I get asked about this topic so frequently that I thought I’d put together a quick post on what to look for when shopping for bread.

If you remember my recent post about shopping like a nutritionist, you’ll recall that optimal nutrition is dependent on the ingredients list.

Here’s what to SEEK when shopping for bread:

• Basic bread ingredients. The list should be similar to what you would use to make a homemade bread: flour, water, salt and often some type of sweetener, like sugar or honey.
• A whole-grain product. This means the very first ingredient listed is a whole-grain, such as whole wheat or 100% whole wheat bread.

Buying gluten-free bread? Look for a naturally gluten-free whole-grain as the first ingredient, such as brown rice flour.

Here’s what to AVOID when shopping for bread:

• a long ingredient list
• high fructose corn syrup
• hydrogenated oils
• bleached and/or enriched flours

Bottom Line: Look for bread that contains a short list of recognizable ingredients and steer clear of high fructose corn syrup and bleached flours.

Ready to hit the grocery store? Here are some brands I recommend:

Gluten Bread

• Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread
• Brownberry 100% Whole Wheat Bread
• Rudi’s Organic Bakery Bread 100% Whole Wheat
• Pepperidge Farm 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Gluten-Free Bread:

• Food for Life Gluten Free Brown Rice Bread
• Food for Life Gluten Free Multi-Seed English Muffins