Breads White vs Wheat vs Whole Wheat vs Multi Grain
ProudMomNY
Posts: 22
Here is the low down on breads. I worked with a registered dietitian in a nursing home and part of my job was also doing the weekly newsletter which included a nutrition section. This is a copy of the report I did on breads.
A Wheat grain or wheat berry has 3 important sections to it. The bran, germ and endosperm.
To get the full benefit of the grain, you want to buy WHOLE WHEAT BREAD and here's why.
There are many breads in the market with fancy wrappers. They boost about how healthy they are, but in reality the only one you need to buy is "whole wheat bread."
White bread is milled down very fine and only uses one part of the grain. The endosperm. This leaves out some very important natural nutrients from the whole grain. Which the manufacturer then adds back in with chemical additives. It also leaves out fiber which is essential for your body to function properly. There are 30 nutrients are that are removed during the refinement process. By law they only have to add 5 back in. There's also barely any healthful fiber left in the bread. You'd have to eat 8 slices to get the benefits of one slice of "whole" wheat bread, not just plain wheat bread.
Wheat bread is basically white bread with just a few nutrients added back in or left in. They mill the endosperm then add back in a tiny bit of the bran and wheat germ, so basically it's still white bread.
There are also some white breads that have coloring added. Check the nutritional labels. The first ingredient on any nutritional ingredient list, be it food or hand lotion, is the biggest part of that product.
Mulit-grain bread is just that. They have added cereal grains to the flour (The word "cereal" comes from Ceres, a pre-Roman goddess of agriculture. Cereal includes any plant from the grass family that yields an edible grain (seed). The most popular grains are barley, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, sorghum, triticale, wheat and wild rice. Because cereals are inexpensive, are a readily available source of protein AND HAVE MORE CARBS than any other food.) but the base of the Multi-grain bread is mostly all white flour or a very large part of it.
Whole wheat bread is important in your diet. They use all parts of the wheat grain. All the natural vitamins are still in the grain after milling. Whole wheat bread helps withthe following:
*Helps digestion
*High in fiber which helps with bathroom issues
*The Journal of the American Medical Association has written that whole wheat also cut's heart diease by 20% percent. Very important! Especially for diabetics. Diabetes is also known as a cardovascular diease.
*Helps you feel full (Just eatin moderation, 2 slices a day is good, use at breakfast or use at lunch. Sometimes I'll split them up. Using one slice at breakfast and one at lunch. I toast a slice then slice it horizontally to make two very thin slices to hold my sandwhich contents)
What you want to buy is a whole wheat bread. Check the ingredients because apparently some breads are using a color to mask the white flour.
Whole wheat bread can help lower the risk of heart diease, as well as help you feel full.
I buy the "Light whole wheat bread by Country Kitchen". It's very good. It doesn't have that bitter after-taste that I notice WW breads do.
As far as "clean eating goes. Whole wheat bread is the best choice. Cutting out whole grains from your diet isn't sustainable. You'll start craving carbs later on. So choose a light whole wheat bread you can add to your diet and feel satisfied by. Only add it to one meal weither it's toast at breadfast or in a sandwhich at lunch.
So the end result I found after all this research was " Buy Light Whole Wheat Bread" nothing else can compare to the benefits of whole wheat.
A Wheat grain or wheat berry has 3 important sections to it. The bran, germ and endosperm.
To get the full benefit of the grain, you want to buy WHOLE WHEAT BREAD and here's why.
There are many breads in the market with fancy wrappers. They boost about how healthy they are, but in reality the only one you need to buy is "whole wheat bread."
White bread is milled down very fine and only uses one part of the grain. The endosperm. This leaves out some very important natural nutrients from the whole grain. Which the manufacturer then adds back in with chemical additives. It also leaves out fiber which is essential for your body to function properly. There are 30 nutrients are that are removed during the refinement process. By law they only have to add 5 back in. There's also barely any healthful fiber left in the bread. You'd have to eat 8 slices to get the benefits of one slice of "whole" wheat bread, not just plain wheat bread.
Wheat bread is basically white bread with just a few nutrients added back in or left in. They mill the endosperm then add back in a tiny bit of the bran and wheat germ, so basically it's still white bread.
There are also some white breads that have coloring added. Check the nutritional labels. The first ingredient on any nutritional ingredient list, be it food or hand lotion, is the biggest part of that product.
