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bread misconceptions and myths
 by Katie Jones

10 Bread Misconceptions Debunked

When did bread become the enemy to healthy living?  Bread has been around since the beginning of civilization. It is a fundamental food containing gut-healthy fiber, magnesium and protein.

Bread has served as a lunch time companion to meat and veggies or an accompaniment to soup at supper. And where would our breakfasts be without toast or french bread? Cruising around the internet, however, I read so many bread misconceptions and myths.

bread misconceptions, bread myths, bread, healthy

Here are the top 10 bread misconceptions:

  1. Bread makes you fat
  2. Bread causes bloating
  3. Brown bread is healthier than white
  4. Bread causes joint inflammation
  5. Bread is empty calories
  6. Bread causes diarrhea
  7. Eating bread is bad for your blood sugar
  8. Bread is less nutritious than it used to be
  9. Gluten Free bread is healthier
  10. Bread is high in salt

If you follow along with us at EB90 we will be setting the record straight on these common myths. But here I’ll address a few.

Bread makes you fat. False. A bad ratio of calories in and calories out, along with eating food low in nutrition and high in fats, makes you fat. However, by balancing your calorie intake there is plenty of room for bread in a healthy diet. In fact, whole grain breads offer needed nutrients, like fiber, and help you feel full longer.

Brown bread is healthier than white bread. Not quite. The color of bread depends on the type of wheat used: white wheat or red wheat. The nutrition depends on how much of the whole kernel of wheat is used. So you can eat whole grain white bread, that is chalk full of nutrition. Here’s one that I like. Just look for whole grain breads, and you’ll be getting the healthier loaf.

Bread is empty calories. Nope. Bread is bursting with ingredients we need in our daily diet. With whole grain bread, you receive high amounts of fiber and protein. Plus, whole grains are good for your heart.

Eating bread is bad for your blood sugar. Not with this bread! There are a number of breads that have a low GI index and still taste great.

Gluten-free bread is healthier. Actually, it’s usually the opposite. In order to replace grains that have gluten, gluten-free breads use ingredients like rice, potatoes and tapioca. These food are high in starch and sugar. Plus, there is usually little fiber. And unless you are suffering from celiac disease, there’s no reason to cut out gluten.

What bread myths have you been telling yourself?

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bakery-bread-eb90-weight gain from bread
 by Lin Carson

Bread Makes You Fat

This was the immediate reaction from family and friends when I told them about my plan to embark on a 90-Day bread-eating journey. But I know weight gain from bread is a myth. This is no late-night whim. The truth is, I’ve been considering doing this for a long time. It started with a thought: “What if I can eat my favorite food—bread—every day?” Then it grew into a challenge:

“What if I can eat a loaf of bread every day?”

A quick check on the nutrition labels of my bread at home proved that this challenge made sense. I could definitely eat a loaf everyday, get all the nutrition I need to stay healthy and not put on weight. Just to make sure, I brought in Registered and Licensed Dietitian Connie Evers, MSc., to keep a watchful eye on my calorie-intake and BMI.

How much bread can you eat and not gain weight?

Basically, succeeding in this challenge comes down to input vs output. I’m in my mid 40s, size 6-8 (which fluctuates between summer and winter) and 145 lbs. I don’t smoke or drink and I don’t take any recreational or prescription drugs. I am a mother of three boys, an entrepreneur, scientist, foodie, baker, Chihuly fan and a lover of the outdoors who runs, cycles and swims at least three times a week. Other than that, I lead a normal life. My eating habits and cravings are pretty normal. Some people may even call me…boring.

eat-bread-90-boring

So why not challenge people’s negative perception of eating bread, while eating my fill of delicious loaves? I’m not worried about weight gain from bread, because as a baker I’ve been working with bread and researching it for a long, long time.

I contacted all my baker friends and told them about the challenge. Their reaction? Immediately sending over loaves and loaves of bread with all the nutritional labels intact! I have been so overwhelmed with their support! Not only are they cheering me on but they are also keen on providing me with my lots of bread. I feel so loved.

thanks-support-eb90-weight gain from bread

I should explain how I know all these bakers. My business, BAKERpedia, serves the commercial baking industry. We provide a knowledge base that is freely available to help bakers with all their scientific questions. We also offer technical support and consulting services to bakeries who are at the tipping point of business expansion. In the short two and a half years BAKERpedia’s been in business, I’ve met a lot of wonderful people in the food industry who are hungry for knowledge. Most of them are searching for reliable information and ways to be innovative with their products.

I’m proud to say we have always done our best to help all bakers and equipment suppliers to enhance their businesses and have generally helped the entire baking ecosystem thrive. If this is their way of giving back to BAKERpedia, I am deeply touched and definitely encouraged—not only to continue making BAKERpedia a success, but to go all out on this ambitious bread-eating journey.

Taking on the challenge

Today is the very first day of my challenge, and the list of bakers who want to send me bread keeps growing. That means, I get to eat more of my favorite food for free over the next 90 days! If you run a bakery and would like to support me, send your lovely loaves to:

707 SW Washington St., #1100, Portland, OR 97205. Attn: Ms Ana Rinck, Operations Manager, BAKERpedia. 

Thank you for feeding me and helping give bread a good name!

 

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