(BPT) - By Eric Dell, President and CEO, American Bakers Association
Every trip to the grocery store is a balancing act. You're watching the budget and doing quick math on how far each dollar will stretch. You're scanning nutrition labels, planning the week's meals, and hoping what lands in your cart will get eaten. And if you're like me, you're looking for convenient options to pack a nutritious lunch before the school bus arrives.
For generations, bread has helped families manage all that juggling. Friday, October 16, is World Bread Day, and it's a good time to appreciate why.
Nutrition You Can Count On
Bread is more than a convenience. A single slice can deliver fiber, iron, magnesium and B vitamins, which are nutrients many Americans don't get enough of. Grain foods like bread contribute nearly 40% of the dietary fiber in the American diet.
Bread also has a remarkable public health record. Enriched grains, a practice built into bread production for more than 80 years, has played an important role in improving nutritional health. Notably, fortification of enriched grains with folic acid is credited with reducing neural tube birth defects by nearly one-third in the United States. Few foods can claim that kind of a public health achievement.
Affordable, Accessible and Dependable
Bread has connected people across tables and cultures for thousands of years. It is a nutritious staple that makes sense for households at every income level. When grocery bills are stretched, bread is a dependable food that delivers real nutrition for your dollar. In fact, 99% of U.S. households purchased a baked good last year. Baking is clearly woven into everyday American life.
From Farm to Family
That dependable loaf doesn't happen by accident. It is the result of the hard work and dedication of American farmers, millers, bakers and the workers who ensure fresh, affordable bread reaches families every day.
The baking industry employs 800,000 people nationwide. In 2024, commercial bakers invested $15 billion in American-grown ingredients like wheat, corn, sugar and eggs. More than 85% of core baking ingredients come from U.S. farmers and processors, and one-third of all flour milled in this country goes to commercial bakeries.
That partnership supports jobs and strengthens local economies. It also keeps shelves stocked, so families can find affordable, nutritious bread wherever they shop.
The Foundation for Everything Else on the Plate
Bread's greatest strength is its versatility. As the foundation for countless meals, bread brings together protein, vegetables and other nutritious foods. Just consider a single day's menu. Avocado toast with your coffee. A pita stuffed with hummus and veggies for lunch. Tuesday taco night with the family.
Bread helps bring together grains, protein and produce to create nutritious, convenient and portable meals that feed both children and adults. Today's bread aisle also offers more choices than ever, including varieties with added fiber, protein or whole grains to fit different appetites and lifestyles.
A Day to Rediscover Bread
A resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2025 celebrates bread as a "nutritious, affordable, and culturally significant staple food." It encourages Americans to explore new varieties and pair them with nutritious foods. We agree.
On World Bread Day, explore the versatility of bread by trying something new, whether a hearty whole grain, a soft flatbread or a sourdough loaf. Pair it with your family's favorite protein and vegetable to create a nutritious, satisfying meal everyone can enjoy.
Bread is nutritious, affordable and familiar, and American bakers, farmers and millers have kept it at the center of our tables for generations.
For more information about bread's role in a nutritious diet, visit www.bakingfeedsamerica.org.
