You may already have your favourite bread routine. A white baguette with your wine, a pumpernickel bagel with cream cheese or roti with your jerk chicken. But there are some breads out there in the world that are way better (healthwise and yes, even tastewise) than what you're already used to.
Breads and bread products are dietary staples for many cuisines around the world, and luckily for us, we have access to most of them by simply going to the grocery store.
According to Canada's Food Guide, female and male adults need about six to eight servings of grain products a day including everything from whole grain bread to rice to cereals.
"European countries lead the way in bread consumption including Ireland, U.K. and France," says Calgary-based registered dietitian Ali Campbell, adding that North America is not far behind.
Campbell says some breads from other cultures can be healthier, but if you are shopping for any of these listed below, avoid breads that are white (like white naan bread) or ones made with refined grains. "This type of bread is low in nutrients and will spike your blood sugar," she explains.
Also look for whole grain on the ingredients list, find breads with more than four grams of protein and less than 110 calories per slice.
In our summer bread series, this week we bring you the healthiest and unhealthiest types of bread from around the world. For this list, Campbell has ranked breads from best to worst, along with their nutritional health benefits (if they exist).
