Waking Up in the Bread Aisle
In the last post we promised to check our local supermarket for breads that met Healthy Change #9: Your daily bread must be whole grain, with more grams of natural fiber than added sugar. To do this we spent a Friday evening studying the labels of 70 different breads; the short answer is just two bakeries met the rule and one came close (their fiber wasn’t all natural):
• Food For Life offers their Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted-grain breads, named after the Bible scripture with a bread recipe. A slice typically contains 3 grams of fiber and no sugar—the only company we found that doesn’t add sweeteners. Price $4.49; on sale for $3.99. (In some stores their bread is kept in the frozen food section to preserve freshness.)
• Oroweat offers bread at all the quality levels (but watch the sugar in some of their whole wheat breads, it's often equal to the fiber). Their Healthfull brand (Nutty Grain, 10-Grain, and Hearty Wheat) had 4 grams of fiber and 2 grams sugar. Price $4.59; on sale for $2.99
• Milton’s Whole Grain Plus had 5 grams of fiber and 3 grams of sugar per slice. (Three grams of fiber are all you can usually get from a slice of whole wheat; breads offering more may not meet the natural fiber requirement.) The sugar was a combination of brown sugar and honey, so give them a point for slightly better sugars. Price $4.59; on sale for $3.49.
The bread companies are in a difficult place; people generally have a dim view of store-bought bread and the low-carb diet folks think bread is unhealthy. The store manager approached me in one store (after all, I was standing there looking at his goods and making notes in a black notebook). “I’m looking for your healthiest bread,” I told him. His response was interesting: “Is any bread healthy?” I laughed with him but answered, “Yes, a few are”.
I asked him how they decide which breads get the best shelf space and he answered, “Simple, slotting fees. I think we make more on renting out the shelf space than we do selling the bread”. I looked down the aisle and saw Oroweat had the biggest space followed by the store brand and then Sara Lee. There was a small section for Wonder bread on the lowest shelf, a sign of its fall from grace.
The bread aisle is a strange place. First, it doesn’t smell like bread, it smells chemical, kind of like plastic. Second, in a desperate attempt to get our attention over 70 different kinds of bread are offered, each with the most extravagant label claims the FDA will allow. Labels that say “100% wheat” aren’t actually whole wheat. And the label that says “With Whole Wheat” may only have a little whole grain mixed in with the refined grains. Third, there is the issue of past fibs, like Wonder bread building strong bodies, 8, 10, then 12 different ways. Is it any surprise the public is properly skeptical?
Here’s another issue: Is there a premium for healthy bread? The answer is “Yes”. The healthiest breads were the highest priced, around $4.59 unless on sale, though the difference in ingredients only makes a slight difference in material costs. Is the cheapest bread the least healthy? Again, the answer is “Yes”. The cheapest bread was sold under the Supervalu label, price $1.39 but on sale for $.99. It’s not actually that much cheaper per pound because the loaf is lighter. And it has the worst ingredients, including high fructose corn syrup. (The store manager whispered in my ear that Supervalu was controlled by the store—they just didn’t want their name on the worst bread.)
Would you want to eat 99-cent bread? It’s a trick question, because you can bake your own perfectly healthful bread for about this price, not counting the cost of firing of the oven. Yes, I know what you’re thinking—this presumes the cook isn’t getting paid for her hour of work. But we know the answer to that—the pay she (or he) receives is dearer than money. In a later post we’ll share our favorite of the bread recipes you submitted.
For the times when it’s not possible to bake your own bread, here are my personal favorites, though they’re not available where I live: One is Great Harvest, which sells through franchise stores. Prairie Grain Bread Co. is the other. The whole wheat breads meet the fiber rule and have just five or six ingredients. (The typical store-bought breads have 12-20 ingredients, many of them chemicals.)
A last comment from the store manager on slotting fees: “If you really want to see how these fees work, visit the chip aisle.” So on my way out I visited the chip aisle—I’ll save what I learned for the next (and last) post on converting our diet to whole grains.
If this post is helpful, would you please share it with your friends? It’s a way to thank my wife for spending her Friday night in the bread aisle.
Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 9:58AM | by Skip Hellewell | 65 Comments | 19 References | Share Article | in bread, grocery shopping, whole grains | Email Article
Reader Comments (65)
Wow, this is a great blog! So glad I found it. I have always thought that my Nature's Pride (Oven Classics) was a healthy bread. Did you happen to look at it and can I know what you think about that? I can't wait to read more on the blog and pass this along to several friends!
Brittany, the Nature's Pride (in the store we visited) did pretty well but failed to make the list as the sugar was always slightly more than the fiber. The 100% Double Fiber had more fiber, but it was added, not natural. Still, pretty good bread by the numbers.
I really enjoy this blog and I appreciate all your inside. I am reading In Defense of Food right and it really goes along with what I am reading. I am curious what breads do your recommend at Great Harvest?
Brooke, glad you're enjoying "In Defense of Food"; Pollan is right on the mark. Best breads from Great Harvest are Whole Grain Goodness and Sprouted Wheat. They have more fiber than sugar plus just five or six ingredients. Wish I could buy it where I live. Some of their breads, however, wander off the good path. The breads with "swirl" in the name have 3 tsp. of sugar per slice. When we were near a Great Harvest we used to buy Honey Whole Wheat but now I see it has 7 grams of sugar per slice, almost 2 tsp. Ouch.
