indigestible compounds, the phytic acid is inactivated by enzyme action during leavening.
Bread does not bind calcium.
All commercially made breads are moderately high in sodium; some contain more
sugar than others. Grains are not usually considered a good source of iodine, but commer-
cially made breads often pick up iodine from the iodophors and iodates used to clean the
plants and machines in which they are made.
Homemade breads share the basic nutritional characteristics of commercially made
breads, but you can vary the recipe to suit your own taste, lowering the salt, sugar, or fat and
raising the fiber content, as you prefer.
The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food
As sandwiches, with cheese, milk, eggs, meat, fish, or poultry. These foods supply the essen-
tial amino acid lysine to “complete” the proteins in grains.
With beans or peas. The proteins in grains are deficient in the essential amino acids
lysine and isoleucine and rich in the essential amino acids tryptophan, methionine, and
cystine. The proteins in legumes (beans and peas) are exactly the opposite.
Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food
Gluten-free diet (excludes breads made with wheat, oats, rye, buckwheat and barley flour)
Lactose-free diet
Low-fiber diet (excludes coarse whole-grain breads)
Low-sodium diet
Buying This Food
Look for: Fresh bread. Check the date on closed packages of commercial bread.
Storing This Food
Store bread at room temperature, in a tightly closed plastic bag (the best protection) or in a
breadbox. How long bread stays fresh depends to a great extent on how much fat it contains.
Bread made with some butter or other fat will keep for about three days at room tempera-
ture. Bread made without fat (Italian bread, French bread) will dry out in just a few hours;
for longer storage, wrap it in foil, put it inside a plastic bag, and freeze it. When you are ready
to serve the French or Italian bread, you can remove it from the plastic bag and put the foil-
wrapped loaf directly into the oven.
Throw away moldy bread. The molds that grow on bread may produce carcinogenic
toxins.
Bread