Oh how I love the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven and what is better than fresh bread with lashings of butter? But not all breads are created equal. I used to eat a lot of bread, until I started cleaning up my diet. And I gave up eating wheat years ago after reading a book called Wheat Belly, which immediately made me feel so much better.

As a family we don’t eat any wheat but we didn’t give up bread altogether, we just swapped to a healthier option. As a nation I believe we eat way too much bread, and if we just cut down the amount we consume, it would make a big difference to our health. This swap is all about giving you some healthier swaps for bread. Basically, quality bread that contains wholegrains (other than wheat) and no preservatives or additives.

Buying bread in a supermarket is a bit of a minefield as there is so much of it there, but it’s mostly not any good. It can be confusing when you are standing looking at all the shelves of bread. There are so many buzz words like wholegrain, stone ground and gluten free and all claiming to be the “healthy” choice. So here are my top 5 things to look out for when you want quality bread:

1. Choose bread that is made from 100% wholegrain spelt, kamut or rye, or if this isn’t available, choose bread that isn’t made solely from wheat.
2. Always choose wholegrain over any white bread, and look and feel the actual bread, light a fluffy usually means not much nutritional value.
3. Make sure the bread doesn’t contain any preservatives or additives as they can damage our health more than the bread itself (*Calcium propionate – 282)
4. Choose sourdough where possible as it is easier to digest.
5. Stay away from Gluten free bread from the supermarket.

*Calcium propionate or 282 is used in bread as a mould inhibitor. Some side effects can include irritability, asthma, migraine, fatigue, aggression.  www.thechemicalmaze.com

In the swaps below, I have given you some brands to try.

Regular Bread

My top bread swaps:

King Henry’s Bakehouse 100% Rye Bread – available in all supermarkets and easy to come by.

Ancient Grains Wholegrain Spelt or Kamut – my family’s favourite, but only available from health stores and specialist grocers.

Healthy Bake Wholemeal Spelt Organic Sourdough – available from health food stores.

Wraps are a good way of cutting down total bread consumption and my favourite is Mountain Bread 100% Spelt. Mountain Bread has a number of other varieties which contain some wheat and other grains, like rice, corn, oat, chia. They’re available from some supermarkets, health food stores and direct from the baker online.

http://www.mountainbread.com.au/breads/spelt/product-detail.aspx

Another brand of wrap available at the supermarket is MEB superfoods.

Fruit Loaves

Although they are delicious, fruit loaves contain preservatives, sugar, colours and additives – so not good for you at all.

Swap for:

Ancient Grains Fruit Loaf or Apple Scrolls

http://www.foodiesorganic.com.au/order-online/bread/rye-apricot-fruit-loaf-680g-ancient-grains/

Gluten Bree Bread

Nearly all gluten free bread on the supermarket shelf is full of starches, thickeners, colours, sugar and preservatives. But the good news (especially for anyone who is gluten intolerant) is you can get some really good ones. You will need to go to your local health food or specialty store to get them, however if you don’t want to run around the shops you can sit at home and order them online and have them delivered (I like this option)

My top GF bread swaps:

Zehender Bread

http://gfbakehouse.com.au/our-products/

Naturis

http://www.naturis.com.au/

Dovedale Multiseed Chia bread

https://glutenfreeshop.com.au/dovedale-multiseed-chia-bread-620g.html

No Go List

I haven’t found a healthier alternative so I recommend you stay away from:

• Cheese and bacon rolls 🙁
• English muffins & crumpets 🙁

Take Home Message

Although wheat bread is a large part of most people’s diet, it’s quite easy to swap it for a healthier more nutritious alternative.

You may find it takes a bit of time to find what suits you, but the list above is a great place to start.

Now I would love to hear from you! Leave me a comment below or join the Shop Swap community on Facebook.

Want to know more about how to gain more energy, lose weight or just feel better? Then come and join in the conversation in my private Facebook group. We are all about Food, Mindset, Connection and Support. We are waiting to welcome you!

Happy swapping