Bread expert reveals how to choose the right bread

When you come to the store, your eyes are dazzled by the abundance of bread. From traditional Lithuanian rye to fashionable brioche, bread without additives and with various seed seasonings, bread without yeast and yeast or with sourdough, sliced and loaves. And what about sandwich breads and breads and baguettes.

It's easy to get lost and grab not necessarily the healthiest, but the one you're used to. How to choose bread correctly so that it is as good as possible for health?

Bread expert Snieguolė Šoblinskienė, Head of Product Development at Vilniaus Duona, one of the largest bread producers, has been delving into the subtleties and recipes of bread for a large part of her life. And she herself likes to choose the healthiest bread possible.

First, look at the composition

When you come to the shelf, the bread expert suggests not looking at colorful marketing packaging – but starting to read the composition on the label.

"The composition always contains all the most important information. It serves as a buyer's compass and makes the choice much easier. If you are looking for rye bread, they must be named with the first number. Because there the whole recipe is written from the largest to the smallest ingredient: this is the product mentioned closer to the beginning, the more it contains," says S. Šoblinskienė.

Usually, the more natural the bread and the healthier the bread, the shorter the list of its ingredients.

Examine the nutrition chart

The second step is to study the nutrition chart.

"If the composition on the label provides a general recipe for bread, then the nutritional table helps to orient you what substances you will get after eating 100 g of this product. How many calories, energy value, fat, fiber, protein, sugar, salt you will get. Don't limit yourself to calories – it's important to take into account the type of flour (whole grain, wheat, rye), the method of production (yeast, leavened, yeast-free), how much protein and fiber you will get from such bread, and how much sugar and salt. Look for bread from which you will get more fiber and protein, less sugar and salt," advises the bread expert.

How much sugar can be in bread

The expert says that although people in Lithuania like to choose sweeter bread, it is worth taking into account what healthy nutrition specialists recommend.

"Health-friendly bread should contain no more than 5 g of sugar, no more than 7 g of fat, at least 5 g of fiber and no more than 1 g of salt. If the bread is rye, 90% of the flour must contain rye. In rye bread, salt is allowed slightly more – 1.2 g per hundred grams, and fiber should be at least 6 percent. It is a really rich bread with fiber," says S. Šoblinskienė, who personally also prioritizes whole-grain rye flour bread with broken rye.

If it does not contain sugar, and it is indicated only in the table of nutritional value – then it means that all sugar is natural, from the grains themselves. The bread expert also pointed out that it is important to look at sugar substitutes as well, as they can be named as jam, honey, syrup.

What is the importance of fiber

Dietary fiber is important because it acts like a gut broom. They help to ensure smooth bowel function.

Dietary fiber is a complex carbohydrate found in plant products. These fibers are not digested, so they perform the function of cleansing the body. They also feed the good bacteria in the gut, a microbiota that benefits the entire immune system. The microbiota produces certain vitamins, helps the digestive process and well-being.

"Fiber slows down the digestive process, so eating high-fiber foods makes us feel full longer. On average, an adult is recommended to get 25 – 35 g of fiber per day. However, statistically, a Lithuanian citizen consumes only half of this amount or even less," says S. Šoblinskienė.

Protein is another thing that is important to consider when choosing bread. It is a source of energy, food for the body's cells, and more protein is needed by those who actively exercise. Therefore, there are breads with an increased protein content on the market, they are protein-rich products. Also, products with seeds or nuts have more protein.

Is darker bread healthier

Darker does not necessarily mean healthier. The color is largely determined by the malt added to the bread.

The bread expert reminds that rye bread can be both light and dark. The color of the bread is given by malt, it is also added because of the aroma. Therefore, the quality of bread should be judged not by color, but by composition. There are quite a few types of dark bread on the market that contain more sugar than white bread or baguettes.

"However, it is important to know that white flour products usually maintain a feeling of satiety for a shorter time than darker products with all-grain flour and more fiber. On the other hand, as a snack, bread or even a baguette, it will usually be more beneficial to health than a cookie, donut or chocolate," says S. Šoblinskienė.

Scratched or unscratched

Now it is common and most of the population buys sliced bread.

"However, if there is a need for bread to stay fresher for longer, then it is worth buying unsliced bread. Because moisture evaporates more slowly in unsliced bread, it retains its properties better, and does not dry out longer," says S. Šoblinskienė. True, this is only relevant for firmer bread. Because at home, extremely soft bread with thin slices would be quite difficult to cut, so it is usually sold sliced.

What to do if healthier bread doesn't taste good

According to S. Šoblinskienė, we in Lithuania are really used to having delicious bread – one that is delicious to eat alone. Our traditions have also contributed to this, because bread has long been the basic food product of Lithuanians. And even the word itself has become synonymous with food. However, bread should be combined with other foods, vegetables, cheese, lean poultry or meat.

"If we spread avocado on a healthy slice of bread, add tomato slices generously, sprinkle with seeds, season with your favorite spices – all the good taste qualities of bread will be revealed. Taste is also a matter of habit – if we are used to sweet bread, it is natural that it will take time, tastings and experiments with seasonings until we tame healthier bread with more whole wheat flour and less sugar," concludes the bread connoisseur.