For many families, bread is an everyday staple—something tossed into the cart alongside milk, eggs, and cereal, often on autopilot. You probably reach for the same loaf every week without thinking twice. And with shelves packed with options and labels making all kinds of claims, figuring out which loaf is actually worth buying isn’t always straightforward.
I spoke with an expert to ask what shoppers should look for when they’re buying bread at grocery stores. It turns out, all it takes is a little easy label sleuthing.
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Why Whole Grains Matter
When you’re buying bread at the grocery store, look for a label that calls out the use of whole grains, says Alyssa Fernandez, a heritage grain expert and founder of Ollin, an ancient grain baking mix company focused on bringing heritage grains to pantries nationwide.
Whole grains can offer more fiber and micronutrients, Fernandez explained. “Although every type of flour has its purpose (bleached, sifted, 00, etc.), whole grains are a great everyday option to boost your fiber and micronutrient intake,” she said. Classic “white bread” sold at some stores features flour that has had the bran and germ removed, giving it a smooth texture and uniform appearance. Though this staple may feel familiar and appealing, the bran and germ are a significant part of what makes flour nutritionally balanced.
How To Understand Bread Labels
Standing in the bread aisle, it can be hard to decipher what terms like “whole wheat,” “whole grain,” and “multigrain” actually mean—and why you might choose one over another. Fernandez told me that “whole wheat” means the baked good contains all parts of the wheat berry, including the bran, germ, and endosperm. “Whole grain” is similar, but the term can refer to grains other than wheat. “Multigrain,” meanwhile, simply means that a bread is made with more than one type of grain.
How To Shop for Store-Bought Bread
Look for labels that use clear language to describe the grains in the bread, Fernandez says. Ambiguous language can be a red flag, so look for bread that clearly states it’s made with whole wheat. Better yet, Fernandez recommends choosing a brand that explains how its grains are processed.
Fernandez also prefers store-bought bread from the refrigerated or freezer section, which she says can stay fresh without additional additives. “I only buy store-bought bread if it’s frozen or refrigerated. Refrigeration preserves the freshness of bread without the extra additives.”
One thing Fernandez encourages shoppers to avoid is bread with the words “enriched wheat” on the label. This generally means that parts of the wheat kernel have been removed during processing and certain nutrients have been added back to the flour. “We live in a time where amazing companies give consumers access to higher quality wheat,” Fernandez says. “Make the swap, and you’ll never go back.”
Read the original article on Simply Recipes