Do Vegans Eat Bread? Is Bread Vegan or Not?

Do vegans eat bread

How to identify whether bread is vegan?

It is usually simple to tell if bread is vegan. You can easily differentiate between vegan and non-vegan bread by looking at its ingredients. The bread which contains eggs, honey, gelatin, royal jelly or dairy-based items like milk and butter are not vegan bread. Some other ingredients that are usually vegan (but not always) are: Mono and diglycerides These are types of fats that are used as emulsifiers to improve texture and to help retain moisture. It is commonly used as food additives as they help water and oil to blend. They are usually obtained from soybean oil but can also be extracted from animal fats.

Lecithin

This is fat which is essential in the cells of the body. This fat can be found in many foods including egg yolks and soybeans. It is also used in the manufacturing of medicines for treating memory disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It is not possible to say whether these two ingredients are made from plant or animal products by simply looking at the label. If you want to make sure that your bread is vegan, it is best that you avoid all types that include diglycerides, monoglycerides and lecithin. You should consume these products only when they are certified as vegan.

Some common types of vegan bread

Sourdough

This is a type of fermented bread that is made from flour, water, salt and sometimes commercial baker’s yeast. People rarely add milk instead of water which makes it non-vegan. The lactic acid that is produced by the lactobacilli gives it a more sour taste and improved keeping quality. A medium slice (64 grams) of sourdough bread contains 170 calories, 33 grams of carbohydrates and 2% of calcium and protein. It is a great source of minerals such as selenium and iron. Sourdough bread is also a great source of vitamin B, which helps in proper nervous system function and helps to regulate our metabolism.

Pita Bread

This is a flatbread made from a simple mixture of flour, yeast, water and salt. Even though this bread is vegan, some people add milk, eggs or honey to enhance its flavour. Pita bread made from 50% sprouted wheat flour has over three times as much folate than pita made without using sprouted wheat flour. Sprouted grains do not increase blood sugar as compared to other grains. This makes them a good choice for people with diabetes or reduced blood sugar control.

Ezekiel

This bread is commonly made from sprouted whole grains and legumes. It is typically richer in protein and other nutrients and is often considered vegan bread. This bread does not contain sugar and is made from organically grown ingredients. This bread contains gluten in the form of wheat, barley and spelt so people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance should avoid this bread.

Ciabatta

This is flat, elongated bread and is recognisable by hard crust and soft airy crumb. Most types of this bread are vegan but not all. Ciabatta al latte is bread in which water is replaced by milk thereby making it non-vegan. A full serving of this bread contains about 260 calories, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fat and 10 grams of protein. The chief component in this bread is flour and its rather gluten-heavy type of flour. Other common ingredients that are used in ciabatta are sugar, salt, and yeast. There are recipes where olive oil is added, it is a highly nutritious type of oil that provides healthy monounsaturated fat which helps in reducing cholesterol level.

Baguette

This is a popular type of French bread, it is long and thin with a crispy crust and tender crumb. This bread is low in fructans, which can reduce the indigestible fibres present in our body. It is also lower in gluten, which can prevent the dormant genes of coeliac disease from being expressed. It provides nutritional benefits such as vitamin B, zinc and iron. As French bread is not a whole-grain product, it provides a small amount of fibre and carbohydrates.

Focaccia

This is an Italian flatbread that is topped with herbs and a source of fat and is baked in a flat pan. In most recipes of this bread olive oil is used as the source of fat. This bread is most;y vegan, but sometimes people add butter and eggs instead of olive oil which makes it non-vegan. Focaccia bread supplies complex carbohydrates that slowly give our body energy and helps in regulating blood sugar levels. This bread does not contain simple sugar like sucrose, which stimulates blood sugar spikes. The bread which is processed a lesser number of times is more likely to be vegan. Furthermore, items such as flatbreads, savoury or dry types of bread are more likely to be vegan. On the other hand, fluffier brioche-types often contain eggs, dairy or both, which makes them non-vegan. However, it is not easy to tell which bread is vegan as there are many exceptions. The best thing you do as a vegan is checking the ingredients label and ensure that no animal product has been added.