Bread has been getting a bad rap (or should I say wrap?) because of a rise in the press regarding health conscientiousness and an increase in gluten sensitivity. However, unless you suffer from celiac disease or gluten intolerance, bread is not your enemy.
Quite the opposite, bread can not only benefit your health but can help you lose weight. Here are some common misconceptions about bread and why you should keep, not get rid of, the bread in your diet.
Vitamins
When it comes to quality bread, whole grains are your best source for nutrition. According to WebMD, whole grains provide “more vitamins, minerals, and fiber than refined” grains and have been shown in one study to even aid more significantly in weight loss than refined grains such as “white bread and white rice.”
Whole grain is also good for your digestive tract because of its fiber content, which helps maintain the probiotics in your digestive system through the production of fatty acids, making it easier all around for you to use the bathroom.
Carbohydrates
The carbohydrates found in fresh bread can be scary to the health-conscious. How many times have you been warned about carbs and their horrible weight-inducing properties? But the truth is carbohydrates offer a good deal of energy and, if you exercise regularly, they can be easily burned off the same as any other food.
Diversity
When it comes to bread baking and bread bakeries, we often think of the standard round loaf of bread. Or, in terms of stores, we think of the commonly packaged loaf. 11.76 million Americans used 5 or more loaves of bread in a single week in 2016 alone. But bread doesn’t just come in the form of a loaf.
One of the reasons why Americans have demonized bread is because we tend to eat too many bread products such as pretzels and crackers, which, if not burned off with exercise, will be stored in our bodies as fat. But when eaten in moderation, these various bread products are actually beneficial because it keeps us from getting bored of the grains we need in our diet.
It’s easy to be bored of eating broccoli every day, but because vegetables come in different types we can easily maintain the proper balance of vegetables in our diets by altering what we eat. The same can be said of fresh bread.
Tired of sandwiches? Consider a nice fresh bread from a quality bakery. Tired of a plain loaf of whole wheat bread? Consider using artisan bread. Don’t want the experience of artisan bread? Open a bag of pretzels with a small dish of your favorite guacamole. The diversity of bread is endless.
Bread has been a part of human life since the Ancient Egyptians. For many of us, bread is a homely product. And like most homely things, it’s good for you when used in moderation and as a part of balanced diet. Consider altering your bread choices rather than cutting it completely out of your diet.