Eat Bread (It's OK Again)

Don't Faint: Real Bread Is Back in the Diet

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30 Days to Green Your Diet - Real, whole grain breads should be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet.

Photo: Thomas Barwick / Getty Images

By Deborah Barrow

30 Days to a Greener Diet - Day 21

You know that white stuff you wrapped around your bologna as a kid?

That's not bread. That's technology. And it wasn't so healthy for you, either.

Get ready to switch to the real deal: breads made with whole grains, few if any preservatives, exotic grains and other ingredients familiar to previous generations but practically lost to us today. In bakeries all over America, a new breed of bread bakers is selling handcrafted loaves that pack powerfully healthy ingredients as well as wonderful taste. Now, many supermarkets are adding real bread back to their shelves as demand has zoomed.

Wholesome breads come in endless varieties. Typically they are referred to as artisanal breads when made in small quantities by hand by dedicated commercial bakers. We just call them yummy. Get to the store early in the morning before your favorites are bought out.

Top-selling "real" breads:
5- or 7-grain
Cornbread
Sourdough
Ciabatta
Spelt
Foccaccia
Farmhouse white
Sweet potato bread

When shopping for bread in a regular supermarket, be sure to check out the label. If it reads like a chemistry experiment, it isn't real bread. And don’t be fooled by the words "whole wheat"; unless it's whole-grain whole wheat, it isn't real either. Check out a couple of delicious bread recipes for Multi-Grain Bread and the all-time favorite, Corn Bread.