Liz!
I make my own bread and put everything but today's and tomorrow's "ration" in the freezer, cut into daily "rations". I then take it out when I go to bed, wrapping it in a tea towel to prevent it from going dry. My stepfather freezes his bread cut into slices and takes it out in the morning, takes a shower and can then enjoy a nice toast, and my fahter (who prefers darker bread) usually freezes half the bread and cuts from the rest for a couple of days. That way the bread stays fresh (I don't know how freezing the food affects it's nutritional value though, would be interesting to see a post on that) and we don't have to throw any away even if we prefer different methods.
I have shared your post on my FB. Thanks for the great posts.
I just found your blog today and I think I'll be spending a good part of my time catching up on your posts. Thank you! I'll be sharing it on facebook today ;)
My husband works for Wonder Bread, so I was a little discouraged by this article, just because his paycheck is what supports our family financially!! but I have also started making my own bread recently because of the lack of nutritious choices on the store shelves... I look forward to finding some new recipes here so that I can feed my family more nutritiously. Thanks for the post, it was quite informative and helpful :)
I LOVE your blog!!!!! I have spent the morning reading it and I appreciate the time and effort you have put into your posts. The healthy changes are easy to follow and I am excited to see what else is coming up. There is a great recipe website, sisterscafe.blogspot.com. They have several healthy bread recipes if anyone is interested.
Wow! Just found your blog from Sugardoodle. This is a GREAT blog! Thank you for sharing. I just read about your Vitamin D section. I am 37 years old with 5 children and as of February 11, 2011; a breast cancer survivor. After getting my blood drawn at my Oncologists, I was told that I was extremely Vitamin D deficient. I think my levels were around 10! I had NO IDEA how important Vit. D was. Now I take 5000 mg a day and try to get sunshine. I think every woman/man needs to know this!
Thanks again
Danae
I'm not sure if anyone mentioned the "Dave's Killer Breads" in the comments. Those fit the bill and, man, are they FANTASTIC. There motto is "say no to bread on drugs." I would probably make my own if theirs weren't so good (pricey, but worth it to me). I live in Seattle, but I can't find this bread easily or at all when I go home to Georgia. Even in Seattle, it can be hard to find it if the stores, either don't carry it, or have it in the organic/natural section and not in the bread aisle. You have to be looking for it to find it for the most part.
Here's a link if you are interested in learning more and seeing what the packaging looks like: http://www.daveskillerbread.com/
Joy, thanks for telling us about Dave's Killer Breads. I just read a N.Y. Times Magazine article about Dave. A former meth addict and convicted felon who served 15 years hard time, Dave returned to his Northwest family roots and began cooking tasty organic bread. Saving the world one loaf at a time? I love stories of redemption and Dave's doing very well, it appears. Does Oprah know about Dave?
I find all your posts very helpful. I've bought whole wheat bread for the last two years-against my husband's will and my kids. But then a few months ago I finally gave up the fight and just went back to the regular old cheap white bread. Thanks to you I've decided that is our last loaf of white bread. We are back to the good stuff. I thank you (even though my kids won't)!
Shauna, part of mom's mission is putting the right food on the table; it's critically important. The challenge is to win the cooperation of the family. Do you think we should have a post on winning the family over to healthy eating? At least it will stop the groans.
thank you for another great post and for all of your research. i love to bake bread at home but, i'm not sure how well the recipes i've tried so far would fare in your test. looking forward to the bread recipes. until then, i'll keep my eye out for the brands you've recommended.
We love Old Mill bread here in Washington and I have to say it is one of the best too....but at Costco, it is at least $4.00 a loaf. It's so much cheaper to make it!
THANK YOU for spending your date night doing this for us. It's so helpful. And, yes, I continue to send your blog to more and more people each week -- it's so helpful and insightful. I appreciate your (and your wife's) work!
Thank you for your posts, it really is exactly what I've been looking for in answering my questions about converting towards a more "thoughtful, word of wisdom-ish way of living". Everything I've read on your blog is very helpful! Thanks again!
Love your posts. Thank you!
I LOVE YOUR BLOG!
A few years ago, my New Year's resolution was to stop buying bread and start making my own. We made it through most of the year, but I have recently gotten away from it and am ready to get back. I do have a great breadmaker recipe. I am not usually a fan of bread made in a breadmaker - often seems "fluffy" and too thick-crusted. But this recipe is a winner! Even my kids can make it...
Debra's "Oh-So-Valiant" Loaf for Breadmakers
from Keeping Up Cookbook (www.keepingupcookbook.com)
1 2/3 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid lecithin (available at health food stores)
1 teaspoon oil
3 tablespoons sugar (can use less and/or substitute honey)
4 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
Add ingredients to bread maker. Begin basic cycle. Check dough during initial mixing cycle and add a small amount of water or flour to adjust consistency (it should clean the sides of the pan and not stick to your finger when touched). For optimal crust, remove baked bread 10 minutes before cycle's completion (or use "light" crust option if available).
Thanks for your great blog! I am constantly plugging it to my friends :)
Amy Foulger