Which type of bread to choose?

, yeast, water. They are the few and simple ingredients with which bread is produced, the staple food of ancient tradition, for many populations.

Nowadays, the food industry that has entered the world of bakery in a disruptive way, supplanting the artisan one for years, has changed the scenarios: bread, in fact, is often not the natural product that one expects to bring to the table. essential element in our diet, as it contains high amounts of fiber, but also amino acids, vitamins, minerals.

According to the guidelines for a healthy Italian diet, about 55% of the daily calories should come from carbohydrates, therefore from bread, pasta, cereals. Even today, in Italy and in the world, bread is one of the most popular foods, even if consumer habits have changed considerably compared to the past.

Common bread is often demonized and considered an enemy of the diet, even if today the range of bread varieties on the market allows you to choose the type of bread that is most suitable for everyone's diet. We went back to natural, to bread without additives or preservatives, mixed with ancient grain flours or "untreated" and wholemeal cereals.

added you can have different types of bread:

• Common bread: it is based on more or less refined flour and brewer's yeast, with or without salt but without other ingredients. It is the cheapest, sold in sandwiches of around 50-60 grams each. Type 00 bread has 289 calories / 100 grams;
• Seasoned: in addition to the water, the liquid part is composed of an addition of fat, which can be: oil, butter, lard, milk, yogurt, the quantity of which is fixed by law. Milk sandwiches have 295 kcal / 100 g; oil sandwiches: 299 kcal / 100 g;
• Wholemeal or "dark": produced in different sizes, it can be made from complete flour only (with bran) or mixed with white flour and is acid-leavened. True "dark" bread is bread made with complete "wholemeal" flour or semolina, not a mix of "wheat flour with bran". Wholemeal bread has 224 kcal / 100 g;
• Special: bread in which, in addition to the basic ingredients, seeds (flax, chia, pumpkin, sesame, poppy), beer, wine, raisins, dried fruit, or spices such as turmeric are added;
• Cereals: composed of a mixture of various cereals -farro, kamut, rye for which it takes its name from the one prevailing in terms of quantity, for example "spelled bread". Rye bread has 219 kcal / 100 g; spelled bread has 211 kcal / 100 g; kamut bread has 359 Kcal / 100 g. Cereals are particularly suitable for iron intake, especially at breakfast;
• Precooked frozen: derives from a dough produced in an industrial oven, then stored in the freezer and browned at the point of sale.

, which are absorbed slowly, without producing metabolic waste, offering a sense of satiety. Once ingested, carbohydrates turn into glucose, the fuel that powers the brain and muscles.

Ordinary bread, which is naturally free of animal fats, does not contain cholesterol, and is rich in fiber, magnesium and mineral salts. Dark bread, obtained with unrefined wholemeal flours, is more complete and beneficial from a nutritional point of view, thanks to the content of essential fatty acids, enzymes and above all fibers.

Bread proteins are of vegetable origin, therefore not complete, for example, with essential amino acids to be found in the dish with which to accompany it. The nutritional picture varies according to the type of bread: caloric intake, sodium content, fiber, in fact, can be very different in relation to the ingredients that are added during baking and the type of flour used.

Depending on the cereals chosen, the bread will have different properties.

: contains insoluble fibers that help regulate intestinal transit, irritable bowel syndrome, prevent colitis and abdominal swelling. Choosing darker colored bread helps to understand its healthy composition: it must be prepared with whole grains, with 100% wheat flour, without supplements and additives.

Mix of cereals: Multigrain breads, made with a mix of wheat, barley, rye and corn, are very nutritious and contain vitamin A, magnesium, iron and manganese, particularly suitable for strengthening bones.

Rye bread: mostly consumed in the regions of northern Europe, it is a bread with a compact crumb and a crunchy crust. It is very rich in minerals and vitamins, especially B vitamins, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, iron and manganese. Low in gluten, it is often enriched with oil seeds, such as sunflower seeds, flax seeds or a mix of mixed seeds. It has a low glycemic index and therefore preferable to other types of bread for diabetics. It has a high satiety index, thanks to the generous amount of fibers that allow you to control cholesterol levels in the blood and help fight constipation.

Oat bread: lighter and softer bread. Contains soluble fiber particularly suitable in a balanced diet to reduce cholesterol. Thanks to the good supply of fiber, it also promotes digestion and promotes peristalsis.

Corn bread: naturally gluten-free, it is suitable for feeding people suffering from celiac disease or intolerant to gluten. It helps intestinal regularity and to keep blood pressure under control. Recommended in the diet for diabetics because it has a low glycemic index.

as it derives from living microorganisms, the saccharomycetes, a unicellular fungus that transforms glucose into carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol which, imprisoned in the mixture, generates the formation of the alveolations and consequently the increase of its volume. On the market it can be found dehydrated in sachets or fresh in 25-gram blocks. The leavening lasts at least 1-2 hours.

Chemical / industrial yeast: consisting mainly of sodium bicarbonate together with an acid ingredient that produces carbon dioxide in cooking. It does not require leavening time, it is instantaneous and is activated during cooking.

Mother yeast: greater digestibility and a much more cellular structure than bread. The sourdough is made up of yeasts and lactic bacteria which increase the shelf life of the product, thanks to its higher acidity. Suitable for long leavening.

Biga or evening yeast: an indirect leavening pre-dough consisting of flour, water and a reduced quantity of yeast, to be prepared the night before and added to the dough the following day to replace the yeast. The bread is softer and more digestible.

Yeast: composed of brewer's yeast in half the quantity, mixed with ¼ of the dose of flour and water together with malt or sugar. A sort of batter is obtained (to be left to rest in the heat until bubbles form). It is particularly suitable for those who have little tolerance for yeast.

, when buying this practical product to consume and keep in the pantry.

• Pancarrè and sliced ​​bread. Type of bread used to prepare toast or canapés, it contains more fat, more sugars and, often, also additives that serve to extend storage times, such as ethyl alcohol. It is less healthy than the traditional one, so it is good to consume it in less quantity.
• Refined cereals. It is not a harmful ingredient, but the refining processes impoverish the nutritional supply of cereals for the organism. In addition, refined foods are converted more quickly into sugars, causing blood sugar spikes, insulin resistance and hypertension.
• Fructose syrup. It is used to give the packaged bread its characteristic golden surface, as well as to increase leavening. Sweetener often used industrially for the preparation of sandwich bread, bread for hambuger or bagel, hot dogs, it is an unhealthy ingredient because it would contribute to the onset of metabolic, liver, hypertension and obesity diseases.
• Azodicarbonamide. Additive used to make the bread softer and improve its structure. It can cause asthma and allergic reactions.
• Ingredients to check on the label. Avoid buying packaged bread that contains chlorine and chlorine dioxide, liposidases, persulphates, ammonium sulphate, acetonperoxides, calcium phosphate.