Recently I had the pleasure (or displeasure, depending on who you ask) of being chosen to select a loaf of bread from my local grocer, Target. Despite learning a great deal during the experience, it is not one I would soon repeat. The bread aisle is daunting even to the most seasoned experts; so you can only imagine how a relative amateur like myself, under an additional time crunch, must have felt.

Ranging from a garden-variety bagel all the way to a sesame seed coated hamburger bun, the bread aisle has been the mainstay of grocery stores across the United States for decades. In that time the American consumer has simultaneously grown more discerning and less agreeable. In the early days, often a single type of bread was available, but now options assault the senses from every angle. Cheap breads, expensive breads, round breads, square breads, and maybe even a tortilla! It’s just too much to manage, the cognition required isn’t present in your average shopper, and I’m no different.

In the face of this insurmountable complexity, it is necessary to limit the field of potential options. Right off the bat, you can eliminate the top shelf. Top shelf grocery store bread is an extravagant waste of resources; if you want great bread without breaking the bank, make it yourself. The bottom shelf is usually not the place to go, but it can sometimes have what you’re looking for if you have a specific purpose, like getting some plain white bread for a grill out in the park. Wheat specializations can sometimes be a distraction, but in this case the pictured Golden Wheat selection was a welcome diversion, with its hefty, thick slices. At the end of the day, you can’t leave the bread aisle empty handed; some bread is better than no bread, so don’t get to stuck on all the options.