Mulit-grain bread is just that. They have added cereal grains to the flour (The word "cereal" comes from Ceres, a pre-Roman goddess of agriculture. Cereal includes any plant from the grass family that yields an edible grain (seed). The most popular grains are barley, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, sorghum, triticale, wheat and wild rice. Because cereals are inexpensive, are a readily available source of protein AND HAVE MORE CARBS than any other food.) but the base of the Multi-grain bread is mostly all white flour or a very large part of it.
Whole wheat bread is important in your diet. They use all parts of the wheat grain. All the natural vitamins are still in the grain after milling. Whole wheat bread helps withthe following:
*Helps digestion
*High in fiber which helps with bathroom issues
*The Journal of the American Medical Association has written that whole wheat also cut's heart diease by 20% percent. Very important! Especially for diabetics. Diabetes is also known as a cardovascular diease.
*Helps you feel full (Just eatin moderation, 2 slices a day is good, use at breakfast or use at lunch. Sometimes I'll split them up. Using one slice at breakfast and one at lunch. I toast a slice then slice it horizontally to make two very thin slices to hold my sandwhich contents)
What you want to buy is a whole wheat bread. Check the ingredients because apparently some breads are using a color to mask the white flour.
Whole wheat bread can help lower the risk of heart diease, as well as help you feel full.
I buy the "Light whole wheat bread by Country Kitchen". It's very good. It doesn't have that bitter after-taste that I notice WW breads do.
As far as "clean eating goes. Whole wheat bread is the best choice. Cutting out whole grains from your diet isn't sustainable. You'll start craving carbs later on. So choose a light whole wheat bread you can add to your diet and feel satisfied by. Only add it to one meal weither it's toast at breadfast or in a sandwhich at lunch.
So the end result I found after all this research was " Buy Light Whole Wheat Bread" nothing else can compare to the benefits of whole wheat.
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Replies
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I still each white baguettes and enjoy regular pasta. I'm all about a balanced diet, but if I'm hitting my fiber goals then there is nothing to worry about. In the end, this is just another one of those things that people spend endless hours worrying about that just doesn't matter.
Hit your calorie, protein, fat and fiber goals, and make sure to exercise.0 -
How about whole grain? My favorite is still whole grain white bread.0
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I still each white baguettes and enjoy regular pasta. I'm all about a balanced diet, but if I'm hitting my fiber goals then there is nothing to worry about. In the end, this is just another one of those things that people spend endless hours worrying about that just doesn't matter.
Hit your calorie, protein, fat and fiber goals, and make sure to exercise.
belaboring this point....0 -
Well really the article wasn't about fiber, it was about all the nutrients lost during the processing of the white flour and also the benefits of whole wheat vs all the other breads. Being a diabetic I also know how the white flours affect blood sugars more profoundly then the whole wheat because the other nutrients normally lost in white flour, those lost nutrients help with the blood sugar levels. This is why they recommend healthy whole wheat over white breads. Whole grains are better for you. Yes white flour in any form is ok in moderation, occassionally but I wouldn't recommend it on a daily basis. It's not healthy. The part that it is also heart healthy seems to have been lost in the reading of the article0
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But whole wheat bread doesn't taste as good as white (and don't get me started on whole wheat pasta. What an abomination that is. Oh and brown rice. Ick.) And I'm against eating stuff I don't like.
It's a lifestyle choice. That includes white bread and white rice daily and white pasta often. And never any of the brown stuff.0 -
Whole grain is mostly cereal grains see the Multi grain paragraph above. The base is usually white flour or wheat flour which I addressed also.0
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I agree whole grain pasta is horrible, I myself use Dreamfields pasta which is very low in the glycemic levels and doesn't affect my blood sugars at all. but the article was about breads and you really have to shop around for a whole wheat that is good. I mentioned that the Country Kitchen light whole wheat did NOT have that bitter taste to it like the others0
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But whole wheat bread doesn't taste as good as white (and don't get me started on whole wheat pasta. What an abomination that is. Oh and brown rice. Ick.) And I'm against eating stuff I don't like.
It's a lifestyle choice. That includes white bread and white rice daily and white pasta often. And never any of the brown stuff.
Each to their own, personally I don't like the texture or taste of white bread and prefer multigrain. Same with brown rice, prefer the texture. If I'm making pilau then I'll use white rice but that's about it.0 -
Whole grain is mostly cereal grains see the Multi grain paragraph above. The base is usually white flour or wheat flour which I addressed also.
