Is your bread healthy? Try The Bread Health Calculator

Healthy Bread: Evaluating Your Loaf’s Nutritional Value

Don’t Be Fooled: Discover If Your Bread is Really Healthy

Don’t be fooled by appearances – not all bread is as healthy as it claims to be. Whether you’re picking up a loaf from the supermarket or your local artisan bakery, it’s crucial to know if it’s genuinely good for you. Our simple tool cuts through the marketing fluff and gives you an honest assessment of your bread’s healthiness. We’ll help you dig deeper, looking at fibre content, fermentation, flour quality, and potential agrochemical residues. In just a few clicks, you’ll know if your bread supports your well-being – no more falling for clever packaging or buzzwords. Make sure your bread is truly nourishing!

How to use the calculator

Pick up your loaf and examine the ingredients list and nutrition label.
Check for key factors: whole grain content, % fibre content, and see if there are any detail on milling process,
If it does not say regenerative agriculture or organic, then the grains will have been grown conventionally and subject to agrochemical exposure
The list of additives is not all additives I have just listed some but there may be more.
If yeast is mentioned then choose unspecified fermentation
If it says Sourdough and yeast choose unspecified Fermentation
If it says sourdough but not “retarded” or Cold fermented then choose ambient fermentation not specified
If it doesn’t say stoneground flour then assume roller milled flour.
Enter details into the form and click “Calculate Score” for your bread’s health evaluation.
Talk to the baker, look up details on website and dig deeper.

Let me know how you get on. I would be so delighted if you can share the brand and your score with me on comments below on on social media.

Best

Dr Vanessa Kimbell

Bread Health Scoring Form

Comprehensive Scoring System to Evaluate if Your Bread is Healthy

Whole Grain Content: This diversity is crucial for providing a wide range of nutrients, fibres, and minerals, supporting gut health and nutritional balance.

Fibre Content: Fibre content is essential for digestive health and maintaining a healthy gut microbiome.

Milling Process: Stone-ground flour retains more nutrients and has a less disruptive impact on the grain’s natural state.

Flour Agrochemical Exposure: Flour not treated with agrochemicals is essential for avoiding unnecessary chemical exposure and promoting soil health.

Industrial Additives: Additives, preservatives, or artificial components detract from the bread’s natural quality and can impact health negatively.

Fermentation Process: Long fermentation promotes better digestibility and nutrient availability.

Natural Nutritional Enhancements: Includes seeds, nuts, or legumes, adding valuable nutrients, fibres, and textures.

All reasonable care is taken when writing about health aspects of bread, but the information it contains is not intended to take the place of treatment by a qualified medical practitioner. You must seek professional advice if you are in any doubt about any medical condition. Any application of the ideas and information contained on this website is at the reader's sole discretion and risk.

About Dr Vanessa Kimbell

Dr. Vanessa Kimbell is a leading expert in nutrition and the digestibility of bread. Her doctorate focuses on Baking as Lifestyle Medicine and preventative health, specialising in personalising bread for gut health and genetics. She is the Course Director at The Sourdough School, a world-renowned centre of research and education in bread, the gut microbiome, and the impact of bread on health, based in Northamptonshire. She is currently writing her 6th book and is a best-selling international author.

More information about Vanessa can be found:
The Sourdough School team page: About Vanessa Kimbell

The Sourdough Club: thesourdoughclub.com

Instagram accounts: @SourdoughClub
@SourdoughSchool @vanessakimbell

Facebook: Vanessa Kimbell Baker

LinkedIn: Vanessa Kimbell