Tinapay ng Aking Buhay

Aside from rice, bread is also one of the staples Filipinos could not live without with. Mornings won’t be complete without the very famous pandesal (a soft and browned bun) taken with black coffee. Meriendas or afternoon snacks could be sweetened breads like muffins and cakes, slices of loaf breads, big monays and star breads, cookies and chewy ensaymadas. This is just a short list compared to the very broad picture of the famous bread clan.

Growing up, I developed the taste for bread. If I eat bread in the morning, I could survive the whole entire afternoon eating nothing. It’s like rice for me. I could even eat a whole loaf of bread, eat a pack of cupcakes and eat a box of donuts all by myself! But as I age, I realized more of our commercialized breads are now being overdosed with sugar, artificial sweeteners and preservatives, additives and even extenders. Like vegetables and meat, bread also spoils in a few numbers of days after manufacturing/baking. The usual life span of dry breads is for 4-5 days only while the soft ones shorter if not kept inside the fridge. That’s why some bread manufacturers include instructions on their packages advising consumers to store bread in cool temperatures to maintain freshness.

In the past few months I was looking for bread that will suit the healthy lifestyle I would like my family to look forward to. I started with buying those expensive and branded ones that claim to have nutritional value yet they didn’t meet my taste and my family’s. We were like buying bread most of the time but still didn’t get on the right track, until one Saturday I decided to switch stores to do my grocery shopping. As I was almost to the check out counter, I passed by the store’s bread section and I spotted Nature’s Bread’s selections. I chose their wheat bread because I’ve always heard this kind is healthier than the white ones. I started out with two bags. On my next shopping trip I bought four then to six by the following week. Nature’s Bread’s Wheat Bread does not only taste good, it looks good as well and smells good. It’s like being in an oat and barley field where you can smell the aroma of ripening grains. It’s best partnered with some processed or homemade fruit jams and jellies.

Let’s admit the fact that many of us today are hooked in salted chips, fries and junk foods. These gunks won’t give us any better effect, even the slightest. When craving for something to eat for a snack, why not try to gobble a wheat bread sandwich loaded with your favorite fill-ins like those in famous fast food restaurants – some tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese, a slice of ham, some mayo or just with a simple sandwich spread. You’ll save yourself from indulging too much on food that won’t give you any gain for your health.