Until the early 20th century, most people made their own bread at home using simple ingredients. With advances in mass food production, bread changed significantly. Nutrient-rich whole grain flour was replaced with less nutritious bleached and chemically treated white flour that was more shelf-stable. Additionally, the number of ingredients in this simple food changed drastically. Processed bread may have up to 2½ times more ingredients than the fresh baked variety!
What exactly is being added to a machine-made loaf? Processed, pre-sliced breads often contain dough conditioners, synthetic nutrients to replace those processed out of the flour, preservatives and even high fructose corn syrup.
Try making your own bread – you’ll see just how easy, nutritious and delicious a homemade loaf is, and you’ll never miss the extra ingredients. If you want your bread to last a little longer, try freezing it!
