We all love to eat carbohydrates, especially bread. If you have a bread craving, here are some ways to make it healthy so you can eat it more often.

There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. You would think that you need simple ones, but just the opposite is true. Simple carbohydrates are sugars and processed foods full of sugar. They are metabolized quickly, leading to sugar spikes in the blood, which is not good. You will gain a lot of energy but it will be short-lived unless you get a new infusion of sugar.

Complex carbohydrates include whole grains. These grains differ from products labeled “wheat” or “whole wheat” because they are made using the entire seed of the grain. In processing the portion of the seed that contains the fiber and nutrients, these are stripped away, leaving little to no nutritional value unless fortified with vitamins. That is the main problem with white flour products.

Using whole grains to make breads yields lots of good benefits. For one, you get lots of fiber. It keeps your digestive system moving, as well as keeping you full and satisfied when eaten with vegetables and protein.

Secondly, bread is a perfect place to hide other good ingredients. For instance, how about banana bread? Bananas are a good source of potassium, which is good for your heart muscle and can keep you from cramping during exercise. When the banana skin begins to darken, that is when the fruit inside is sweetest. You can reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe and still enjoy the taste.

Bread Recipes

One way to make bread is to use a bread machine. It allows you to combine the ingredients and make the dough without standing and kneading in your kitchen. Add wholesome ingredients such as dried cranberries, orange pieces, raisins and nuts to increase your carbohydrate and protein content.

Many types of bread do not need yeast or a period of rising. These are your sweet breads that can also be healthy when you substitute ingredients. For breads like this, use a combination of whole wheat and white flour. Using whole wheat flour by itself can change the taste of your bread. Instead, read the instructions on the package. It is usually a 50/50 mixture or a 75/25 mixture of white flour to wheat flour. Also, try whole wheat pastry flour which has less gluten than regular whole wheat flour.

For milk, try skim milk, or low-fat buttermilk if the recipe calls for it. Any sour cream or cream cheese can be substituted with the fat free recipe. As for oil, use half as much oil and add natural applesauce to make up the rest. The bread will retain its moisture, but contain fewer calories.

Examples of bread recipes you can substitute and also fix in a flash with healthy staples on hand include:

* Raisin bread
* Banana bread
* Zucchini bread
* Date nut bread
* Chocolate chip walnut bread.

Your staples include:

* Whole wheat pastry flour (from whole foods store)
* Nuts
* Dried fruits
* Bananas
* Chocolate chips
* Eggs
* Healthy canola oil (or olive oil – halve it and substitute applesauce for the other half)
* White flour.

Healthy breads don’t have to take long to fix and enjoy, and leftovers can be frozen for up to a month.