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Product Review- The Great Bread Debate
Product Review – The Great Bread Debate.
The bread isle at the supermarket has increasingly grown in size and variety over the last few years, and consumers currently have more choice than ever before when it comes to which grain, how much fibre, what added nutrients and what sized slice they prefer. With this increase in variety has also come a drastic increase in bread prices, with some increasing as much as 30% over the past 5 years. With bread prices ranging anywhere between $2 and $6 a loaf, consumers are left asking ‘which one is the healthiest, and is it worth the cost’? Let’s take a look at the answers.
The healthiest breads on the market will always be those made from whole grains, and include whole meal and multigrain varieties. Some of the whole grain breads available, such as many multigrain varieties, are in fact made from a mixture of wholemeal and white flours and consumers are not easily made aware of this on the packaging. Whole grain does not just refer to the visible grains in the bread; it also includes the things you can’t see, the bran and the germ. Wholemeal flour retains the bran and germ, whilst white flour does not. Many multigrain breads are made from white flour, with the visible grains then added. The Food Standards Code has made it mandatory for manufacturers to state the percentage of any listed ingredients. This means the ingredient list is a good place to start. Choose bread with the higher percentage of whole grains. It should be the first ingredient in the list. The best option will be wholemeal grain bread
Fibre seems to be the nutrient of choice when it comes to bread manufacturing. Nearly all specialty breads give plenty of dietary fibre but it does not always come from the whole grains. The bread varieties containing the most fibre have been fortified with soluble fibre supplements and are more expensive than their non-fortified counterparts. Examples of these fibre supplements include psyllium, Inulin and guar gum. They are all soluble fibre sources and contain no insoluble fibre, which is also required for digestive health. Research suggests that we would need to eat much more of these soluble fibre sources daily than the amount found in 2 slices of these fortified breads. It would definitely be cheaper and more effective to buy a bag of psyllium and add it to your daily diet. Fibre is great for overall health so look for regular whole grain breads that contain more than 6 grams of fibre per 100 grams
Low GI breads are also available and a marketed to people with diabetes and as a tool in weight loss and weight management. This is little more than hype as research does not suggest any significant benefit of specific low GI breads in weight loss or overall health. If you are looking for a low GI option, any multigrain bread will have a lower GI than white and wholemeal varieties
There has been recent hype over the addition of omega 3’s to many breads. Omega 3’s can come from two sources, plants and fish. The omega 3’s from fish are the ones linked to a decreased risk of neural tube defects in babies and an increased IQ and good eyesight development in children. Plant omega 3’s have been linked to a decreased risk in heart disease. Of the omega 3 enriched breads available on the market, only one contains omega 3 from fish oils. Omega 3 from fish is more likely to be lacking in people’s diets. You would need to eat approximately 4 loaves of this bread a day to get the recommended omega 3 intake. Same goes for the plant sourced omega 3 enriched breads so you are much better off opting for a fish oil tablet or a tuna sandwich and saving your money in the bread department
Soy and linseed breads, and those with added phytoeostrogens are reported as being beneficial for women’s health and wellbeing. They are said to relieve the symptoms of menopause and possibly decrease the risk of developing breast cancer. There is very little evidence to suggest this is true. Advice is to save the money and buy cheaper wholemeal grain bread with all its benefits of fibre and other nutrients
With all these facts to consider, consumers are still left wondering if spending more means better health benefits and greater taste. The taste is personal, but here is a brief nutrition analysis to compare some popular whole grain bread varieties listed from least expensive to most expensive. One slice of bread will weigh from 26grams to as high as 35 grams per slice.
BREAD | KJ 100grams | Dietary Fibre per 100 grams | Cost per 100 grams |
Coles Smart Buy Multigrain | 1030 | 4.4 | $0.28 |
Coles Bakery Soy and Linseed | 1130 | 7.5 | $0.38 |
Woolworths Multigrain | 1040 | 4.8 | $0.38 |
IGA Bakers Multigrain Sandwich | 1030 | 4.4 | $0.44 |
Lawson’s Seed & Grain | 1060 | 6.5 | $0.50 |
Bakers Delight Country Grain | 1160 | 3.9 | $0.52 |
Helga’s Wholemeal Grain | 1025 | 5.9 | $0.54 |
Abbotts Ancient Grains and Seeds | 1160 | 6.0 | $0.86 |
Added to site on : Wednesday, 1 August 2012