Store-Bought Multigrain Breads Made With Questionable Ingredients

Multigrain bread is touted as a healthier option than a standard white loaf. After all, bread with several types of grain is more natural, right? Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. While some brands carry healthy options, other multigrain breads contain questionable ingredients. For the purpose of discussion, we define this term as ingredients that simply shouldn't belong in bread. 

Think of harmful preservatives and chemicals or overly processed foods with little to no nutrients. Sadly, questionable ingredients aren't always obvious. It's not like bread companies are openly advertising the use of these food products. Instead, they'll redirect your focus to that "multigrain" label, leading you to believe the bread is nothing but healthy. 

If you're trying to make better food choices, it'll require a little detective work. Luckily, we're here to help. We've scoured food labels for suspicious ingredients and reviewed scientific studies to see how these items impact our health. So before you stock up on store-bought bread, read on to learn about multigrain breads made with questionable ingredients.

Pepperidge Farm is known for its sweet treats like Mint Milano cookies and Coconut Cake, which we consider to be a sweet freezer-aisle steal! Mind you, we expect desserts to contain sugar, but bread, not so much. Unfortunately, sugar is the third ingredient listed on Pepperidge Farm Multigrain bread, with each slice containing 5 grams of sugar, 4 of which are added.

The Canada Sugar Institute admits that aside from calories, sugar alone has no nutritional value. Yet, people are consuming it left and right and the effects are increasingly problematic. The British Medical Journal reviewed thousands of studies to determine the effects of sugar, and the results aren't ideal. Sugar was linked to metabolic, cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric, and dental issues, and was also associated with increased body weight and fat accumulation.

When trying to eat healthy, nutritionists often recommend eating as close to nature as possible. However, aside from sugar, Pepperidge Farm Multigrain bread contains preservatives like calcium propionate and sorbic acid. It's also made with enriched wheat flour as opposed to whole wheat. These ingredients have gone through extra processing, making them less likely to get a nutritionist's stamp of approval.

The idea of old-fashioned multigrain bread sounds healthy and the package advertises that it's free of artificial colors or flavors. The brand also delivers on its name, with 12 different grains including wheat, barley, corn, millet, and oats. Many of these ancient grains belong in your pantry — but in a pure rather than processed form. Meanwhile, the term "enriched" is misleading. You might think the bread has simply been enhanced with extra vitamins and minerals, making it even healthier than it was originally. Unfortunately, things aren't so straightforward.

Enriched whole wheat flour has gone through a process where the bran and germ are separated. Although this helps the flour last longer, it also strips it of many nutrients. Manufacturing companies then add nutrients back in, enabling them to slap that "enriched" label on their bread. Sadly, the fiber isn't always replaced, so enriched products tend to contain less fiber overall. This means instead of providing slow and steady energy, your blood sugar will spike faster.

This product also contains several different sweetening agents, including honey and light brown sugar. Combined with a number of hard-to-pronounce preservatives and dough conditioners, we'd be wary of this bread. It may provide health benefits from the dozen grains, but we're not sure it's worth all the questionable additions.

Rustik Oven Hearty Grains & Seeds has several of the common offenders already mentioned on this list, like enriched flour. It also contains sea salt, which isn't inherently bad, or even questionable. However, it does contribute to overall sodium content, which in this case is a shocking 280 mg per serving, the second-highest amount on our list. Making matters worse, a serving is merely one slice of bread. If you were to consume a sandwich, you'd be eating 560 mg of sodium, nearly a quarter of your recommended daily intake, from bread alone.

Sodium is an essential mineral that helps our nerves function properly. But too much of a good thing can be harmful, especially in this case. The Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports that excessive sodium is linked to increased blood pressure. Even when blood pressure is normal, too much sodium can negatively impact the cardiovascular system, kidneys, and brain. Ultimately, sodium tolerance depends on the individual, and to understand yours better, we recommend consulting with a health care professional. But if you've already been told to watch your sodium intake, you may want to reconsider this multigrain brand.

Nature's Own Thick Sliced Multigrain Bread slices are thick-cut and dusted with flour to create that fresh-from-the-bakery feeling. It's touted as being low-fat and free of high fructose corn syrup. But despite the thick slices and health claims, this bread still has less than 1 gram of fiber per 110-calorie-a-slice serving. This is likely because it's made with highly processed, enriched flour. As mentioned, enriched flour is stripped of nutrients, so we aren't surprised to see less fiber. But close to zero fiber for a grain-based bread is pretty shocking.

