Food - Drink
Why You Should Read The Ingredients List Next Time You Buy Bread
By ALI FAGAN
The average shopper has a lot of options to choose from in the bread aisle of their local supermarket. It's easy to pick a random white or wheat loaf and be done with it, but you should take a look at bread packaging and learn to recognize words and phrases that are there to mislead you, plus which ingredients on the label are bad news.
Most breads include flour, yeast, water, and salt, plus sweeteners, emulsifiers, and a preservative or two. Keep an eye out for natural preservatives like vinegar or honey, and aim for loaves with less ingredients overall; you should also check your store's bakery section for fresher bread with less preservatives and additives.
As for misleading marketing, whole grain bread is the healthiest choice, but bread that is labeled "multi-grain," made with "stone-ground" flour, or is simply brown in color does not mean that the loaf is actually whole grain. Check the ingredients to make sure you're not buying nutritionally empty white bread with some molasses added for coloring.