Which Would You Choose? Ancestral Food or Packaged Bread

Make Me Sandwich! Bread Is A Convenient Staple for Busy Days

In health circles, bread is a controversial food. For you at home, it probably is part of the convenience you need for a busy life – quick toast with coffee for breakfast, a fast to prepare and eat sandwich or easy side with dinner.

Now that you are trying to be healthier, how do you sort through the controversy? With trends in keto / high protein diets, paleo diets and other wheat and gluten free diets, it has a lot of people wondering if they should be eating bread. (Every diet has a population of people that it works well for, but these diets are not for everyone. You are bio individual and have unique needs based on current health and activities.)

Some people say bread is bad and needs to be eliminated. There’s a lot of information out there about empty calories and carbohydrates. Versus the opposing view that bread has a place in a balanced diet. To be clear – none of the viewpoints are talking about quantities like in the USDA food pyramid days – with bread, cereal, rice and pasta up to 11 servings per day!

In my opinion, the controversy clears up when the  differences between modern bread (an ultra processed food) and homemade bread, an ancestral food, are better understood.

RELATED: Find Food Freedom with Ancestral Foods

Best Thing Since Sliced Bread? I Think Not...

What makes sliced bread so special? In my opinion, it certainly is not a step up for the consumer compared to homemade bread like our grandmothers or great-grandmothers made. It probably is a technological marvel for the food companies. The change in ingredients and process made it so much easier to manufacture and supply. So what's so different about modern packaged bread and homemade? 

Whole Grain vs Refined White Flour

The greatest difference is the flour. For generations before us, bakers used a whole grain, stone ground flour. The type of grain depended on what grew locally. Made up of the bran, endosperm and germ, whole grain flour is rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. The fiber and other complex carbohydrates make it slower to digest, more satisfying and filling. Depending on how the grain was stored and prepared to make flour, it may have also been sprouted before grinding, which further increases the bioavailability of the nutrients.

Modern breads are most commonly made with enriched white flour. This means every part of the grain was processed separately. For enriched flour, it is just the endosperm along with fortifying vitamins to make up for what was stripped away. A slice of bread made with enriched flour is faster to digest than whole grain bread as there is not fiber, so there is less satiety. Gluten is harder to digest when the rest of the phytonutrients in wheat are stripped away (and when more is added than would have been naturally present). The glycemic index of white flour is HIGHER than sugar, which means it will spike blood sugar. Risk of inflammation is also higher for enriched white flour than whole grain flour. Nearly all the bad press on bread, is about brands made with white enriched flour.

Other Modern Flours

Keep in mind, even whole wheat flour on the label does not mean that the whole grain is used, just that they added back a bit of germ and bran after it has been processed and broken down. Frequently other fibers (not the ones native to the grain) are added to boost claims on the package. Whole wheat flour is a “middle ground” but is really very close to enriched white flour for its impact on the body.

Now for gluten free or keto friendly bread, many flour alternatives are used. Within gluten-free flour alternatives, rice, oat, corn flour can be just as stripped down and refined as wheat flour, so look for whole grain versions.

Dough Conditioners

The other major difference is dough conditioners. Modern breads can have a long list of chemical additives on the ingredient list. Even organic clean label brands have more ingredients than grandma cooked with. With alternative flours, most keto friendly or gluten free breads have a long list of additives because many of the flours just don’t perform like wheat flour. Manufacturers and industrial bakeries have to close the gap with chemical additives. Remember all of this applies to any baked good from tortillas to pastries – not just bread.

Dough conditioners are all the other ingredients added to modern bread that are not in the ancestral food. Dough conditioners improve dough processing in the factory or industrial kitchen, make the bread more durable for transportation / handling, improve consistency between batches and lengthen shelf life. Per the American Society of Baking, these are usually added from 0.5 - 4.0% based on amount of flour.

