4 Ways to Make Your Bread Healthier

Published on 21st January 2013

One of the main reasons that people are reluctant to buy a breadmaker is because they think bread is unhealthy. However, by making a few tweaks to your favourite recipes, you can make your home made bread far healthier than anything you would buy in the shops.

1. Cut Out The Fat

Though many traditional bread making recipes always include butter, today Olive Oil is a viable and much healthier alternative. It is better for your heart, contains no cholesterol and no sodium.

healthy olive oil

Olive oil - a healthy substitute for butter (image source: usdagov)

As a general rule, 2 tablespoons of olive oil are the equivalent to 25g of butter and will provide outstanding results. Ensure you select a light variety which is suitable for cooking and then enjoy both the improved health and fuller flavour that such a change can provide.

2. Go Wholegrain

Simply substituting standard white flour for wholegrain can have a substantial impact on your health.

Wholegrain flour contains the entire wheat germ which is a fantastic source of dietary fibre, contains a wealth of magnesium and even provides a healthy quantity of calcium. It has even been suggested that women who eat wholegrain actually weigh less and such a change can reduce your chances of contracting type II diabetes.

Wholegrain recipes do require slightly more water and if you feel you need a lighter texture to your bread, substitute a small proportion for white flour, just make sure it isn't too much!

3. Go for a Natural Sweetener

Sugar will give the bread softness and provide colour to the crust. However, that doesn't mean you have to reach for the refined white sugar. Unrefined granulated sugar, brown sugar, natural honey or even treacle will work just as well and have none of the negative associations of refined sugar.

4. Reach for the Seeds

Seeded bread is traditionally far more expensive than white bread. However adding a few tablespoons of seeds to your bread can cost just a few pence but the change can be miraculous. Not only will it improve the flavour and texture of the bread but it can also add huge nutritional benefit to your baking.

add seeds to your bread

Seeds are extremely nutritional (image source: fstorr)

Seeds are high in both anti oxidants and Omega 3 acids and packed with vitamins and minerals. Choose poppy seeds for iron, copper and zinc as well as oleic and linoleic acids which can help lower cholesterol. Choose pumpkin seeds for vitamins A, C and E, calcium and potassium or linseeds which have now been designated a power food due to their super nutritional qualities. Or for a fantastic flavour, combine a few different seeds. They make the bread more entertaining and could help improve your health.