With spring in the air, people are thinking about new beginnings, making healthy choices and finding ways to eat better and promote a healthier lifestyle. Dieting, vitamins, exercising, eating less and eating right, are all some of the well-known secrets to good health. Sometimes however, it just takes sticking with the basics. At Chabaso Bakery, an artisan bread company headquartered in New Haven, CT, they do just that. Chabaso bakers hand-mix whole grains and other wholesome ingredients, then take their time making bread the old-fashioned way.

“Our whole grain breads are nutritious and all-natural, a deliciously smart choice,” says Charles Negaro, Founder and CEO of Chabaso. “Sometimes it doesn’t take a drastic change or rigorous regimen to make a positive difference. At Chabaso, we are keeping it simple and adding taste by baking with whole grains in a big way. As a natural source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, it makes good sense to add whole grains to help balance any diet.”

Experts agree. “Eat whole grains more often,” suggests nutrition researcher Joanne Slavin of the University of Minnesota. “We are finding that other things in whole grains like antioxidants and lignans, and various phytochemicals may help reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.” Harvard researchers reported that research participants who ate more whole grains had a lower risk of diabetes. "When you eat whole grains, you get more fiber and more micronutrients like folic acid, magnesium, and vitamin E," says Walter Willett, chairman of the Nutrition Department at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Being artisan bakers, Chabaso Bakery has been using whole grains and seeds in some of their recipes ever since opening the bakery in the mid-nineties. “Because whole grains are proving to be so beneficial, I’m often asked why more people don’t eat them more often,” reports Chabaso marketing director Dorothy Radlicz. “I believe that people don’t know enough about them, where to find them, or how to incorporate them into their diets in a reasonable way. We’re very familiar with old world recipes and baking techniques using all-natural ingredients, but we succeed in business by being guided by our customers’ choices. Whole grain bread sales have grown significantly in recent years. Because we trust that our customers are making smart choices,” Radlicz explains, “we are committed to providing a wide range of whole grain products to meet this growing demand.”

To better understand whole grain health benefits, and to help today’s careful shopper find and enjoy foods rich in whole grain goodness, a non-profit consumer advocacy group was established. This organization, the Whole Grains Council, created a symbol to identify products made with whole grains. “Chabaso Bakery is a member of the Whole Grains Council,” explained Negaro, “and many of our most popular artisan bread products carry the council’s stamp of approval. It’s our way to emphasize Chabaso’s commitment to healthy and delicious bakery products.”

For more information on whole grain breads, or where to buy them, go to Chabaso’s website at www.chabaso.com