bread include Publix, Winn-Dixie, Target and ShopRite.
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Available in a variety of supermarkets in the United States Like Target, ShopRite and Stop & Shop, Nature’s Own offers a wide selection of loaves of bread. From Butter Bread to Honey Wheat to 100% Whole Wheat, they apparently have a slice of bread for everyone.
But how healthy are these bread options? the brand Butter bread line could definitely be improved from a nutritional perspective. Offering just 2 grams of protein and literally no fiber per sliceyou will probably still feel hungry after eating several pieces of this bread.
Meanwhile, the Nature’s Own Honey Wheat Bread line may contain some whole wheat flour, but also contains malted barley flour and soy flour. That means, as far as your stomach is concerned, this bread is much more processed than the label suggests.
Sunbeam loaves may be best known for their larger sizes, but bigger isn’t always better. Its line of Texas Toast breads presents an exorbitant amount of sodium per slice (9% DV), and there isn’t even enough fiber present in a single slice to make up a full gram.
Meanwhile, Sunbeam is known for using an ingredient called azodicarbonamide in their bread products. nicknamed the “yoga mat chemical” Because it is used in both bread and yoga mat production, this substance primarily serves as a bleaching agent and dough conditioner when it comes to bread.
While azodicarbonamide is FDA approved for human consumption, evidence suggests that it is related to a number of health problems such as respiratory problems and even cancer. Fast food chains like McDonald’s and Wendy’s stopped using azodicarbonamide years agoand the chemical has been banned in the EU for more than a decade.
Sunbeam bread products are widely sold in supermarkets such as Walmart, Target, and Kroger.
It may seem like a smart buying decision to opt for a lighter bread option like Sara Lee Charming or Artisan bread lines, but so-called healthier options like these often contain artificial sweeteners and low calorie fiber fillers, such as cellulose fiber derived from wood pulp. Hmm!
“Another bread brand to watch out for is Sara Lee with their Artesano line. The marketing makes it seem like these breads are healthier and claim to have no high fructose corn syrup, but still have added sugar.” and processed flour,” adds Lessenden.
While you’re at it, stay away from Sara Lee’s Premium Italian Bread. A single slice contains 10% of your daily value for sodium (240 milligrams).
Sara Lee breads can be found at numerous grocery stores including Target, Giant, Safeway, and Walmart.
Pepperidge Farm may be the number one bread company in the United States, if only because of the litany of bread products they offer.
Unfortunately, many of those options contain too much sodium and sugar. Take your farmhouse hearty white bread For example: 230 milligrams of sodium and 4 grams of sugar per serving don’t exactly set the stage for a healthy meal.
A lot of people love cinnamon raisin toast in the morning, but even Pepperidge Farm 100% Whole Grain Cinnamon Raisin Bread it contains only two grams of fiber per slice (and 5 grams of sugar!).
Similarly, the supposedly healthier options at Pepperidge Farm leave a lot to be desired nutritionally. Somehow it’s Multigrain Bread 12 Cereals It only contains one gram of dietary fiber and a staggering 220 milligrams of sodium plus five grams of sugar.
Pepperidge Farm bread products are available at various supermarkets and convenience stores, including Publix, CVS, and Duane Reade.
