Bread rocks!

Hello everyone!

I recently went shopping with my college girlfriends that I haven't seen in a while. We were stocking up on some food for a weekend in the mtns and I was shocked when they were so confused in the bread isle! There are so many "tricks" on the labels that can make you think the bread is healthy but most of it is just fluffy while flour, other wise know as enriched wheat flour! So I thought I'd take a few minutes to share some tips with you on how to pick your bread!

Best Bread Tip No. 1: Go for 100%

Just "whole wheat" doesn't cut it. Neither does "made with whole grain," Look for labels that say "100% whole wheat" or "100% whole grain," and don't settle for anything less. If it’s 100% whole wheat, the first ingredient listed in the ingredient label will be whole-wheat flour or 100% whole-wheat flour.

You want whole grains because they're naturally low in fat and cholesterol free; contain 10% to 15% protein, and offer loads of healthy fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. These breads are packed with whole grains and provide so many health benefits, including protection from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and some cancers.

Best Bread Tip No. 2: Watch the Sodium.

Most bread products come with a dose of sodium, which is added to help control the yeast activity and for flavor. If you eat three servings of whole grain bread a day, and each slice has about 200 milligrams of sodium, that contributes 600 milligrams to your daily sodium total. It may not sound like much, but it represents one-third of your limit if you're trying to stay within 1,800 milligrams a day.

The good news is that there are plenty of breads with 200 milligrams or less of sodium per slice.

Best Bread Tip No. 3: Diet or "Light" Isn't Always Better.

There are several brands of bread that are promoted as being lower in calories. They usually have the word "light" in the name or on the packaging. Often, "light" bread means a smaller serving size and a product that is pumped with some extra fiber. For example, Sara Lee has a "45 Calories & Delightful" whole-wheat bread. Although the 45 calories is "per 1 slice," the nutrition information on the label is given for 2 slices. The weight of a 2-slice serving of this bread is 45 grams, compared to Sara Lee's classic 100% whole-wheat classic bread, which weighs 57 grams per 2-slice serving.

The best and Fail proof way to choose bread is to look for sprouted grain products. Sprouted grains of any kind are beneficial because the sprouting process releases more nutrients which yields 10-20 times more nutrients