|
| |
|
|
Healthy Bread
Traditionally, bread
has been called the staff of life, implying that it alone is all that is
required for total nutrition. This is inaccurate, however. Bread does
provide starch, protein, and some vitamins and minerals, but i is far from
being nutritionally complete, because it lacks such essentials as vitamins
A, B12, C, and D. |
|
|
Many of the nutrients in the grain are destroyed by milling
and processing, but some (typically calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, and
niacin) are added to restore the nutrients to their original levels or, in
some cases, even increase them; consequently, enriched white flour may have
more of the B complex vitamins than whole wheat. In general, however,
whole-grain flours are more nutritious than their highly processed
counterparts; they also provide more dietary fibre. |
|
Despite what most people believe, bread is not especially
fattening; a typical slice of white or whole-wheat bread contains just 65 to
80 calories. But slathering bread with butter, margarine or other fatty
spreads does make it fattening. A low-sugar jam or an all-fruit preserve is
a more healthful spread.
|
|
|
