What’s the Best Kind of Bread to Buy?

We get this question a lot so we're finally collecting our thoughts in one easy to reference place.

Though bread is delicious, it's best to treat grains - both refined grains, and even whole kernel grains like quinoa, millet, buckwheat, and wild rice - as a garnish to add texture and enjoyment to a dish, not for nutrients. Eating bread is certainly a delightful experience, and when prepared properly, in moderation, and at the right time of day, can be included in a healthy diet for most! What should you opt for?

#1 Ezekiel Sprouted Whole Grain Bread

Food for Life’s Sprouted Ezekiel bread is our top choice when it comes to bread for several reasons:

1. No milled flour - Ezekiel uses intact whole grain kernels that have been sprouted & ground into a paste, not dried and milled into flour. Check out our other blog article for more info on the detriments of milling grains.

2. Sprouting reduces antinutrients - Allowing the intact kernel to sprout dentures some of the harmful chemicals (antinutrients) found in grains. Antinutrients like phytic acid, tannis, and oxalates interfere with nutrient absorption, thyroid function, and may cause kidney stones when the grains are prepared incorrectly.

3. No additives - Preservatives, natural/artificial flavors, dyes, etc.

Ezekiel bread is typically found in the frozen section and sometimes in the fridge section near the deli. Look for the Food for Life brand of Ezekiel bread.

#2 Traditional Sourdough Bread

If you don’t like the taste of Ezekiel bread or you can’t find it in your local grocery store, a loaf of fresh baked traditional sourdough is a delectable runner up. Sourdough does use milled flour (which exposes the grains to oxidation reactions), but it has fermentation on its side.

Traditional sourdough relies on a long, slow, & natural 2-3 day fermentation process using wild yeast. It takes a long time to make & it only lasts a few days on the shelf so it's more expensive and you’ll likely have to visit a bakery, not a supermarket, to get it.

The multi-day fermentation process gives the yeast plenty of time to break down unhelpful compounds found in many grains and plant foods like gluten, phytic acid, lectins, and protease inhibitors. These plant chemicals can make digestion difficult, interfere with nutrient absorption, or aggravate the immune system. Thank you yeast!

Shopping for real sourdough bread is simple. The ingredient list should have 4 ingredients:

1. Flour (Ideally fresh milled)

2. Water

3. Salt

4. Culture or sourdough starter (Spices for flavor are great too)

If you see more ingredients than that listed on the label, it’s not a traditional sourdough.

• Yeast or Baker's Yeast - Real sourdough will list ‘culture’ or ‘starter’ & does not use yeast

• Cultured Wheat Flour - This one's tricky. It sounds good, but it's actually a preservative

• Vinegar - Mimics the sour flavor of real sourdough

• Sugar - Aside from the more obvious names for sugar, look out for barley malt

• Baking Powder - Makes the bread rise very quickly

• Oils - Any kind, but especially vegetable oils like canola, soybean, or sunflower

Nearly all sourdough breads that line the supermarket shelves are not real traditional sourdough. They use production methods designed for speed & are often paired with ingredients to enhance flavor, extend shelf life, & improve consistency. Many are also fortified with artificial vitamins & minerals. This results in a less authentic flavor, albeit with far smaller price tag.

Listen to this 40 min podcast for a more in depth explanation of the science behind sourdough bread and tips for how to make your own.

The best way to consume traditional sourdough is to make it yourself or to find a local baker who makes it fresh daily. However, if that’s not in the cards, Denver based Izzio Bakery makes a variety of traditional sourdough breads that are shipped nationwide to various grocery chains. Izzio mills their own fresh flour which reduces the number of oxidation reactions, & they're also quite affordable! Gary, Indiana's Mom & Pop Organic Bread of Heaven is also a good option. They offer a wide variety of traditional sprouted sourdough products. Either way, we recommend popping the loaves right in the freezer after purchasing to preserve freshness. 

Consume Bread in Moderation

All this talk of bread aside, do keep in mind that although Ezekiel bread and traditional sourdough may be the safest form of bread in terms of oxidation reactions and/or antinutrient reduction, they are still rich in nutrient sparse carbohydrates. Consume carbohydrates of all kinds, bread included, in moderation. Of course, moderation varies depending on your personal health context and physical activity, and most people feel best limiting bread to 1 or 2 slices daily.

Pro Tips for Consuming Bread

1. Avoid having bread with Breakfast - Along with carbs in general (fruit, juice, granola, cereal, muffins, etc). Your body is naturally more insulin resistant for the first few hours after waking due to the rise in cortisol levels. During this time your body has to work harder to keep blood sugar levels in check when carbs are consumed.

   
   

2. Add some healthy fat to your slice of toast - Butter, cheese, PB, or avocado/guacamole are all great options. The fat will help to slow the release of sugar (from starch in the bread) into the bloodstream, making blood sugar and insulin responses substantially less intense.