Four Reasons We Eat Bread

This is just something I've been thinking about, especially after doing a whole-foods eating month that (for us) included homemade breads.  Grain is a big no-no in the Whole9, paleo, whatever-you-want-to-call-it community. I just haven't been ready to jump on that train for reasons I can't seem to articulate. So I'll let someone else express it for me! :) This post is heavily copied from stacymakescents 'cause I like the way she thinks about a lot of things!

What did bread to do get such a bad rep? It smells delicious – it tastes delicious – and it just looks pretty.

Let me take a second to say that I realize not everyone can eat bread. I have friends who are severely allergic to gluten, so they don’t eat bread. I also have friends and family members that have medical conditions that don’t allow them to eat wheat. I think that’s the smart and responsible thing for them to do – they have a hard job and I give them GREAT respect.  I also have family members who are allergic to bees…so they try to keep their distance. Does that mean everyone should be deathly afraid of bees? Heck no! If you don’t have an allergy, why not enjoy the lovely gift of bread that God gave us?

NOTE: This is my view for my family. I’m not telling you how to live or what to eat. I’m simply giving you the reasons why we eat bread and why we think the anti-bread age is possibly kind of silly. If you don’t want to eat bread, that’s great. Can I have your piece?

Image by BryanAlexander

Here are 4 reasons we eat bread (they might also be 4 reasons why we’re not popular. Ha!!)

1. Bread is very cost effective. In the big scheme of things, bread products are rather cheap to serve. They’re obviously less in cost than meat, dairy, or even vegetables. I can get a 25 pound bag of wheat berries for about $25. If you’re on a strict budget, bread fits in great. Since I grind my own wheat, I feel good about feeding my family whole grain. It’s good – it’s filling – and we enjoy it. Even if you don’t grind wheat, a 5 pound bag of white wheat flour isn’t that expensive.

2. We like it. This one is pretty obvious. However, there will be some who say “just because I like it doesn’t mean I should eat it!” You’re spot on. Just because I’d like to eat a whole loaf of french with real butter doesn’t mean I should. First, I’ll get sick…second, carbs in mass quantity aren’t good for you. But, I don’t think we should deprive ourselves of the things we like. Like bread? Eat it in moderation…just like everything else. Like chocolate cake? Eat a piece once (maybe twice) a week – it’s even better if you make it from scratch.

3. It makes a fast and delicious breakfast. If we had to cut out bread, I’m not sure what we’d eat for breakfast all week. Yes, there are eggs and meat and veggies and fruit…and gluten free oats. But really, I think one would get really tired of eggs or oatmeal all the time – and our budget can’t take the hit of serving meat at every meal.  So, to make my budget work I make muffins, pancakes, or scones. Made with whole grain, they’re very filling and last us until lunch (except when I’m pregnant and eat every 20 minutes) – paired with some fruit, breakfast is done!

Image by Editor B

4. I REALLY believe that God intended us to eat bread. There are several foods in the Bible that God mentions – honey, milk, wine, meat, vegetables, etc. Bread is one of those foods. If bread were AWFUL for us and would kill us slowly, would Jesus have called himself the Bread of Life (John 6:35)? I don’t think so. He didn’t call himself The Sugar of Life or The Jelly Belly® of Life. (Believe me - I checked!)

I've heard people mention that the bread we eat today is not the same that Jesus ate – so I can’t compare the two. And I know that’s likely right…but I’d be VERY surprised if anything we eat in this age is the same as it was in Jesus’ time. Does that mean we should just give up eating altogether? I sure hope not…because I’m hungry. :)