Bread champions: revealing science-based dietary knowledge

On a recent supermarket trip in my suburban Chicago neighborhood, I grabbed a loaf of Butternut bread (a classic Chicago brand dating back to 1893—and one that my kids love) and noticed a QR code on the bag next to the message of, “Be Informed: Go to WhyEatBread.com.” The code takes you to a page run by Lewis Bakeries that puts forth exactly the type of clearly communicated information people need to hear about bread.

On the landing page, under a heading of “An Important Role,” WhyEatBread.com notes: “Why Eat Bread? Grain foods, like bread, play an important role in your diet by providing many nutrients, such as dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommends you eat six servings of grain foods each day, with half being from whole-grain sources. To get the most nutrients and benefits, you should include both whole grains and enriched grains as part of your balanced diet.” Visitors to site can then click through to a wide range of science-based information.

Butternut also devotes the bottom of the bread bag to positive messages related to bread and good health, discussing the important dietary roles of complex carbohydrates and the vitamins found in enriched grains. This dedication to championing the importance of breads made with enriched and whole grains is essential to the overall dietary health of our nation.

Another bread champion I recently ran across is Lin Carson, Ph.D., founder and CEO of BAKERpedia, formerly of Dave’s Killer Bread and Wendy’s. She’s currently undertaking an “Eat Bread 90” challenge, where she’s incorporating a loaf of bread in her diet, every day, for 90 days. In a blog tracking the challenge, she’s helping communicate the positive, essential dietary benefits of bread while seeking to “dispel the myth that bread alone is responsible for weight gain and bloating.” Visit www.eatbread90.com to track her progress, and see www.snackandbakery.com for our interview. (Note: She’s seeking donations of bread for her daily diet—to be featured, contact her via the website.)

At a time when misinformation is rampant across the internet and elsewhere in the mainstream media, we need more bread champions like these to carry the torch for science-based dietary knowledge and better understanding of our body’s nutritional requirements.

Douglas J. Peckenpaugh is Group Publisher of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, Dairy Foods, The National Provisioner, and Packaging Strategies for BNP Media. He has nearly three decades of publishing experience following the food industry from farm to fork, covering agriculture, ingredient processing, retail grocery branding, foodservice menu development, and food product R&D and manufacturing. He serves in leadership roles at his local suburban Chicago food pantry and church. Doug studied Professional and Creative Writing at Purdue University.

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