Consumer Reports Says This Store-Bought Bread Brand Is The Best

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A grocery store's bread aisle can be overwhelming. There are piles of soft, pillowy breads in plastic bags, but which ones are worthwhile? Yes, nothing beats a homemade loaf fresh out of the oven, but there are many mistakes to avoid when baking at home, and sometimes it's easier to just buy it at the store. Consumer Reports, the nonprofit that's been testing and reviewing products and services for 90 years, turned its critical eye to store-bought bread and found the Food for Life brand to have the top two loaves on the market.

That's right, the bread brand often found in the freezer section — and named one of its best-known varieties after the Bible verse that inspired the recipe — is Consumer Reports' top choice. The two breads that earned the highest ratings were Organic Flourless Sprouted Grain Ezekiel 4:9 (the verse that says to put wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt into one vessel) and Organic Flourless 7 Sprouted Grains. All of the tested breads were rated on criteria of serving size, whole grains, calories, total fat, carbohydrates, and fiber. Both Food for Life breads have zero added sugars, 3 grams of fiber, 15 grams of carbohydrates, and 80 calories per 34-gram (1 slice) serving. Ezekiel 4:9 contains 19 grams of whole grains, 5 grams of protein, and 75 milligrams of sodium, while 7 Sprouted Grains has 21 grams of whole grains, 4 grams of protein, and 80 milligrams of sodium. Both are on the expensive side at about $7.99 a loaf in some regions or over $9 in others.

For starters, we're fans of Food for Life breads. It took the top spot in our list of bread brands that are surprisingly healthy for you thanks to its sprouted grains and mineral-rich content. The company's breads are often brought up on Reddit, too. "Ezekiel bread is actually really tasty," wrote a surprised poster. It's also an atypical bread — there's no flour, and it's full of sprouted soybeans, lentils, millet, and spelt. The Reddit poster described it like this: "It reminds me of breads like pumpernickel or dark rye." One poster has a helpful tip for finding a more affordable loaf of Ezekiel bread: "If you have a Trader Joe's near you, it's much cheaper there." Trader Joe's sells the popular loaves for about $5.49 each, though this price may vary by region. 

Sprouted bread is different from seeded bread and offers some unique health benefits. Sprouting grains before baking them into bread breaks down phytate and starch. Phytate decreases your body's ability to absorb vitamins and minerals, so this process may be especially beneficial for those who struggle to digest grains. Whether Food for Life's sprouted grain bread is worth the price is up to you.