Fiber intake is essential to keep our digestive system regular. It can also stabilize glucose levels and help us maintain a healthy weight. The USDA recommends adults consume between 25 to 38 grams of fiber a day. A low-fiber diet is associated with many uncomfortable digestive issues like constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. It's also linked to more serious conditions like heart disease and cancer. To increase your fiber intake, opt for other multigrain bread brands or leafy green veggies. And although Americans don't embrace this perfect food, beans are also a great source of both fiber and nutrients. 

When you look at the Country Hearth Multigrain Bread label, you'll notice it has 3 grams of added sugar per serving. That extra sweetness comes from multiple sources we didn't expect to find in bread, including light brown sugar, molasses, honey, and raisin juice concentrate. Although this bread might taste yummy, you might begin to crave that sweetness. A Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Review study found that sugar activates reward centers, much like addictive drugs would, which can lead to overeating and obesity. 

Unfortunately, it's not the only ingredient that caught our eye. Several unusual-sounding additives, preservatives, and dough conditioners were on the list, like monocalcium phosphate, calcium propionate, and monoglycerides. Monoglycerides are a misleading ingredient that can contain trans fats, which are known to contribute to cardiovascular problems. But since monoglycerides are technically considered an emulsifier, they don't fall under the FDA's trans fat ban. When avoiding trans fats, be wary of this ingredient.

The "thin" in this product's name gives off the illusion that you're eating something light and healthy. One Oroweat Multigrain Sandwich Roll contains 150 calories, which is slightly less than most sandwiches with two slices of bread. However, this bread is definitely not light on ingredients. The long list includes leavening agents, preservatives, and gums.

One of these questionable ingredients, xanthan gum, is widely used as a thickening or stabilizing agent in processed products. But despite its widespread use, it's known to cause digestive issues. A British Journal of Nutrition study found that it increased the frequency of bowel movements and gas and altered the gut microbiome. Chances are, this isn't the only product on your pantry shelf with xanthan gum. You're likely consuming far more than you realize. So, if you have an uneasy stomach after consuming processed foods, consider avoiding this questionable ingredient.

Another concern about this ingredient list is the sheer amount of salt. Salt contributes to the total sodium content of a product, which in this case, is fairly high. One serving of sandwich thins has 290 mg of sodium, 13% of the daily recommended amount. Bread isn't always considered a high-sodium food, so this number could come as a shock. If you're watching your sodium levels, you may want to steer clear of this multigrain option.

Pepperidge Farm Light Style 7 Grain Bread is advertised as a lighter alternative to regular bread. Naturally, we'd assume it's healthier than the brand's standard multigrain variety. It only contains 45 calories per slice, but it also has many of the same questionable ingredients like sugar and preservatives. But apparently, sugar wasn't enough to sweeten this product. What truly sets this light bread apart is sucralose, an artificial sweetener.

Using sucralose helps bring down the bread's calorie content. But is the trade-off worth it? We think not, especially considering the potential side effects of artificial sweeteners. The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine conducted a thorough review of artificial sweetener studies and determined that artificial sweeteners can lead to gut dysbiosis. This is a fancy way of saying the balance of healthy to bad bacteria is off. As the scientific review explains, this can lead to inflammation and multiple diseases.

Who doesn't love dinner rolls? There are many types of dinner rolls, several of which are soft, fluffy, and sweet. We'd imagine Country Hearth Dakota Style 12-Grain Dinner Rolls fit this description since they're made with high fructose corn syrup — and that's not the only sweetener present. The ingredients list also includes light brown sugar and raisin juice concentrate. However, high fructose corn syrup is notoriously bad for your health and is believed to contribute to obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. 

Luckily, we don't often see high fructose corn syrup in multigrain bread. This processed sugar isn't even present in the majority of the other options listed here. Multigrain breads tend to have an earthier, nuttier flavor rather than be sweet. So if you're craving multigrain bread but avoiding this harmful ingredient, it shouldn't be difficult. Avoid Country Hearth's dinner rolls, opting for a healthier store-bought variety. And if you have the energy, try baking homemade bread with nutritious ingredients like whole wheat or white whole wheat flour. 

One serving of Thomas' Light Multigrain English Muffins has 100 calories, while the brand's regular multigrain muffins have 150. It might be lighter in calories, but it still has a long list of ingredients, several of which sound straight out of a science textbook. Calcium propionate, polydextrose, and soy lecithin come to mind. It's hard to imagine picking up these items and eating them in their purest forms. Even the vague-sounding term "natural flavors" makes us suspicious. As such, we dove into the details of a few of these chemicals to understand how they affect the body.