I eat a 12 whole grain bread...it is not white flour based, it is whole wheat...I've tried any number of whole grain breads over the years and I'm very conscious of ingredient labels and I've never seen one that has a base of white flour. Maybe they're out there but I would hesitate to say that most whole grain breads have a base of white flour...never seen it.0 -
For you, it does not matter. Great!I still each white baguettes and enjoy regular pasta. I'm all about a balanced diet, but if I'm hitting my fiber goals then there is nothing to worry about. In the end, this is just another one of those things that people spend endless hours worrying about that just doesn't matter.
Hit your calorie, protein, fat and fiber goals, and make sure to exercise.0 -
I must be one of those weirdos that enjoy whole wheat and multi grain and brown rice...0
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I'd add: If you are looking for healthier breads, aim for 100% whole wheat bread. And look at the ingredient list Many commercial breads call themselves whole wheat but then aren't, or whole grain, but then only a bit. And many have bizarre things like HFCS in them.
When I eat bread, I personally look for a tasty bread, that's 100% WHOLE grain, with at least 3 grams of fiber, and has a short ingredient list that does not include HFCS.
Ezekiel is a favorite.0 -
I agree it is up to personal taste, but the article wasn't about rice or pasta it was about breads. It was about the difference between the breads, the processing and which was more beneficial then the other. Not trying to force it on anyone just sharing a report I ha done for a medical community, so people can make an educated decision in the grocery stores when trying to choose a bread they can live with and that won't hurt their attempts at being as healthy as possible. Just sharing here gang.0
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yes I believe I did mention that whole wheat bread numerous times in the article but thanks for the info0
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Did someone ask about this, or are we just being treated to another "my research says X is unhealthy" post for the fun of it?0
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For you, it does not matter. Great!I still each white baguettes and enjoy regular pasta. I'm all about a balanced diet, but if I'm hitting my fiber goals then there is nothing to worry about. In the end, this is just another one of those things that people spend endless hours worrying about that just doesn't matter.
Hit your calorie, protein, fat and fiber goals, and make sure to exercise.
Is this the part where you tell us that we're all special and different and/or point to people who are outside of the norm as reasons that basic principles shouldn't be promoted?0 -
Thank you for the info! I have been trying to figure out some good bread to eat.0
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Sorry, what?
For you, it does not matter. Great!I still each white baguettes and enjoy regular pasta. I'm all about a balanced diet, but if I'm hitting my fiber goals then there is nothing to worry about. In the end, this is just another one of those things that people spend endless hours worrying about that just doesn't matter.
Hit your calorie, protein, fat and fiber goals, and make sure to exercise.
Is this the part where you tell us that we're all special and different and/or point to people who are outside of the norm as reasons that basic principles shouldn't be promoted?
and, um...excuse me?0 -
For you, it does not matter. Great!I still each white baguettes and enjoy regular pasta. I'm all about a balanced diet, but if I'm hitting my fiber goals then there is nothing to worry about. In the end, this is just another one of those things that people spend endless hours worrying about that just doesn't matter.
Hit your calorie, protein, fat and fiber goals, and make sure to exercise.
Is this the part where you tell us that we're all special and different and/or point to people who are outside of the norm as reasons that basic principles shouldn't be promoted?
bingo0 -
but the article wasn't about rice or pasta it was about breads.
I wouldn't get too precious about where a thread goes.
For weight loss, energy in less than energy out. For other health objectives some of this might have a bearing, but there are lots of ways to get the required nutrition.0 -
I still each white baguettes and enjoy regular pasta. I'm all about a balanced diet, but if I'm hitting my fiber goals then there is nothing to worry about. In the end, this is just another one of those things that people spend endless hours worrying about that just doesn't matter.
Hit your calorie, protein, fat and fiber goals, and make sure to exercise.
This.
ETA: I go for taste. There's a local bakery I like to buy at that makes theirs with fresh ground whole wheat, honey, yeast and water. Best. Bread. Ever. It's a bit expensive and I have to freeze half of it.0 -
You're very welcome. I'm glad that the report on the differences in bread has helped someone here. That's really all it was about. I know when I did the report I was amazed to find that wheat bread, mulit grain and whole grain breads base were usually white flour. Who knew! It's an important fact for people who may or may not have medical conditions to know, but WHOLE Wheat wasn't white flour based.0
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For you, it does not matter. Great!I still each white baguettes and enjoy regular pasta. I'm all about a balanced diet, but if I'm hitting my fiber goals then there is nothing to worry about. In the end, this is just another one of those things that people spend endless hours worrying about that just doesn't matter.
