Healthy & Nutritious Meal Options with Bread

3/24/2019

|There have been times in the recent past that it was common to see posts on social media about the dangers of gluten and encouragement to avoid bread and bread-products at all costs. However, this generalized statement cannot be said about all bread in the world.. there are, in fact, many types of bread that have high nutritional value.

The aim of this article is to debunk some of these myths that 'bread is bad' and instead explore types of bread that can be considered healthy, as well as creative meal options you can try out that can add to a healthy lifestyle. Personally, I enjoy bread in many forms, and the more seeds, herbs or oats that can be seen, the better! So I'm excited to explore this topic together with you.

Let's dive into the article!

Please note: The information contained in this article is not medical advice and if you are concerned about your health, please seek professional support from a doctor or hospital. This is a collaborative post.

Healthy & Nutritious Meal Options with Bread

Let's first explore some benefits of including healthy bread as a part of our day. It's important to note that if there is something to be studied and explored by science, you bet it will be! In fact, Reader's Digest discovered seven reasons that eating more bread can actually be a healthy part of your life.

These 7 reasons for eating 100% whole-wheat bread include:

having more energy
overall better health
living longer lives
feeling happier
losing weight
having regular digestion
healthier skin and hair

Other health benefits of including bread with your meals include when your bread is enriched with micro-nutrients it can help to prevent health deficiencies and fill in nutritional gaps. In addition, when your bread is made with whole grains, may provide a lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and colorectal cancer

Some of the healthiest varieties of bread include:

oat, rye or flaxseed bread
brown-rice bread
sprouted-grain bread
gluten-free bread
whole-grain, whole-wheat or multi-grain bread

In addition, if you are an active person, you might want to check out the benefits of protein bread and according to Men's Journal, protein bread is also a great option for diabetics and bariatric patients, vegetarians looking for better sources of protein, and children who need essential amino acids that promote growth.

Creating healthy meals with bread can be great for your well-being, but if you're looking to indulge your sweet tooth, check out this video about the magic of bread making. It's quite mesmerizing to see these bakers in action!

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Healthy & Nutritious Meal Options

A quick Google search with the key words 'healthy bread recipes' returns almost 300 million results. Search engines can be a fantastic way to discover ways of eating healthy and nutritious meals, but it can also be helpful to have some ideas to get started since trying to sort through all of these suggestions can be overwhelming!

To get started, be sure to check out some amazing bread recipes including a bunch of helpful bread-making tips provided by Healthy Seasonal Recipes and some incredible bread machine options through Village Bakery.

Here are a few healthy and nutritious meal options with bread that you can make yourself the next time you're in the kitchen:

Avocado Toast
This can be a great breakfast or afternoon snack, and can literally take a few minutes to prepare. To make: buy (or bake) some healthy whole-grain bread, toast for crispiness, spread some nut butter and finish by adding some seasoned mashed avocado and a few spinach leaves.

Rosemary Olive Oil Quick Bread
Not only is this bread low in carbohydrates, it also smells divine, like you have just stepped into a greenhouse filled with herbs. This recipe can be made quickly and a great last-minute meal idea for the next time you're considering ordering in. Pair this low carb bread with a healthy frittata and your whole family will be happy.

Wholewheat Pizza
Homemade pizza was one of my favourite meals as a kid, although back then it probably wasn't the healthiest version it could have been. Now there are so many different options of making a delicious, and healthy version of a pizza. Start with making a wholewheat pizza dough, bake this off, and add your favourite healthy toppings (I suggest a light tomato basil sauce, pitted olives, artichoke hearts in oil, and spinach.. yum!).

Naturally Sweetened No-Sugar Pumpkin Bread
If you're looking for an alternative to the traditional banana bread to go with your afternoon tea, check this recipe out! Pumpkin has a ridiculous amount of health benefits and the fact that this recipe is sweetened naturally just seals the deal for me! Serve this delicious bread at your next afternoon gathering with friends and check out their amazed reactions at how tasty it is!

These are just a few recipes that are examples of just how healthy you can get with meal options that include bread instead of omitting it altogether. Feel free to come up with your own healthy recipes!

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I hope this article has been helpful for you to consider how to first select healthy types of bread to have with your meals, and to also think about how you can create some fun and healthy recipes to share with the loved ones in your life.

Share your favourite healthy meal options with bread in the comments below. I'm excited to see how creative you are in the kitchen!