A study published in Nature found that propionate preservatives immediately impacted hormones, increasing blood sugar. Most people associate a rise in blood sugar with actual sugar, but it turns out that these processed chemicals can have a similar effect. So even though one muffin has less than 1 gram of sugar, it doesn't mean your blood glucose is in the clear. Meanwhile, the European Food Safety Authority reviewed polydextrose as an additive, reporting that it has a laxative effect, and recommended it not be marketed within the EU. 

Like many products on this list, these English muffins also contain soy and soy lecithin. Soy is controversial in health circles, and although it has some benefits, it might not be great for everyone. Some people experience stomach upset after consuming soy, and it can cause thyroid issues for people with iodine deficiency. 

Thomas' English muffins have long been a breakfast staple and they also make an excellent bread choice for grilled cheese sandwiches. Unfortunately, Thomas' full-calorie multigrain muffins aren't any better than their light counterparts. We actually feel this product is even more concerning since it contains additional ingredients. These include questionable components like dextrose and sorbic acid.

When you hear words ending in "ose," it means sugar is involved, and dextrose is no exception. This sugar is derived from corn or wheat and is similar to blood sugar. As such, it has a high glycemic index (GI) and increases blood sugar quickly. This is great if you're in need of instant energy or have low blood sugar. But most of the time, high GI foods wreak havoc on our blood sugar regulation, and over time, frequent spikes can lead to type two diabetes.

Sorbic acid is widely used and you'll notice it in many of the bread products listed. But despite its popularity as a food preservative, its effects aren't entirely clear. One study published in the Journal of Food and Drug Analysis found that sorbic acid had a negative impact on fat metabolism, contributing to a fatty liver. A fatty liver is also a precursor to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and stroke.

Sara Lee is a big name in the dessert world. The boxes with their iconic red ribbon call out to us from the frozen food aisle. The brand offers cheesecakes, pies, and cream pies galore, all of which we expect to have a hefty amount of sugar and some questionable ingredients. However, Sara Lee's Artesano Smooth Multigrain Bread gives the allure of a healthier item. But just as you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, food packaging can be deceiving — and when we flipped over this loaf, we discovered a less-than-ideal nutritional label.

It seems this brand can't escape the sweet stuff, and its multigrain bread is no exception. The third ingredient listed is sugar, and further down you'll notice molasses as well. The item has a total of 3 grams of sugar per slice, which adds up if you're eating a sandwich or two a day.

The product also contains enriched wheat flour and soybean oil, which seems to have snuck into many processed foods. UC Riverside reports that increased consumption of soybean oil is linked to obesity, diabetes, anxiety, and depression. However, university researchers went a step further by conducting their own tests. After feeding mice a diet high in soybean oil, they noticed a decrease in good bacteria and an increase in bad bacteria in their guts. We need more human studies to know exactly how it impacts us, but for now, we'd avoid overconsuming this vegetable oil.

This Sara Lee bread might have "healthy" in its name, but it's not fooling us. It only has 45 calories and less than a gram of sugar per slice, but it packs some questionable ingredients. One of these, DATEM, is unfamiliar to most. At first glance, you may assume it's related to the date fruit. However, DATEM definitely doesn't grow on trees. The acronym stands for diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono- and diglycerides, a chemical used to stabilize gluten during the baking process.

The FDA recognizes DATEM as a safe emulsifier, but research shows otherwise. A Microbiome study showed that DATEM led to decreased gut bacteria. The microbiome (aka the balance of gut bacteria) is a hot topic these days, since studies are showing just how important it is to your overall health. After all, the gut is responsible for producing many hormones along with housing up to 80% of your immune cells (per Nutrients). It makes sense that altering the microbiome would also impact these systems.

Like many food products, Brownberry's packaging focuses on its healthy attributes. The brand's Multigrain Sandwich Thins Rolls has no artificial colors or flavors, however, it does contain "natural flavors," a confusing term in the food world. The ingredient seems intentionally vague because while it sounds healthy, we have no idea what it actually consists of.

According to the FDA, "natural" flavors must be derived from plant or animal sources — but there aren't many qualifications beyond that, and the quality of this source can be controversial. The FDA's vague specifications don't rule out crops sprayed with harmful pesticides or genetically modified organisms. Natural flavors can also undergo heavy processing, and the end result may be far removed from nature, contributing little to no nutritional value.

Natural flavors aren't the only item that caught our attention. Brownberry's Multigrain Sandwich Thins advertise premium ingredients — and it does contain sea salt and olive oil. But sadly, this product also runs the gamut with a long list of questionable ingredients, including gums, DATEM, monoglycerides, additives, preservatives, and enriched flour.