White Pasta, rice and bread are Complex Carbs

DocGu

To my knowledge the real difference between refined and unrefined (or less refined) is the fiber content, which is significantly greater in the unrefined, which does make a significant difference due to blood sugar regulation.

If you have someone who is eating a ton of sugary foods, with no regards to calorie intake then eating a whole wheat bun with a 2000 calorie meal isn't going to make a lick of difference.

If you are very cognizant of your diet and sugar intake and are in relatively decent health then eating 'white' foods probably isn't going to make a difference.

BUT (and it's a big but) the blood sugar issue is a real issue that effects a lot of people.

If you are having issues with blood sugar control or have a hard time being satiated by your meals, then it may be in your interests to try less refined foods.

Since this is a forum (mainly) dedicated to losing weight then I think that it is pretty safe to say that there are many many people on this message board who are struggling with the above issues. And every little bit helps.

neanderthin

To my knowledge the real difference between refined and unrefined (or less refined) is the fiber content, which is significantly greater in the unrefined, which does make a significant difference due to blood sugar regulation.

If you have someone who is eating a ton of sugary foods, with no regards to calorie intake then eating a whole wheat bun with a 2000 calorie meal isn't going to make a lick of difference.

If you are very cognizant of your diet and sugar intake and are in relatively decent health then eating 'white' foods probably isn't going to make a difference.

BUT (and it's a big but) the blood sugar issue is a real issue that effects a lot of people.

If you are having issues with blood sugar control or have a hard time being satiated by your meals, then it may be in your interests to try less refined foods.

Since this is a forum (mainly) dedicated to losing weight then I think that it is pretty safe to say that there are many many people on this message board who are struggling with the above issues. And every little bit helps.

Actually white and whole wheat pasta are both a low GI and the difference the extra fiber makes in the whole is minimal....a few points on the GI scale. Even though whole flour is used it's still ground down enough top make a pasta, which renders the particles very very small and not the same thing as whole bread where you see actual whole grain, and that's why the difference is minimal. Low GI is good for blood sugar control and both white or whole wheat make little difference.

issyfit

To my knowledge the real difference between refined and unrefined (or less refined) is the fiber content, which is significantly greater in the unrefined, which does make a significant difference due to blood sugar regulation.

If you have someone who is eating a ton of sugary foods, with no regards to calorie intake then eating a whole wheat bun with a 2000 calorie meal isn't going to make a lick of difference.

If you are very cognizant of your diet and sugar intake and are in relatively decent health then eating 'white' foods probably isn't going to make a difference.

BUT (and it's a big but) the blood sugar issue is a real issue that effects a lot of people.

If you are having issues with blood sugar control or have a hard time being satiated by your meals, then it may be in your interests to try less refined foods.

Since this is a forum (mainly) dedicated to losing weight then I think that it is pretty safe to say that there are many many people on this message board who are struggling with the above issues. And every little bit helps.

Good post. Since I follow South Beach guidelines I try to keep my blood sugar levels even throughout the day and prefer not to let them fluctuate by eating highly refined carbs.

PJilly

White bread or whole grain bread they are all refined (yes white bread more than whole but given the fact it's bread its refined.) The truth is that as a society we eat too many refined foods. IMHO the obesity epidemic gets worse and worse due to the fact we eat entirely too much refined foods. The raise your insulin level which in turn raises your hunger levels. Are you going to fall over dead if you eat white bread? No, everything in moderation. But the truth is there are lots of people eat their poptart/toast/muffin for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and pasta for dinner, and can easily be under their calorie count and are having problems losing weight. Its because of too much refined foods, your body floods your system with insulin and in turn your hunger levels increases.

I must be the exception to your truths, then, because I have oatmeal for breakfast, bread for lunch, croutons on my salad in the afternoon, pasta/rice/potatoes (varies) for dinner, and either Cheerios or popcorn for an evening snack, and as long as my calorie count is in check, my weight is as well.

Howbouto

[/quote]
I must be the exception to your truths, then, because I have oatmeal for breakfast, bread for lunch, croutons on my salad in the afternoon, pasta/rice/potatoes (varies) for dinner, and either Cheerios or popcorn for an evening snack, and as long as my calorie count is in check, my weight is as well.
[/quote]

Well no you kinda made my point. Oatmeal, rice, potatos, and popcorn are all unprocessed grains (assuming brown rice). Bread past, croutons (which in volume in salad aren't much) cheerios, and pasta are processed. I sounds like you balance them well.

