I am the bread of life
Inspired by my friend, Gori, who is very particular about her breads, I choose recently to venture out of my comfort zone of the factory-manufactured sliced white bread.
Though I’ve had whole wheat bread a couple of times, the idea of was new to me, largely because the traditional white bread has been my breakfast staple since childhood. Occasionally, my mother would buy meethi bread laden with raisins and nuts, or milk bread that looked like plain white bread but tasted sweetish and is apparently made with milk instead of water.
Nevertheless, plain white bread is, and has always been, my first choice. After all, white bread is available everywhere and goes as well with fried eggs as it does with Shami kebabs.
Eating whole grains is a sound weight-loss strategy and a healthier option than white bread
Whole grain or brown bread contains natural ingredients beneficial to one’s health – it contains a high amount of significant health-promoting nutrients, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants. This is because brown bread includes all parts of the wheat grain – endosperm, bran and germ - and goes through less processing than white bread.
The glycemic index of brown bread is also much lower compared to white bread which reduces the risk of insulin resistance, prevents cardiovascular diseases and controls obesity.
Considering the numerous health benefits of brown bread, it isn’t surprising that more people are switching to it and increasingly bakeries and specialty stores have begun offering a variety of breads that are a far cry from the packaged white bread one finds at one’s neighbourhood corner store.
Nazish Chagla, director of a leading Karachi-based natural store and café, says that there are approximately 20 different types of bread available at her café including flaxseed, multigrain, gluten-free, evening bread, zero-carb, bran, French baguette, focaccia, ciabatta, panini, oregano, olive, barley and Ezekiel bread.
Chagla points out that the breads sold at the bakery are popular because they “are better alternatives as compared to the conventional, ready-to-eat bakery products that contain [a lot] of added sugars”. In addition, many types of bread are baked with ingredients keeping in mind a health and fitness conscious clientele.
“Ezekiel bread, which is a mixture of sprouted whole grains and legumes, is extremely filling and ideal for someone looking to upgrade the nutritional values of their food. Gluten-free, zero-carb bread is especially baked for athletes and individuals who engage in high intensity workouts as it contains a high concentration of Omega-3s and flaxseeds but very few carbohydrates,” Chagla says.
Despite numerous health benefits of whole wheat and multigrain bread, and bakeries that have begun to offer alternatives to the everyday sliced white bread, only a small percentage of people opt for whole grain bread. Many people are put off by the high prices, for others it’s too consuming to make a daily trip to the bakeries and cafes that sell such breads, while others prefer the taste of sliced white bread.