Bakers Blog

Bread is probably the one staple food eaten by people of every race, culture and religion the world over.

This is because bread is good for you and an important part of a healthy diet. It contains many of the important nutrients required for normal development and good health - such as:

• Carbohydrate - essential for maintaining energy
• Fibre - for a healthy digestion
• Calcium - for healthy teeth and bones
• Iron - essential for the formation of red blood cells
• Protein - for building and repairing body cells
• B-Vitamins - to provide muscular energy

Bread is an excellent source of complex carbohydrate, a good way of giving us energy all day long. On average a slice of white bread contains 77 calories and 0.6 grams of fat, while a slice of brown bread contains 72 calories and 0.7 grams of fat. It is what you put on bread that can increase the calories and fat content. Good fresh bread needs little or no spread.

Wholemeal and malted grain breads are good providers of fibre, and can help reduce the risk of heart disease and cancers. Just three slices of wholemeal bread provides nearly one-third of an adult's daily requirement (24g). In addition, as bread is quite bulky and takes longer to digest, it is more satisfying and a healthy alternative to eating chocolate, crisps or sugar and fat-laden snacks.

As with any food, eating bread is all about making a well-informed choice to follow a healthy balanced diet and to eat sensibly and in moderation.