Added sugars are everywhere. They’re hard to escape. Not only are junk foods chock-full of them, but these sneaky sugars hide themselves in seemingly healthy items, from granola to Greek yogurt to whole grain bread. That’s right, your “healthy” bread probably has added sugar.
Photo by McKenna Franklin
Obesity is a huge public health crisis in America. In order to combat this, avoiding added sugars is key in addition to eating a diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Not ready to give up your daily sandwich or your morning toast? Yeah, me neither.
Thankfully, there is a bread out there with no added sugars, no flour, no GMOs and no preservatives. It’s also a complete protein and contains 18 amino acids which add to its nutritional value. The best part: it’s delicious. This bread is called Ezekiel 4:9 bread, made by Food For Life. Although the name is religious, you definitely don’t need to be to love this bread.
Food for Life uses this name because of the Bible verse: “Take also unto thee wheat and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it…” (Ezekiel 4:9).
Photo courtesy of @foodforlifebaking on Instagram
In contrast, a slice of Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat Bread, a seemingly healthy option, may only be 60 calories, but a closer look at the ingredients list reveals otherwise. There is added brown sugar and a long list of unrecognizable ingredients like distilled monoglycerides and sodium stearoyl lactylate.
Don’t get me wrong, this bread isn’t necessarily unhealthy, but over time the added sugar and mysterious ingredients add up and can damage your body. The ingredients in Ezekiel bread are entirely natural and recognizable.
Another flaw I noted was on the Nature’s Own website. While browsing the site, I was unable to find the nutrition label list easily. I had to scroll all the way down the “Nutrition” tab and finally found it at the bottom. An ingredients list was nowhere to be found.
On the other hand, the Food for Life website practically flaunts their nutrition labels and ingredients list in bold, showing that they having nothing to hide and are proud of their ingredients.
Photo courtesy of foodforlife.com
What makes Ezekiel bread special, in addition to the absence of added sugars, is its heartiness and low carbohydrate content. Food for Life does not use flour; they use sprouted grains, like sprouted wheat, barley, flax, millet, lentils, soybeans, and spelt. Many of these grains are present in a single slice of bread, resulting in a satisfyingly nutritious slice at only 80 calories, 1 gram of fat, 15 grams of carbohydrates, and 0 grams of sugars.
Food for Life claims that sprouting their grains (instead of grinding the grains into a flour) increases digestibility, increases the absorption of antioxidants and minerals, and that it minimizes the amount of starch that will be converted into glucose in the body.
Photo courtesy of @foodforlifebaking on Instagram
The brand makes a variety of these breads. There are 7 Sprouted Grains, Cinnamon Raisin (a personal favorite), Flax Sprouted, Sesame Sprouted, and many more. In addition to bread, there are English muffins (the best English muffin you will ever have), tortillas, cereals, pasta, waffles, and pocket breads made with sprouted grains.
You can find Ezekiel bread at almost any grocery store, usually in the organic section. Because of the shorter shelf life, it’s kept in a freezer at the store and is to be kept in the refrigerator at home.
Photo courtesy of @foodforlifebaking on Instagram
Ever since I found Food for Life, I haven’t been able to buy from any other brand. A sprouted grain English muffin with avocado or peanut butter keeps me full and satisfied longer than any other breakfast; I hardly eat anything else in the morning. Try one and trust me, you’ll be hooked too.
Photo courtesy of @foodforlifebaking on Instagram
To minimize your sugar intake and work towards a healthier diet full of natural, whole foods, try replacing your sandwich bread or morning cereal with products from Food for Life, and save that sugar for a well-deserved bowl of ice cream.