Is there any Preservative Free Bread?

Bread, Bread, glorious Bread....

How do you know which one is best ? Which is healthiest? Which tastes the best AND has no additives/ preservatives?

Well, if you are like me and don't have too much time on your hands, you do most of your shopping at a big grocery store like Super Walmart or Target and also get supplies while you're at it. Otherwise any health food store would suffice since most of them are about "healthy" food anyway. Just read the labels carefully!

I wanted to find a packaged bread that I could get with my weekly grocery shopping so I didn't need to drive to find a health food store just for bread. After spending literally an hour at the bread isle and reading label after label, I came across this brand of bread at Walmart. It's called EarthGrains. And this is what it has on the front:

It has this on the front of it "Natural. No Artificial colors, flavors or preservatives" and it's 100% whole wheat.
It also contains NO high fructose corn syrup and No hydrogenated oils, which is a definite plus.

Here's the side label:

Everything looked great except for 1 ingredient: Calcium Sulfate. What? I thought there were no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives in this bread?  Here is the exact definition on Wikipedia: Calcium sulfate (or calcium sulphate) is a common laboratory and industrial chemical. So is the information on this bread a LIE?
Looking at this in further detail, I found that Calcium Sulfate is really just calcium salt and is used as a white powder in form in foods for spoilage, thus a preservative/additive. Digging deeper, I also found that it "could" have trace amounts of crystalline silica in it which in this article (here) gives details that it is classified as a carcinogen which definitely is not healthy for us. As most carcinogens are linked to Cancer in humans.
So, with all this being said, I will not be buying this bread even though I already mistakenly did because I was fooled by the writing on the bag.

I just can't believe the FDA would consider this safe and they can put it on their bread as one of the ingredients and still say that it is "Natural"! Read the ingredients people! Don't be fooled by the writing on the front of ANY food you buy. Sad, but true.

Regular Yogurt vs Greek Yogurt which is better?

So what's all the hype about Greek Yogurt lately? It's all people are talking about these days. And there's so many types and flavors. Which is the best? Which is the healthiest? What's the difference between regular and greek yogurt?

THE TASTE. I tried a few different brands of regular yogurt: Yoplait, Mountain High, Dannon, and Walmart's Great Value yogurt.

       

I noticed excess liquid on top that needs to be stirred. Texture-wise, some have a clumpy consistency while others are one big clump with liquid all around. Flavor seems to be based on the fat content being where the more the fat the yogurt contains, the richer it tastes. Tartness and sweetness vary in each brand.

Now for Greek yogurts. I tried Yoplait Greek, Chobani & Trader Joes Greek yogurt.

Both Yoplait and Chobani tasted good but were thin in consistency, didn't contain as much liquid as regular yogurt, although Chobani I noticed had a stronger odor. Not sure what exactly it was but it did not smell appealing. The best tasting yogurt I have EVER had is from Trader Joe's - the Trader Joe's Greek Nonfat yogurt plain. I can add fruits and honey and nuts and I feel like I'm in heaven. Thick, tastes great, barely any liquid and low in calories.

HEALTH BENEFITS
Greek Yogurt has most of the liquid whey removed, which makes it more thicker and creamier like sour cream and tolerable for those with lactose issues. It also has less sodium, sugar & carbs and a lot more protein! Stick with the nonfat kind though or else your bound to get a lot of fat with it.

While keeping all the good elements of yogurt such as calcium and live bacterial cultures, this yogurt will become your new favorite yogurt after you give it a try. And the best part is - No chemicals, additives or preservatives!