Even if your favorite bread is back in stock at the grocery store, there may be good reason to make your own at home. For one, packaged breads may look innocent, but many are actually loaded with less-than-healthy ingredients including excess sodium, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives. “People are surprised to hear that packaged breads are one of the highest sources of sodium in the American diet,” says Beth Warren, RD, author of Secrets of a Kosher Girl and founder of Beth Warren Nutrition in New York City. In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) names bread as one of ‘The Salty Six’ — a list of six popular foods that are major sodium culprits. RELATED: 10 High-Sodium Foods to Avoid Most packaged breads are also filled with sugars such as high fructose corn syrup (often added to boost flavor), as well as additives to preserve freshness and increase shelf-life, Warren says. Added sugars can jack up your overall calorie intake, increasing your risk of obesity and heart disease, while offering zero nutritional benefit in return, according to the AHA. Meanwhile, some food additives are questionable, to say the least. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), for example, is commonly used as a preservative and antioxidant in baked goods like bread, as well as snack foods, meats, and chewing gum, according to a 2016 report from the U.S .Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Researchers have also noted that it is carcinogenic in animals and may be in humans, too, though more studies are needed. Carcinogenic products may contribute to cancer risk. RELATED: Which Foods to Eat to Help Prevent Cancer
What Are the Benefits of Baking Homemade Bread?
So, if you typically rely on store-bought bread for sandwiches, burgers, avocado toast and the like, it may be time to brush up on your baking skills. Here is a handful of the benefits of baking your own bread.
You Control What Goes Into Your Bread
When you bake your own bread, you get to decide what goes in — and what gets left out. “One of the easiest ways to make your bread more nutritious is to use whole wheat flour,” says Jennifer McDaniel, RDN, a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics based in Clayton, Missouri. Unlike the refined flours you’ll find in many store-bought breads, whole wheat flour has all three components of the grain — the bran, germ, and endosperm — still intact. This means you’ll get all the fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc, and magnesium that whole grains have to offer, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “You can also use less processed [sweeteners] such as honey, and control the amount used so you keep added sugars to a minimum,” Warren says. RELATED: 11 High-Fiber Foods to Add to Your Diet
You Can Get Creative With Add-Ins to Boost Flavor and Nutrition
Look beyond flours for other ingredients that can add bulk and nutrients to your bread. Think: add-ins like beans, seeds, nuts, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. “Breads such as zucchini bread or banana bread incorporate fruits and vegetables to raise the nutritional value of the bread as a whole,” McDaniel says. Adding black beans to your bread, for example, can help boost its fiber and protein content. A ½-cup serving of black beans provides 8 grams (g) of protein and 6 g fiber (21 percent of your daily value, or DV), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Plus, chances are good you already have a bag or can of at least one bean variety sitting in your cupboard. Meanwhile, nuts and seeds add omega-3 fatty acids, a polyunsaturated fatty acid that may lower inflammation and cholesterol, thereby promoting heart health, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. RELATED: 10 Surprising Ways to Use Black Beans
Baking Your Own Bread May Fatten Your Wallet
“You may save money by making bread at home in the quantities you buy at the store,” Warren says. The savings aren’t significant, but when you consider the potential benefits (or, if the bread of your choice isn’t in stock at your local store), the DIY route may be appealing to you. Cost-wise, a loaf of whole wheat bread costs an average of $2.10, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To make your own loaf (recipe below), you’ll need:
White whole-wheat flour ($5.95 for a 5-pound bag)Vegetable oil ($2.69 for 48 fluid ounces)Honey ($7.68 for 32 ounces)Instant yeast ($5.95 for 16 ounces)Nonfat dried milk ($4.19 for 9.6 ounces)Salt ($0.89 for 26 ounces)
Altogether, this will set you back $27.35. If you break down the cost by loaf, one loaf of homemade whole-wheat bread will cost you roughly $1.91. RELATED: How to Save Money on Groceries if You’re Trying to Eat Healthy
A Recipe for Healthy Homemade Whole-Wheat Bread
To make whole-wheat bread from scratch, follow these directions from New Jersey-based Amy Gorin, RDN: RELATED: 9 Healthy Alternatives to Butter
How to Make a Sourdough Starter to Use Again and Again for Homemade Bread
Sourdough — and baking in general — is having a moment. “People are home all the time now and exploring things they didn’t previously have the time to do,” says Ginger Hultin, RDN, a Seattle-based spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The process of blending and kneading dough, caring for the sourdough starter, and making a fragrant loaf of bread is very comforting during this stressful time, she adds. If your grocery store is either out of your favorite bread, or out of yeast should you wish to make your own bread, using a sourdough starter — sometimes called “wild yeast” — can be a good means to an end. The gut-friendly friendly bacteria (also known as probiotics) and yeast in the flour is what ultimately causes the bread to rise, and depending on how you balance these ingredients, you can get flavors that range from mild to intensely sour. And while baking kills off the friendly bacteria, sourdough bread may still offer benefits, McDonald says. Specifically, sourdough fermentation may do a better job of breaking down gluten (a type of protein found in grains) than traditional baker’s yeast, which means it may be easier to digest if you’re sensitive to gluten, according to past research. RELATED: Who Should Really Be on a Gluten-Free Diet?
