Buy This Brand of Bread
Love bread? Me too!
Bread's gotten a bad rap the last few years, and there are definitely some breads to stay away from...
Like this guy... yikes!
BUT there are plenty of healthy, good-for-you choices, too.
Try your local bakery first. Fresh, top quality, and usually made without preservatives or cheap fillers.
(Many bakeries will also make custom orders for you, such as whole-wheat buns or baguettes by request. If the bakery has a minimum order requirement, no worries -- you can freeze the extras for later!)
Commercially, the best brands are Alvarado, Dave's Killer Bread, Trader Joe's Sprouted Bread, and Food for Life (Ezekiel). Ikea also has a bread mix (just add water) that's oil-free, dense, and super delicious.
What to Look for: Make sure there is no oil in the bread. If there is sugar, make sure it's toward the end of the ingredients list and there aren't multiple sweeteners.
Remember: It only takes water, flour, and yeast to make bread so anything with more than 5-6 ingredients deserves a raised eyebrow of suspicion!
Also be weary of marketing.
"Whole-grain" can often be a scam! 6 overly processed grains slammed together doesn't make for a wholesome choice. Similarly, there are a lot of "wheat" breads out there that aren't truly whole-wheat.
(I call them white breads with a tan!)
DIY Recipe Make my super easy beer bread: 3 cups flour + 1 T baking soda + 1 T sugar (opt) + pinch salt and 12 oz of your favorite mild-tasting beer. (Bake @ 375F for 1 hour).
(I've also had great success making GF bread with a GF blend and GF beer!)
Lastly, make sure bread accents your diet -- but don't make it a key player, especially if you're trying to lose weight.
There's absolutely a place for bread in a healthy balanced diet.
Find that balance with the meal plan's help.
And if you want to avoid bread altogether -- no problem-o! Simply substitute 1 whole-wheat or GF tortilla (or two corn tortillas) for a bun or bread. OR go even more whole and put it over a baked potato or cooked grains like rice.