The Best Type of Bread To Eat For A Healthier You

Bread is a form of carbohydrate which most people on a diet or who are watching their weight would try to avoid. This is especially so for white bread which is high in sugars( causes blood insulin level to spike when consumed) which increases the risk of getting heart diseases, stroke, diabetes and a fatty liver. If you want to look young, try to minimize the consumption of white bread as it causes wrinkles, dull and lifeless skin.

White bread is made from refined grains which are stripped of protein and important vitamin B to produce sweeter bread.

So what constitutes to healthy, good bread?

Look for 100% whole grain bread!

Don't be fooled by the packaging of some bread that says "wheat", "multi-grain" or " contains X amounts of whole grain" as it is usually a disguise for white bread.

So what so good about whole grain?

Well, whole grain bread is a great source of fibre that reduces the risk of colon cancer, heart disease and for those watching their weight, whole grain fills up your stomach more so you would not feel hungry easily. This prevents you from over-eating;) Whole grain also has useful proteins and vitamin B that is essential for youthful skin and great, healthy looking hair.

Some healthy bread do not have the 100% whole grain sign so another way to tell if the bread is beneficial for health is to look at the amount of fibre present. Whole grain bread would have at least 2 grams of fibre. Any less would mean that the bread is refined and hence should be avoided.

When we look at the ingredient list of the product, whole grain should be first. Sugar would also appear as the third or fourth ingredient and this is OKAY (don't be paranoid just yet); Sugar is needed for the fermentation of yeast which causes the bread to rise.

Hope that with these useful knowledge that you are now armed with, you would be able to eat and live more healthy :) Let's all strive for a better, healthier lifestyle and still enjoy the food we love;)

If you are looking to make your very own wholemeal bread, here's how!

Ingredients

• 570g wholemeal flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp yeast
• 400ml warm water

Method

1. Place the yeast and the warm water in a bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to let the yeast ferment. You should see bubbles appearing at the surface.
2. Warm the flour slightly in the oven for about 10 minutes, then remove the flour from the oven and mix in the salt and sugar into the flour. Mix well.
3. Create a well in the flour mixture and pour in the yeast solution and mix till combined with a spoon to gradually form a dough. Mix until you have a smooth dough that leaves the bowl clean – there should be no bits of flour or dough remaining on the sides of the bowl.
4. Transfer the dough to a flat surface and stretch it out into an oblong, then fold one edge into the centre and the other over that. Fit the dough into the tin, pressing it firmly around the edges so that the top will already be slightly rounded. Cover the tin with a damp, clean tea cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
5. To bake, pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C). When the dough has risen to the top of the bread tin or tins, bake the bread for 25 minutes at 200°C. When the bread is cooked, turn it out on to a cloth to protect your hands . Then return the bread, out of its tin, upside down to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes to crisp the base and sides. Cool the bread on a wire rack, and never put it away or freeze it until it is absolutely cold.