• By Emily Amelia Inglis
• Published 11/25/2011

When it comes to buying bread it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the choices – white, brown, wholemeal….let alone the wheat and gluten free options.

But at the end of the day, what we all want is to know – what makes healthy bread?

First, let’s consider what makes bread healthy to start with and why we should be eating it.

It gives us energy!

Bread is the fuel on which our bodies run – wholegrain bread provides a combination of complex carbohydrates, fibre, starch and protein making it an invaluable source for us to keep alert all day, everyday.

Healthy digestive system

Bread, in particular the wholemeal variety, is a fantastic source of dietary fibre.

An adult’s daily requirement of fibre is 24g and with selected wholemeal breads, just three slices provides one third of that amount.

But why is fibre so important to us? Well, it helps to keep our digestive systems healthy and helps control our blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Dietary

The fibre in bread also makes us feel fuller for longer making it highly valuable to anyone on a diet – you’ll be less likely to snack in between mealtimes.

On the most part, it is also a low fat food – remember that what can make it fatty is what you put on it.

However, there is some fat in bread because without it, it would go stale very quickly and it’s texture and taste would not be very nice. Make sure the bread you’re choosing uses vegetable oils instead of hydrogenated fat though!

Finally, if you’re diet conscious, or in the least want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you’ll be looking to avoid sugar – which is great, because most breads are low in sugar. (Sweet!)

Getting scientific…

Bread contains many different vitamins – everything from thiamine, niacin and folic acid to the more well known ones of iron and calcium.

The thiamine, niacin and folic acid are great for releasing energy slowly as well as promoting healthy skin, eyes and nails.

Iron aids energy and concentration, as well as promoting a healthy immune system and healthy blood. White bread in particular is fortified with iron.

About the Author: Emily Amelia Inglis is a writer and fan of healthy bread.