Clean vs Conventional Additives to Dough

Currently, there is no absolute definition for clean label bread or any other clean label baked goods. It is a strong consumer trend, but it still does not get back to bread like our grandmothers made. According to the American Society of Baking clean implies several aspects, including the following: 1

• No added sugars or saturated fats in product formulation
• Elimination of genetically modified ingredients (e.g. corn syrups)
• Use of natural and/or organic ingredients from sustainable farming (cane sugar, honey, milk, eggs, wheat)
• Use of tree nuts, whole grains, pseudocereals and ancient (heritage) over refined flour
• Use of enzymes (e.g., phospholipase, glucose oxidase) to replace oxidizing agents mono- and diglycerides, and other emulsifiers
• Use of recognized acids (e.g., ascorbic acid, acetic acid, vinegar) for natural preservatives instead of artificial preservatives

Health Concerns for Dough Conditioners

In general, some people have sensitivities to additives. Everyone is bio individual in how they respond to these additive. Sensitivity can change over time. If you are feeling unexplained bloating or digestive issues, you may want to experiment. It is best if you can learn and make adjustments sooner than later. Experiment with eliminating these ingredients for short periods of time if you think you might be one of those impacted.

Some of the specific additives in modern bread, keto bread and gluten-free bread are part of more specific controversial health findings as well. Additionally, some of the commonly used additives in the US are banned in other markets due to their health risk.

• Potassium Bromate / Bromated Flour (Oxidizing Agent) – Cancer Risk, Banned in China, Brazil, EU & California 2
• Calcium Propionate (Preservative)– Autism, Negative Impact on Gut Bacteria (MicroBiome), Even McDonald’s Removed It!
• Azodicarbonamide (oxidizing agent) – Cancer risk, An additive used in plastics, Banned in Australia, EU, UK  2
• BHA / BHT (preservative) – Cancer, Banned in EU  2
• Potassium Iodate (oxidizing agent) – Cancer risk, but not well tested 2
• Mono- and diglycerides (emulsifier) – Irritable Bowel Syndrome 3
• Lecithin (emulsifier) - Irritable Bowel Syndrome 3

To sum up, there are many chemical additives and nutrients different from modern bread and ancestral bread. Pretty much all the controversy is about chemically laden bread made of white or whole wheat flour. There are better-for-you breads out there made with whole grain flours or nut flours and fewer additives, that get you closer to ancestral bread.

RELATED: What are Ultra Processed Foods? Why Should I Eat Less of Them?

Whole Grains Are Key Part of Balanced Diet

There’s a lot of metabolic benefits to consuming whole grains. They help:

• Control cholesterol levels, weight and blood pressure. 
• Reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke. 
• Reduce chronic inflammation
• Might reduce risk of certain cancers

Minimally processed fiber benefits regular waste removal and bowel movements. If your microbiome is not healthy, you may have challenges with whole grains, so they may have to be introduced slowly depending on how your gut health is.

If you have celiac disease or interested in gluten-free diet, there are whole grains that are gluten-free. There are whole grains that are ancestral / heritage, if you are following a paleo diet.

Alternatives

Labels

If you can’t bake at home or don’t have a fresh bakery near you, there are better for you alternatives. I suggest that you ditch the refined flour and additives and see how you feel, before you ditch bread and call it a "bad" or "forbidden" food. Modern packaged bread and other baked goods are one of those categories of ultra processed food that only you know when a food item transitions to an edible industrial food substance. With those really long ingredient lists full of chemicals, when is it no longer comforting bread, that can conjure up the smell of home baked goodness?

As you evaluate brands, consider choosing minimally processed bread. Sometimes the freezer section has some better options - where you bake it at home as it requires fewer preservatives for freshness. Look for shorter ingredient lists, mainly with kitchen ingredients that you recognize. As much as possible, select brands that reduce added sugars, seed oils and artificial sweeteners, colors, and flavors. Select Non-GMO if you have a values concern with the use of biotechnology in food. Or if you can, select organic where you can also minimize exposure to agricultural chemicals.

Companies

Beyond health, is it worth including a consideration of your values? Do you want the peace of mind that your hard earned money supports a company with shared values or at least is not supporting woke programs? Or will you choose to purchase from a smaller private American company? One that has greater values alignment with you.

Personally, I love Ezekiel Sprouted Bread or Atoria’s Family Bakery Flatbread. I know others that swear by Dave’s Killer Bread. But because of who the majority shareholders are, we don’t purchase that or any of Flowers Food Brands. The other companies are privately held American companies.

Happy eating! Feel better and still enjoy the foods you love, with the convenience you need for your busy life.

Vote with your fork (and your wallet)! Interested in applying this approach to escaping the snack pack and picking better for you options, here's a free guide!