English peoples consume about twice as much bread as other Europeans, but still almost half as much as Serbians (109 kilograms), who are the biggest bread eaters in Europe. Unfortunately, bread has been receiving a lot of negative attention lately. How much of this criticism is justified?

When it comes to traditional breads, especially white bread and pastries, modern nutritionists are understandably cautious. If we evaluate bread based on its content of B-complex vitamins, vitamin E, dietary fiber, minerals, iron, zinc, calcium, protein, and monounsaturated amino acids, it's true that white bread falls into the category of foods that are not recommended.

However, if you opt for whole grain bread, which has a coarser texture, a less appealing appearance, and a slightly different taste, the story is completely different. Such bread provides more than half of your daily energy, and its positive effects definitely outweigh the negatives.

Another major issue arises if the bread is made exclusively from wheat flour. The higher the content of rye, barley, spelt, oats, corn, buckwheat, millet, and other grains, the greater the positive impact on our health. Breads made from these "alternative" flours are much more nutritious and also less taxing on our bodies.

Therefore, nutritionists advise: YES to whole grain bread with a high percentage of alternative flours, but be cautious with white bread, rolls, and especially pastries.

The latter, on top of everything, significantly contributes to weight gain.