There are many types of bread in the market but none so special as Hearty Bread which is healthy, yummy, and easy on the budget. This post contains materials provided by Hearty Bread plus my (and my family’s) review of their products.
A special type of diet usually arises from a health condition or a call for a healthier lifestyle. Having to adapt to a new diet is hard enough especially if this is accompanied by medicines in the case of those who have diabetes, cancer, renal failure, and other diseases that call for a Low-Carbohydrate/ Sugar-Free diet.
Why go gluten-free?
Diabetic Cases
The Philippines is considered one of diabetes “hot spots” in the Western Pacific region. It is estimated that 1 out of 5 Filipinos are diabetic. This statistic is very alarming and calls for the attention of the general public. Several cause-oriented groups have already started campaigns to spread awareness in the hope to help hinder the growth.
It was noted that the unhealthy lifestyle habits of Filipinos are the main cause of diabetes. This was also tackled by World Health Organization and they also included sedentary lifestyles as major lifestyle risk factors, stating that 1 in 3 is overweight and 1 in 10 is obese.
Obesity
Obesity cases are another red flag in the country. Those who consume an excess of sugar and carbohydrates lead to accumulating that excess weight over time.
Per record, the Philippines has an estimated a staggering 18 million citizens who are either obese or overweight.
Cancer Cells feed on Sugar
To clarify, consuming sugar does not cause cancer. Studies have been conducted which prove that sugar essentially feeds tumors and encourages cancer growth. Hence, starving these cells from sugar may help cancer patients.
Given these health conditions, a group of young entrepreneurs has decided to develop bread alternatives for those whose dietary requirements need special attention. Evan Dykimching and Vicson Ngo are the people behind Hearty Bread, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free.
How did Hearty Bread begin?
The company started out as a supplier for some of the major hospitals in the Metro. They cater to doctors and in-house patients with cancer or diabetes.
Evan recounts “When one of our family members got confined in the hospital, we were surprised that the price of our bread was quite high due to several administrative fees”.
With the company’s desire to promote affordable and quality health, they created the brand “Hearty Bread” to make healthy bread readily available and affordable to the general public.
To give you an idea, if you are not familiar with the price of the Gluten-Free/Sugar-Free market, other producers are selling at P500 to P600 per loaf. For most people, this price tag is very expensive.
Hearty Bread Almond Loaf Line
Hearty Bread invested in research & development for two years in order to come up with bread that is double the size and sells at half the price. Hearty Bread’s Almond Loaf line retails at only P180 for the plain Almond Loaf while their Cheesy variants – Cheesy Charcoal and Cheesy Coffee are pegged at P250 per loaf.
Hearty Bread Sourdough/Probiotic Line
They also have other products such as their Sourdough/Probiotic line which includes Malunggay Sourdough Pandesal which sells at P40 for 6 pieces, while their other Sourdough loaf sells at P115. Hearty Bread’s Fruit loaves are also in demand, Banana Sourdough Loaf retails at P200, Banoffee Walnut Sourdough Loaf and Pumpkin Carrot Sourdough Loaf sells at P280 per loaf. These are all Gluten-Free/Sugar-free!
A lot of other products are in the pipeline and are being developed which gives those who are into these types of diets something to look forward to.
Pricelist
Here is the price list to guide you. A quick glance will already show you how much more affordable Hearty Bread is than other gluten-free/sugar-free brands. Also, so many choices! This just makes the journey to good health more fun!
The Review
I cook and I bake so I can appreciate the research that went into making these breads. FYI, sourdough is a much healthier alternative to white bread and is better for digestion, too!
Banana Sourdough Loaf
If you like banana bread then this banana sourdough loaf will be something you would enjoy. Instead of lacatan they used saba which has a smoother consistency and comes out sweeter when ripened (aged) correctly. I would have preferred this loaf with walnuts and probably not as sweet. I am assuming that they used artificial sweeteners like Splenda. I prefer the taste of honey.
Banoffee Walnut Sourdough Loaf
The banoffee walnut sourdough loaf is very similar in taste to the banana sourdough loaf except with the addition of two very important ingredients … coffee and walnuts.
I personally preferred this one but having said that I still found it too sweet. My mom, sisters, and the kids really enjoyed it, though.
Cheesy Charcoal Almond Loaf
I confess, for us, this bread was a turn-off but we gave it a shot … several times in fact! We figured, if Hearty Bread would go to the effort of making this bread there has to be something good about it, right?
Well, like my sister, Ginny said … it is like eating Diatabs if Diatabs were baked into bread. My nephews, niece, and daughter said they couldn’t get passed that grainy charcoal taste. My mom saw it and didn’t even try.
I tried it myself and I really, really gave it a chance but, sadly, even with the addition of cheese and almonds, this loaf of bread did not wow me, not even a little bit. But I understand why they did this. Activated charcoal is known as a good ingredient for improving elimination (aka bowel movement) and addressing flatulence. What I would recommend, perhaps, is not to make it so pure. Probably, half charcoal then half premium sourdough then mix it so it bakes into a marbled loaf. It would still have the activated charcoal but not overwhelmingly so.
Ezekiel Almond Loaf
This was easy to eat but we couldn’t find the almond taste … or the almonds. It tastes just like regular bread so the kids could not even taste the difference. Eating it as a sandwich certainly makes it look “normal”.
The taste was also quite mild so this was not difficult for my mom to try. To her, it was just bread, which is a good thing.
Moringa Premium Sourdough Pandesal
For a few years now there has been a campaign to promote malunggay pandesal as an alternative to regular pandesal and, at the beginning people have looked at it with suspicion. Some have tried, and some have continued with what they are used to.
We ourselves have shifted to malunggay pandesal so we had a basis of comparison.
- Hearty Bread’s moringa premium sourdough pandesal is BIG, it is just a little bit smaller than my hand.
- Hearty Bread’s moringa premium sourdough pandesal has just the right level of sweetness.
- Hearty Bread’s moringa premium sourdough pandesal does not have that grainy texture we have come to expect from healthy bread
Multigrain Sourdough Loaf
This was my personal favorite, but then again, I have been known to buy multigrain bread on occasion. At home, I am the only one who really eats multigrain. My parents found it too nutty but I love it!
I would like to request more pumpkin and sunflower seeds, please. 😀
Premium Sourdough Loaf
Of all the bread my family and I got to try this was probably the easiest to try as they couldn’t tell the difference between this and the bread they like to buy in the grocery.
So for someone who is transitioning into a gluten-free/sugar-free diet then this bread is a good way to start.
Hearty Bread outlets
Hearty Bread can be purchased at the following outlets. Find the one closest to you and enjoy!
For more information, you can check out their Facebook and Instagram accounts or visit their website.
Evan also shares the secret to making their bread available at a very low price – “We can really lower the cost of our products since we produce them commercially in volume quantities. We also own the lot where our facilities operate so we don’t pay rent.” He further explains “We make our bread affordable not to kill the market price but to make these healthy bread affordable and help those who are burdened, to begin with.”
