I avoid flour - my healthy bread takes less than 5 minutes of effort

As many of us become more health-conscious, we are re-evaluating our diets and making changes for the better. One food that is a staple in many households but is often is shop-bought packaged bread.

Many of these everyday loaves contain . But while opting for a freshly-prepared sourdough loaf from a local bakery is likely to contain fewer such ingredients, it's also going to be a lot more expensive.

However, ultra-processed ingredients aren't the only reason to consider cutting down on white bread, . Scientists say white bread "is not the best bread for most people". Science and nutrition firm Zoe stated: "Based on data from more than 20,000 individuals, our scientists predict that for 55% of people it's best to only eat white bread once in a while, and only in small amounts."

This is because of its effects on blood sugar and the gut microbiome. Refined flour, a simple carbohydrate, can cause blood sugar to spike in many individuals. Over time, repeated blood sugar spikes can lead to inflammation, which can be detrimental to your health and result in chronic illness. Scientists at Zoe stated: "Based on our research, white bread is likely to cause large blood sugar spikes in just over half of the population."

They also suggested that white bread was more prone to enhancing the "bad" bacteria in your gut microbiome, which scientists increasingly view as vital to our overall health.

However, there are clear reasons why bread is a staple in our diets: it's tasty, versatile, affordable and goes with nearly everything. So I created a healthy bread that contains no flour.

And not only is it made without flour, but it's also packed with extremely healthy ingredients, such as lentils, Greek yoghurt, eggs and spring onions. And it requires just five minutes of effort before placing it in the oven.

Another fantastic feature of this bread is that you can mix and match so many of the ingredients - for instance, you don't have to include the spring onions or spinach (although these do provide additional health benefits) and you can top with different seeds, like pumpkin seeds. Or you could add even more ingredients, like some chopped walnuts.

If it's a day or two old, consider slicing it and frying each slice in some oil for extra crunch and flavour.

How to make healthy lentil bread

Ingredients

200g lentils (soaked in water for about two hours)

2 eggs

2 tablespoons Greek yoghurt

2 spring onions, finely chopped

100g feta, crumbled

1 tsp salt

some ground pepper, to taste

1 tsp baking powder

50g fresh spinach, chopped

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Sesame seeds for topping

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Add the soaked lentils, eggs and yoghurt to a blender and blend until smooth.

3. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl then add all the other ingredients and mix together.

4. Line a loaf pan with greaseproof/parchment paper and pour the mixture in, then sprinkle some sesame seeds on the top.

5. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the bread has risen and a toothpick or skewer comes out clean.