BREAD is a big staple of the daily Mzansi diet.
Besides being packed with lots of nutrients such as vitamin A, iron and zinc, legislation has restricted the amount of salt manufacturers are allowed to put in the bread. As a result our breads contain less salt.
According to dietician Jane Badham, who reviewed the local bread industry, bread serves to improve diversity in our diets.
“Just think of all the healthy and tasty toppings and fillings we can put in a sandwich. Compared to 100g of rice, pasta and maize meal, bread is the best source of carbohydrate, protein and fibre.”
She said bread also meets two of the 11 South African food-based dietary guidelines: make starchy food part of most meals and enjoy a variety of food.
“A varied diet is also more likely to be enjoyable. Sadly, many South Africans have a monotonous diet and so are prone to deficiencies.
“Bread is an ideal vehicle for a wide range of healthy, tasty toppings. There is really no end to the combinations one can put on it!” said Badham.
**Did you know 2 800 million loaves of bread were sold in 2008 – 1 600 million white and 1 200 million brown. This means that about 62 loaves were eaten by every person that year, or three slices of bread eaten by everyone every day!
DO YOU KNOW YOUR TYPES OF BREAD?
Bread is food prepared from a dough of flour and water, usually by baking. Here are some different types:
- Dumplings or steamed bread: Made from traditional dough and cooked in an enamel bowl.
- Batch: A loaf baked in a batch with others, rather than separately.
- Bloomer: Thick, long, white loaf, lightly cut across the top so that the cuts open out or “bloom” and make a crisp crust. Sometimes sprinkled with poppy seeds.
- Cob: Round, smooth, crusted loaf often topped with cracked wheat.
- Cottage: White loaf made from two round pieces of dough.
- Farmhouse: White loaf baked in a special tin. Cut long along the top.
- Plait: Usually plaited with three strands of white dough, sometimes enriched with eggs or milk.
- Naan: Flatbread popular in northern India and Pakistan
- Tiger bread: A loaf from the Netherlands, made with rice paste.
- Tortilla: A flatbread from Mexico, made with maize flour.
