What does a loaf of bread say to a friend after doing a favor?
It’s the yeast I can do…..
Do you also have a love-hate relationship with bread?
At least I do. I love to have a slice of bread and butter but hate it when I gain a few calories because of it. And, this must be the case with every one of you. Right?
So, let’s dig into it and find out which bread we should avoid and which we can have even during dieting.
Bread to Avoid – White Bread
White bread is made of very fine flour and is highly refined and can spike the blood glucose levels, leading to overeating.
How does it spike the blood glucose level??
Bread is high in carbs with approximately 13 grams in each slice; the carbs later breakdowns into glucose which increases the blood sugar levels, leading to higher Type-2 Diabetes risk. It also has a low level of micronutrients and contains products like Gluten, which might cause a few side effects for celiac disorder or gluten sensitivity patients.
In a study, conducted a few years back, 9,267 people found that eating two slices (~120 grams) of white bread per day was linked to a 40% greater risk of weight gain and obesity. After reading this statement, you all must be thinking not to have any bread items from now on.
But hold on, we all have heard that cutting on bread will help in reducing the weight. It’s all just a myth, to lose weight, we have to reduce the calorie intake. And, by reducing the calorie intake, I mean cutting down on our sugary packaged fruit juices, candy bars and such similar items. With some restraints, bread can be delighted in as a feature of a solid eating routine.
Breads while dieting:
In one study, people on a lower-calorie diet that included whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, lost more belly fat than those who ate only refined grains (white bread and white rice). Whole grains or sprouted varieties bestows several health benefits. They are enriched with extra nutrients and provide more vitamins, minerals, and fibre than refined. The nutritional supplement profiles vary across various kinds of bread. For example, whole-wheat bread may boast a higher amount of fibre, while sprouted grains are richer in beta-carotene and vitamins C and E. But, take care not to over eat the whole wheat bread as it can still add some extra pounds. And, you definitely don’t want that. So, account for it in your daily calorie budget.
Now, just think if you can bake your bread any time of your day and enjoy that yummy home-baked bread. And, if I say that you can make your own healthy bread. Isn’t it a cherry on the cake?
Baking of the whole wheat bread:
| Sr. no. | Ingredient | Quantity |
| 1. | Whole wheat flour | 2 cups |
| 2. | Salt | 1 tsp |
| 3. | Brown Sugar | 2 tsp |
| 4. | Instant yeast | 1 tsp |
| 5. | Ghee or Butter | 3-4 tbsp |
| 6. | Milk | 3-4 tbsp |
| 7. | Curd | 2 tbsp |
Preparation of Bread Dough:
- In a bowl, mix the whole wheat flour with salt, brown sugar and instant yeast. If you feel that the instant yeast will not dissolve, you can even mix the yeast granules with ½ cup lukewarm milk and brown sugar in a separate bowl. Rest it for 3-4 minutes and then add this mixture to the wheat flour. (I mix the instant yeast in the wheat flour directly)
- Now, add ghee and curd to the mixture. Add milk in the mixture too, if you have added instant yeast directly to the wheat flour.
- Mix all the ingredients lightly.
- While kneading the dough, add water if required. The dough should be sticky.
- Brush some butter/ghee on the dough before keeping it aside in a deep wide bowl. Cover it lightly with a damp cloth for 1 hour. (I usually let it rest for approximately 1.5 hours)
- When you remove the cloth, you will see that the dough has doubled in size.
- Lightly punch and knead the dough once again. Shape the dough into a loaf. And you are ready to go.
Baking Time
- Place your dough in the greased loaf pan. Cover it and let it rise for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, Pre heat the oven at 220° C for 20-25 minutes.
- Once the bread has risen, brush it with some milk.
- Keep it in the oven at 180° C for 30 -40 minutes.
- Take it out once done and let it cool.
- Relish your soft homemade bread with some peanut butter.
More healthy breads to try:
Oat Bread Loaf:
All the steps will be the same, you just have to replace 1 cup of whole wheat flour with 1 cup of oat flour (grind the oats and add it in the whole wheat flour mixture). Follow the remaining step as it is. You can also sprinkle some oats when you brush the bread loaf with milk, before keeping it in the oven.
Multi-grain Bread:
For multi-grain bread, you need a little more ingredient. But all the steps will be same; you will have to just replace the whole wheat flour with the following ingredient-
| Sr. No. | Ingredient | Quantity |
| 1. | Oat flour | 1 cup |
| 2. | Whole wheat flour | ½ cup |
| 3. | Ragi flour | 1/3 cup |
| 4. | Maize flour | 1/3 cup |
| 5. | Chia seeds | 1.5 tsp |
| 6. | Flax seeds | 1 tsp |
| 7. | Melon seeds | 1.5 tsp |
| 8. | Sesame seeds | 1.5 tsp |
Recipe for Multi-grain bread–
Add the flour, yeast and pre-soaked seeds (soak the seeds for 5-10 minutes) and follow the same steps mentioned above. Before keeping the loaf into the oven, sprinkle mixed nuts, rolled oats and wheat flakes on the bread loaf. And, after 45 minutes, you can enjoy your home-baked multi-grain bread.
An alternative for an Oven -Baking in a Cooker:
If you don’t have an oven, you can also make it in a pressure cooker. In a pressure cooker, use 1 cup of common salt and spread it evenly to increase the height and avoid the direct connection. Now place either a wire stand or a small bowl or a ring cutter. Preheat the cooker for 10 minutes on high flame. After 10 minutes, place the loaf pan on the stand. You can use the same salt for baking bread the next time.
So, now whenever someone says don’t eat bread while on diet, tell them about the benefits which help in weight loss. Choosing your bread carefully and maintaining a good workout regimen might accelerate your weight loss journey. Now, bake your own healthy bread at your convenience and enjoy it. Just remember to practice “mindful eating”, that is paying close attention to each bite, chewing your food properly and monitoring your fullness. This can help moderate the food intake and hence keep you fit.
Happy baking!
This article is contributed by Fitnastic!
About Fitnastic: Fitnastic was founded in January 2020 with the aim to help individuals go through their fitness obstacles and transform them into stronger, fitter, and confident individuals. Rishi Nagar being the founder and Ojas Bhatt being the Co-Founder, believe in the ideology that exercise and nutrition are the utmost priority for healthy well-being.
At Fitnastic, they craft an individual’s well-being by not only providing customized diet plans and live training/training routines, but also provide conversations with doctors on various health issues, easy-to-make healthy recipes & also educate people by providing scientific knowledge about different dieting patterns, herbs, and physiological functions of the human system.
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