AeolianHarp

GI is largely bunk anyways. People condemn foods because of that scale and potatoes have got the shaft as well as jasmine rice (which I love but has the same GI as pretty much pure glucose if I recall correctly).

In the end, whole grains or not, there are better sources of nutrients (modern processing of whole grains damn them to anti-nutrients), so if you're going to eat grains then you might as well eat the one that tastes best. Whole grains are largely overrated, which is why I rarely consume them and try and consume a lot more vitamins and minerals from vegetable and meat sources.

weathergirl320

GI is largely bunk anyways. People condemn foods because of that scale and potatoes have got the shaft as well as jasmine rice (which I love but has the same GI as pretty much pure glucose if I recall correctly).

In the end, whole grains or not, there are better sources of nutrients (modern processing of whole grains damn them to anti-nutrients), so if you're going to eat grains then you might as well eat the one that tastes best. Whole grains are largely overrated, which is why I rarely consume them and try and consume a lot more vitamins and minerals from vegetable and meat sources.

thats what i do as well. i dont eat any of them really. i get my nutrients from veggies and meats and a little dairy and fruits. actual FOOD . im sure it does make a difference though because now that i actually chnged what i eat and not just counting calories, the weight is falling off me. where before i was just gaining or stagnant.

weathergirl320

and also, people read "Whole grain" and think automatically it means healthy. when it really doesnt make that much of a difference at all. except a slight increase in fiber really. i fell privy to this mindset when i first got diagnosed with celiacs i made the #1 rookie mistake and went out and replaced everything with a bunch of gluten free crap. and guess what, a gluten free cookie is still a cookie!!!! not "healthy" or "nutritous"!!! which is where common sense comes in to play and people have to realize just because something is marketed at healthy doesnt mean it is. the difference of whole grain and regular products is so slight and for me, not worth the jack up in price! and plus the other stuff tastes better (minus wheat products for obvious reasons). it really comes down to common sense. like if a company is trying to sell their product as healthy, most likely it isnt. i have a jar of pizza sauce in my pantry that says it has 10 servings of vegetables!!! there is not a single vegetable in the ingredients!!! its freaking pizza sauce! anyone who thinks that is healthy is probably the same person who takes all kinds of gimmicks and fads and all that other diet junk. anyways, i agree with you.

yesthistime

Bump again. Interesting.

rml_16

I didn't watch the video. Does it talk about the benefits of the extra fiber in whole grains and their slower digestion and thus not raising your blood sugar as much as more refined grains?

Plus they taste better.

darlilama

I think it's been pretty well argued out here! "White" doesn't mean simple, it generally indicates more "refined" (processed). Is that bad… well, it doesn't make the food "bad", but it generally does mean some good fiber and/or nutrients have been removed.

Eat a variety of good foods (proteins, fats, and carbs) within your caloric and macro-nutrient needs and, barring special medical conditions, you will be generally healthy and not overweight/obese.

It's not that complex an issue, it just seems like it is.

theartichoke

What an ignorant thing to write. Are you a doctor? For those of us who are diabetics and borderline diabetics white rice and bread are NO different that sugar when we eat them. The glycemic index is through the roof and toxic for us. Not only is your post ignorant, it's irresponsible and could be damaging to a new person one here trying to figure out what's best for their body. Find a group of like minded individuals and spew to them if you need to bestow your great wisdom onto the masses. This is a place where your extreme ignorance could harm the people who need true help the most.

DataBased

This is good news, indeed. I love baking bread and the bread flour I use is fantastic. To get whole wheat bread to rise you almost have to use extra gluten, and I'd rather not. I can get my protein from other sources than gluten.

Thanks for the balanced view.

SergeantSunshine_reused

What an ignorant thing to write. Are you a doctor? For those of us who are diabetics and borderline diabetics white rice and bread are NO different that sugar when we eat them. The glycemic index is through the roof and toxic for us. Not only is your post ignorant, it's irresponsible and could be damaging to a new person one here trying to figure out what's best for their body. Find a group of like minded individuals and spew to them if you need to bestow your great wisdom onto the masses. This is a place where your extreme ignorance could harm the people who need true help the most.

Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?! calm yourself.
Obviously if you have a medical condition to monitor this sort of thing you are an EXCEPTION. What an ignorant assumption otherwise.

PositivelyFlawed

It's not like white bread, pasta etc are the devil, it's simply that whole grain bread, pastas etc are better. More nutrients for the caloric bang.

The difference may seem minute, but if possible why WOULDN'T you choose whole grain products

Catelli Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Spaghetti http://www.catellihealthyharvest.ca/en_CA/products/whole_wheat_pasta/whole_wheat_spaghetti/

Catelli Spaghetti https://www.catelli.ca/pasta/nutritional_pasta_long.htm

A couple less calories, way more fibre, a bit more protein, some add'l Vit A and calcium and iron. Why wouldn't you choose the whole wheat variety?

I also find the taste of whole wheat heartier than plain old white pasta.

SunnyAndrsn

I didn't watch the video. Does it talk about the benefits of the extra fiber in whole grains and their slower digestion and thus not raising your blood sugar as much as more refined grains?

Doesn't make a bit of difference to my Type I diabetic spouse. He drinks orange juice--a simple carb, and his blood sugar will spike in about 15 minutes.

Eats a serving of white pasta--give it an hour and his blood sugar spikes.

Eats a serving of whole grains--give it an hour and his blood sugar spikes.

Carb for carb, there is no statistical difference between the amount of spike he gets, it's just when. For non-diabetics, I'm not sure why it's such a big deal. Of course you should still try to hit your fiber goals for colon health and cholesterol management but that's a different issue.

valpreston

one can always find evidence or opinion to support their beliefs.....I stay away from processed (especially bleached or highly processed) foods and white bread and pasta are certainly that.

But I like to prepare my foods, including baked goods. And if I make it, then I know what goes into it (also why I have raised chickens, ducks and rabbits). I doubt that my Air Buns recipe would work if I used wholegrain, multigrain flour (I haven't tried it, maybe I should), and it is difficult to get anything other that whole wheat flour at the grocery facilities this far north. I paid an arm and a leg for the little 1 lb. bag of buckwheat flour!

mikeyboy

What an ignorant thing to write. Are you a doctor? For those of us who are diabetics and borderline diabetics white rice and bread are NO different that sugar when we eat them. The glycemic index is through the roof and toxic for us. Not only is your post ignorant, it's irresponsible and could be damaging to a new person one here trying to figure out what's best for their body. Find a group of like minded individuals and spew to them if you need to bestow your great wisdom onto the masses. This is a place where your extreme ignorance could harm the people who need true help the most.

Whoa! Slow down! I'm a type 2 and although I agree with most of what you have said, it is important to say that if you are a diabetic and are listening to advice on any forum...you better educate yourself. I have found what works best for me is to somewhat limit carbs, any type. Spred them out throughout the day if you can. Plus what may work for you may not work for someone else, but you prob. already know that. I have a friend, type 2, who acually does better eating "white" carbs.
Exersize, cardio and weight training will matter more than what type of bread you eat! Just my opinion.

SunnyAndrsn

It's not like white bread, pasta etc are the devil, it's simply that whole grain bread, pastas etc are better. More nutrients for the caloric bang.

The difference may seem minute, but if possible why WOULDN'T you choose whole grain products

Catelli Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Spaghetti http://www.catellihealthyharvest.ca/en_CA/products/whole_wheat_pasta/whole_wheat_spaghetti/

Catelli Spaghetti https://www.catelli.ca/pasta/nutritional_pasta_long.htm

A couple less calories, way more fibre, a bit more protein, some add'l Vit A and calcium and iron. Why wouldn't you choose the whole wheat variety?

I also find the taste of whole wheat heartier than plain old white pasta.

While I do try to choose whole grains over white, I do find that I don't like the taste as much. For simply taste, give me the white bread and white pasta every time.

SergeantSunshine_reused

In the end, whole grains or not, there are better sources of nutrients (modern processing of whole grains damn them to anti-nutrients), so if you're going to eat grains then you might as well eat the one that tastes best. Whole grains are largely overrated, which is why I rarely consume them and try and consume a lot more vitamins and minerals from vegetable and meat sources.

This is me too ^^ I try to get most of my vitamins and such from veggies. Which is where I get most of my fiber too. SO when it comes to a serving of grains it doesn't make a big difference to me.