The best thing to happen to bread….since sliced bread!

 

Ireland’s great love affair with bread is a tale as old as time. Brown, white, batch or sliced, no matter your pick of the litter, bread has a long been part of the Irish daily diet. For years, bread was sold in whole loaves. In fact, this year marked the 90th anniversary of the production in the US of the very first loaf of bread that was sliced with a machine and packaged for convenience.  However, 2018 will be better remembered here for another significant event for bread. Storm Emma.

Who could forget the comical memes and other playful online media that swarmed our screens and entertained us as people the length and breadth of the country chronicled their search for a sliced pan during those few snowy days in March? Irish wit was as laser sharp as ever.  But, on a more serious note, it was really refreshing to see so many people declaring their affection for the humble white sliced pan.

We know from the number of loaves that the members of the Irish Bread Bakers Association bake daily that bread continues to be hugely popular amongst Irish consumers. Unfortunately, though, with the emergence of what can almost be described as food-shaming, having a slice of white bread had become almost a guilty pleasure.

At one time sliced bread was the cornerstone of diets everywhere, the fundamental go-to for every breakfast, snack and lunchbox. Not surprisingly as a wider choice of foods became available, our diets have become more varied. Just think back to when dinner was only ever meat, potatoes and two veg! Nonetheless, through all the changes, the sliced pan has remained a staple, inexpensive food, contributing to a healthy, balanced diet.

However, in recent years bread has started to get a bad rap.  Barely a month goes by without a new trendy diet hitting the headlines offering the next great solution for weight loss. We’ve seen nutritional ‘experts’ jump on the bandwagon calling out bread as one of the foods to drop from our diet.  In fact, in some quarters the sliced pan has been taking a straight-up beating.

Among the misconceptions and baseless criticisms that abound is that bread is fattening. In fact there is little or no fat or sugar in bread. A slice of bread has the same number of calories as a large apple.  Furthermore, a report by the Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (IUNA), found that bread contributes about 20% of our daily fibre intake as well as 9% of our protein intake. Despite common misconceptions, it only contributes 1% to adult’s daily fat and sugar allowance.

Another popular myth is that bread causes bloating, which seems to be the new description for “I feel fat” or “I feel full”. We are meant to feel full after meals, but if you are over-full then maybe it is just because you ate too much! There is simply no evidence that bread causes bloating. In fact, a review of the topic by the British Nutrition Foundation concluded that there was no scientific evidence that regular consumption of bread caused bloating or digestive problems at all. 

Then there is the misconception that bread is unhealthy, potentially frightening consumers from buying a food that can provide many of the nutrients that our bodies need no matter what age we are.  Contrary to what some may have you believe, bread is good for us and is an excellent source of proteins, vitamins especially the B Vitamins, Thiamine, Niacin, and Folic Acid; minerals (Calcium and iron); fibre and complex carbohydrates. Some varieties are also fortified with vitamin D and seeds such as Chia, adding Omega 3 to the nutritional content, making bread a major contributor to the nutrient intake of the Irish diet. 

We’ll never forget those few snowy days last March, when bread helped to feed the nation while bread-lovers entertained it as they relentlessly raided bread aisles across the country and sliced pans were the most prized prey of all. The sliced pan’s position as one of Ireland’s favourite and most dependable foods, has never been in doubt, but, thanks to Storm Emma,  it’s out of the bread bin and back where it belongs…in public.

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