An Easy and Straightforward Sourdough Starter Recipe
While creating a sourdough starter takes work (the process takes roughly one week), you can use your starter over and over again. To make your own starter, follow these directions from Gorin:
title: “How To Whip Up Healthy Homemade Bread” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-04” author: “Celina Bowers”
Even if your favorite bread is back in stock at the grocery store, there may be good reason to make your own at home. For one, packaged breads may look innocent, but many are actually loaded with less-than-healthy ingredients including excess sodium, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives. “People are surprised to hear that packaged breads are one of the highest sources of sodium in the American diet,” says Beth Warren, RD, author of Secrets of a Kosher Girl and founder of Beth Warren Nutrition in New York City. In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) names bread as one of ‘The Salty Six’ — a list of six popular foods that are major sodium culprits. RELATED: 10 High-Sodium Foods to Avoid Most packaged breads are also filled with sugars such as high fructose corn syrup (often added to boost flavor), as well as additives to preserve freshness and increase shelf-life, Warren says. Added sugars can jack up your overall calorie intake, increasing your risk of obesity and heart disease, while offering zero nutritional benefit in return, according to the AHA. Meanwhile, some food additives are questionable, to say the least. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), for example, is commonly used as a preservative and antioxidant in baked goods like bread, as well as snack foods, meats, and chewing gum, according to a 2016 report from the U.S .Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Researchers have also noted that it is carcinogenic in animals and may be in humans, too, though more studies are needed. Carcinogenic products may contribute to cancer risk. RELATED: Which Foods to Eat to Help Prevent Cancer
What Are the Benefits of Baking Homemade Bread?
So, if you typically rely on store-bought bread for sandwiches, burgers, avocado toast and the like, it may be time to brush up on your baking skills. Here is a handful of the benefits of baking your own bread.
You Control What Goes Into Your Bread
When you bake your own bread, you get to decide what goes in — and what gets left out. “One of the easiest ways to make your bread more nutritious is to use whole wheat flour,” says Jennifer McDaniel, RDN, a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics based in Clayton, Missouri. Unlike the refined flours you’ll find in many store-bought breads, whole wheat flour has all three components of the grain — the bran, germ, and endosperm — still intact. This means you’ll get all the fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc, and magnesium that whole grains have to offer, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “You can also use less processed [sweeteners] such as honey, and control the amount used so you keep added sugars to a minimum,” Warren says. RELATED: 11 High-Fiber Foods to Add to Your Diet
You Can Get Creative With Add-Ins to Boost Flavor and Nutrition
Look beyond flours for other ingredients that can add bulk and nutrients to your bread. Think: add-ins like beans, seeds, nuts, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. “Breads such as zucchini bread or banana bread incorporate fruits and vegetables to raise the nutritional value of the bread as a whole,” McDaniel says. Adding black beans to your bread, for example, can help boost its fiber and protein content. A ½-cup serving of black beans provides 8 grams (g) of protein and 6 g fiber (21 percent of your daily value, or DV), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Plus, chances are good you already have a bag or can of at least one bean variety sitting in your cupboard. Meanwhile, nuts and seeds add omega-3 fatty acids, a polyunsaturated fatty acid that may lower inflammation and cholesterol, thereby promoting heart health, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. RELATED: 10 Surprising Ways to Use Black Beans
Baking Your Own Bread May Fatten Your Wallet
“You may save money by making bread at home in the quantities you buy at the store,” Warren says. The savings aren’t significant, but when you consider the potential benefits (or, if the bread of your choice isn’t in stock at your local store), the DIY route may be appealing to you. Cost-wise, a loaf of whole wheat bread costs an average of $2.10, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To make your own loaf (recipe below), you’ll need:
White whole-wheat flour ($5.95 for a 5-pound bag)Vegetable oil ($2.69 for 48 fluid ounces)Honey ($7.68 for 32 ounces)Instant yeast ($5.95 for 16 ounces)Nonfat dried milk ($4.19 for 9.6 ounces)Salt ($0.89 for 26 ounces)
Altogether, this will set you back $27.35. If you break down the cost by loaf, one loaf of homemade whole-wheat bread will cost you roughly $1.91. RELATED: How to Save Money on Groceries if You’re Trying to Eat Healthy
A Recipe for Healthy Homemade Whole-Wheat Bread
To make whole-wheat bread from scratch, follow these directions from New Jersey-based Amy Gorin, RDN: RELATED: 9 Healthy Alternatives to Butter
How to Make a Sourdough Starter to Use Again and Again for Homemade Bread
Sourdough — and baking in general — is having a moment. “People are home all the time now and exploring things they didn’t previously have the time to do,” says Ginger Hultin, RDN, a Seattle-based spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The process of blending and kneading dough, caring for the sourdough starter, and making a fragrant loaf of bread is very comforting during this stressful time, she adds. If your grocery store is either out of your favorite bread, or out of yeast should you wish to make your own bread, using a sourdough starter — sometimes called “wild yeast” — can be a good means to an end. The gut-friendly friendly bacteria (also known as probiotics) and yeast in the flour is what ultimately causes the bread to rise, and depending on how you balance these ingredients, you can get flavors that range from mild to intensely sour. And while baking kills off the friendly bacteria, sourdough bread may still offer benefits, McDonald says. Specifically, sourdough fermentation may do a better job of breaking down gluten (a type of protein found in grains) than traditional baker’s yeast, which means it may be easier to digest if you’re sensitive to gluten, according to past research. RELATED: Who Should Really Be on a Gluten-Free Diet?
An Easy and Straightforward Sourdough Starter Recipe
While creating a sourdough starter takes work (the process takes roughly one week), you can use your starter over and over again. To make your own starter, follow these directions from Gorin:
