Bread is a basic staple in most diets and households. I enjoy mixing and baking homemade bread in all forms, shapes and sizes…loafs, rolls, buns, bagels, biscuits, flatbreads, sticks and muffins! The aroma of freshly baked bread tends to lure us to the bait, whether it's at home, a bakery or supermarket.
There are so many options to choose from – 7 grain, 12 grain, multigrain, white or whole wheat, rye or oat! It's tough to know which is best with all these choices. Remember the basic NuVal™ rule. The higher the score, the better the nutrition. Focus on getting the highest score possible in the bread category that you or your family will enjoy
Fiber content is tops on the list, so breads made with a greater amount of whole grains (as listed first on the ingredient list) will generally have higher scores. Whole grains also will contribute to higher amounts of B-vitamins, vitamin E and minerals, all of which increase scores. If bread contains flax seed or is made with canola oil, the omega-3-fatty acid content and NuVal™ score will be increased.
Additives such as sodium are a big culprit. Even though salt contributes to flavor, fermentation rate of yeast and strengthening effect on gluten protein in dough, small amounts are needed to perform these roles. Added sugars in any form and saturated or trans fat also lowers scores. Again, some sugar and fat is generally required, depending on the variety of bread product. The idea is to limit excessive sugars and fats and to use health-promoting fats that contain the least amount of saturated or trans fat.
Breads range from 2 to 99 with the average score being 26. The predominant flour used in bread affects fiber content and scores: Sara Lee 45 Calories and Delightful 100% Multigrain scores 42, Oroweat 12 Grain scores 32 and Grant's Farm Stone Ground Wheat scores 25. These examples demonstrate how front-of- package labeling can be somewhat deceptive, depending on terms used and your interpretation of messaging. Remember to trade up for health and choose a higher score for better nutrition. Look for NuVal™ scores right on the price tag in the bread aisle or other areas of our stores where bread is sold. It really is – nutrition made easy!
To give you some practice in ranking products in the bread group, here are some foods for you to evaluate and determine which would receive the highest score and thus be most nutritious.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
We encourage you to go to www.nuval.com to learn more and play the Nutrition by the Numbers Game for more practice using the NuVal™ scoring system.