USE YOUR LOAF AND BUY HEALTHY BREADS…

Did you know that bread contributes 17-21% of dietary fiber, and 15-17% of the population’s dietary intake of iron across all age groups ! Who doesn’t love bread, especially home made bread but do you know which ones are the healthiest?

According to an article in Woman and Home there are four top wellness loaves, which include Sourdough at 100 calories per slice and made from the naturally occurring yeast and bacteria in flour. Sourdough is naturally leavened bread, which means it doesn’t use commercial yeast to rise. Instead, it uses a ‘starter’ – a fermented flour and water mixture that contains wild yeast and good bacteria – to rise. This also produces the tangy flavour and slightly chewy texture you’ll find in sourdough. Wild yeast has more flavour than commercial yeast, and is natural in the sense that it doesn’t contain any additives.

Rye is another good one at only 85 calories per slice and comes as a light or dark variety. I love the darker version and get a very tasty one from Sainsbury’s. Rye flour contains enough gluten to make a yeasted loaf on its own, and tends to produce dense, dark, richly flavoured bread. It contains all the essential amino acids that make up proteins for building and repairing muscles, curbing hunger and regulating hormones. It is also rich in fibre and magnesium and helps keep our digestive systems working smoothly and regulate muscle and nerve function so Rye bread has to be an all rounder.

Soda Bread is another good one and only 86 calories per slice and is a traditional Irish loaf which contains no yeast but uses baking soda as the leavening agent. Soda bread is typically made with wholemeal flour which gives it a fantastically dense and doughy texture, but you could easily use a mixture of white and wholemeal flour if you’re after a lighter texture. It’s delicious simply served with lashings of butter and/or honey for breakfast, or with cheese and preserves for an easy lunchtime meal. It also contains energy-boosting B vitamins, iron and magnesium, so another good one for your health.

Finally, Flaxseed Bread which is 90 calories per slice. Flaxseed bread (linseed bread) is dense, soft, and moist. It’s free or any grains and pseudo-grains. In fact, the only ingredient in this flaxseed bread are ground flaxseeds (linseed). So, it’s a great low-carb alternative to your regular bread. It contains a source of plant based omega-3 in the form of alpha-linolenic acid which is especially important for vegans.

Source Woman & Home