Is Bread Good or Bad for You? Belfast

By  Yvonne Wake Supernanny Expert 17/01/2008

Bread is a food that comes in and out of ‘fashion and most people have got stories about their relationship with it. I meet people all the time who say “oh I don’t eat bread, I’m off wheat, it bloats me” and then there are others who swear by their daily slice or two, and use a bread maker everyday without fail. So what it is about bread?

Bread is normally the first food to go when someone is on a weight loss diet, yet it is also the food we dive for first when we are feeling ravenous. So we either like it or hate it, but what is important to understand is that we absolutely need it in our diet whether we like the idea or not!

And moreover, your children need bread in their diet – but only high-quality bread, honest bread, the bread that has been made using only the bare essential ingredients; flour (whole-wheat) salt, water and yeast.

Here in the UK, nine million loaves of bread are sold every day and 95% of them are made using a process called the Chorleywood process (invented in 1961). This process has replaced traditional slow baked wholesome bread for a bread that contains low-grade wheat flour, fats, improvers, emulsifiers and conditioners, E472e, E471, and ascorbic acid which only stands to prolong its shelf life. The salt added to this type of bread is also high. One slice of bread can contain 0.5g of salt which is relatively high when you consider that children under four should not eat more than 2g of salt a day according to their recommended daily intake. This mass production makes the bread cheaper to produce and cheaper for you to purchase, but it does not contain good quality nutrients. The added chemical agents are probably why people feel bloated and uncomfortable after eating bread.

Bread is a staple in every country and a good quality loaf of bread is very nutritious, as it gives you carbohydrate for energy and a good source of protein from the hard wheat. Whole grains are a good source of thiamine, and their germ is rich in vitamin E, as well as containing significant amounts of potassium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. More importantly, constipation amongst children is much more prevalent than we know because children do not often discuss this, and a good whole-wheat bread will help keep your child’s bowels open. Whole-wheat flour not only contains important nutrients, but 250% more fibre than white bread and 50% more fibre than brown bread. Also, whole grains will slow down the absorption and stop you feeling hungry.

Wheat flour has three main ingredients; the germ at the bottom where the most of the nutrients are stored, the endosperm which is the starch, and the outer covering which is the bran and contains good nutrients. I have compiled a list of some of the more common types of flour to help you understand what actually goes into your loaf of bread. These were all seen in a local supermarket so unless you shop at a true bakery, here are some you will find:

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