Hit your calorie, protein, fat and fiber goals, and make sure to exercise.
Is this the part where you tell us that we're all special and different and/or point to people who are outside of the norm as reasons that basic principles shouldn't be promoted?
:flowerforyou:0 -
Sorry, what?
For you, it does not matter. Great!I still each white baguettes and enjoy regular pasta. I'm all about a balanced diet, but if I'm hitting my fiber goals then there is nothing to worry about. In the end, this is just another one of those things that people spend endless hours worrying about that just doesn't matter.
Hit your calorie, protein, fat and fiber goals, and make sure to exercise.
Is this the part where you tell us that we're all special and different and/or point to people who are outside of the norm as reasons that basic principles shouldn't be promoted?
and, um...excuse me?
I thought it was a rather straightforward comment. :indifferent:0 -
I suppose it was, yes. And silly.
Sorry, what?
For you, it does not matter. Great!I still each white baguettes and enjoy regular pasta. I'm all about a balanced diet, but if I'm hitting my fiber goals then there is nothing to worry about. In the end, this is just another one of those things that people spend endless hours worrying about that just doesn't matter.
Hit your calorie, protein, fat and fiber goals, and make sure to exercise.
Is this the part where you tell us that we're all special and different and/or point to people who are outside of the norm as reasons that basic principles shouldn't be promoted?
and, um...excuse me?
I thought it was a rather straightforward comment. :indifferent:0 -
I suppose it was, yes. And silly.
Sorry, what?
For you, it does not matter. Great!I still each white baguettes and enjoy regular pasta. I'm all about a balanced diet, but if I'm hitting my fiber goals then there is nothing to worry about. In the end, this is just another one of those things that people spend endless hours worrying about that just doesn't matter.
Hit your calorie, protein, fat and fiber goals, and make sure to exercise.
Is this the part where you tell us that we're all special and different and/or point to people who are outside of the norm as reasons that basic principles shouldn't be promoted?
and, um...excuse me?
I thought it was a rather straightforward comment. :indifferent:
To you it was silly. Great!0 -
Thanks Proud Mom NY. I am not diabetic like you are, but I don't want to be either, so I am always looking for low glycemic ingredients. Not to say I never eat baguettes or white rice, but I try to eat low glycemic whenever possible. I like Dreamfields, too.0
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You're very welcome. I'm glad that the report on the differences in bread has helped someone here. That's really all it was about. I know when I did the report I was amazed to find that wheat bread, mulit grain and whole grain breads base were usually white flour. Who knew! It's an important fact for people who may or may not have medical conditions to know, but WHOLE Wheat wasn't white flour based.
Whatever you do don't listen to the fit people. We're all clueless when it comes to lifestyle change.
And no, I'm not saying experience = knowledge, but at some point you would think people would at least take note.
Whole grains are a modern thing. White bread and white rice are far more common and have been for a very long time and yet, the incidence of diabetes skyrocketed over the last few decades. You would think that this calories in vs. calories out concept would get more traction than it does . . .
But meh. Enjoy chasing windmills.0 -
If you're watching how foods affect your glucose levels, do look for the added sugars. It won't matter if it's 100%whole grain if it has HFCS or corn syrup, or sugar. The country kitchen breads do, alas.Thanks Proud Mom NY. I am not diabetic like you are, but I don't want to be either, so I am always looking for low glycemic ingredients. Not to say I never eat baguettes or white rice, but I try to eat low glycemic whenever possible. I like Dreamfields, too.0 -
It's a bit meaningless to talk about "white" vs "whole wheat" bread - there are million ways to make either - there is a world of textural and taste difference between white Wonder Bread and an equally white baguette. Same for browner breads - a world of difference between a Russian rye and pumpernickel vs a loaf of "whole wheat" sandwich bread from the chain store bakery.
Personally, I love baguettes and will never ever give them up. I also love heavy, dark-as-night breads, and won't give those up, either. I just make sure they fit inside my calorie and macro goals.
One thing is for certain - white bread didn't cause the obesity pandemic, that much is certain.0
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