Fresh From the Oven

When the low carb craze hit, I was skeptical. I tried it, of course. What person who struggles with keeping weight off didn’t? I knew that it wouldn’t last.

I was in college during all that hype and I think everyone I knew asked me what I thought of the Atkin’s diet. That would extend to people I just met. I’d be introduced, they’d ask what I was studying, and then proceed to ask me what I thought of the diet.

Being a bread fanatic I am truly glad everyone has come to their senses. While control of refined, sugary carbs is a good thing, we need this beneficial nutrient. There is no way around that.

I spent about 5 years throughout high school and college working with bread. I worked for a bread store and then followed that up by working at a bagel store. I worked in both production and at the counter. I got to see what went into making it and convinced people at the counter what the best option would be for them.

Being the only one there studying nutrition, I was always the one who was asked what the nutrition content was of the breads. My fellow workers stopped looking it up in the book and just asked me instead. I have this weird knack for memorizing that type of stuff. I’m not sure if it can be called a talent, but I think I picked the right field of study.

I know first hand how too much of a good thing can put on extra weight, but I also know how important fresh, whole grain bread can be to a healthy diet. Not only does it fuel the body, but it balances the brain. It is a comfort food for some and produces great feelings of satisfaction and contentment.

Cutting out shelf stable sandwich bread has probably been one of the easiest things for me to do. I read in a book somewhere (which I’m sure I’ll talk more about later) about all the preservatives and stabilizers that go into bread like that which keeps it fresh on the shelf for weeks. That got me thinking that I didn’t want that in my body.

In the past I could be found combing the bread aisle, looking for 100% whole grain that was also low in calorie. Now, while I believe whole grain is better, I still think freshly baked, either white or wheat, is better than anything packaged on the shelf.

This is one of those changes that I welcome. Giving up a sandwich loaf for one that came out of the oven a few hours ago is a treat for the senses.

I’ve played around with making my own bread at home, but have never been very successful. I hope to perfect this in the future, but for now I love the bakery on the corner.

Photo by kevinrosseel, morguefile.com