Bread: Whole Wheat vs. Whole Grain Light

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karmasBFF
karmasBFF Posts: 699 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I realized yesterday that there are whole grain light breads that are much better for you than whole wheat (half the calories!)

What is your take on this? I know there are debates on this but I just want to make sure I am doing myself justice by going with the light whole grain (saves me tons of calories cuz I love bread!!!) instead of 100$ whole wheat.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!
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Replies

  • Nelski
    Nelski Posts: 1,607 Member
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    The healthiest is 100% whole grain. Most wheat bread isn't any better for you than white. Read the ingredients. Make sure none of the wheat is enriched and there are no hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. The less ingredients, the better.
  • karmasBFF
    karmasBFF Posts: 699 Member
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    I heard that also, with regard to the enriching and the HFCS...thanks for the reminder! That will definitely help me decide...any idea why the "light" would have half the calories...it seems like a significant difference.
  • ractayjon
    ractayjon Posts: 365
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    Im not 100% sure where this came from, but it is hanging up as a "take home" at my gym.... it might help to clarify.....I cant vouch for how 100% accurate it is - but it helped me understand what to look for. Sometimes what we eat isnt about calories but about what is better for our body...

    We have all seen it, 100% whole wheat bread that sits next to the white bread. It looks like white bread, but it says enriched. Enriched with what? Well, let me back up a little. When wheat is harvested the whole grain is taken to the refinery. REFINERY, did you see that! The wheat is heated to a point when the germ and the bran fall off. What is left is the starch, the white part, the not good for you part. The part that has a long shelf life and is bug resistant. Do you know why it is bug resistant? Bugs CANNOT sustain life in it. They will die if they only eat this refined grain. So why on earth, with the abundance of good life sustaining food do we eat white flour, which is the starch of the wheat grain ground up. Honestly do I need to answer that? Take a look around and you will see obesity on the rise, and now not only are adults overweight, but kids, little kids are getting more and more fat. Why? We are feeding ourselves all kinds of unhealthy food. Some do it because it is cheaper, some because of taste, and some just because they don't know any better.

    So now that I explained what white bread is made of, let me continue to answer the question of "what exactly is enriched"? After the refinery takes the grains apart and makes white flour, which has no nutrition, they add some vitamins, some minerals, and some fiber, but not even a gram worth. The white bread is enriched with some of the very things they just worked so hard to take out. However, they do not add in as much of the grain they take away, otherwise it would be whole grain. Just enough to add some flavor and calories to it.

    What is whole grain? It is the WHOLE grain used in the process of making bread, cereal and the building blocks of many other foods. For it to be truly healthy whole grain needs to be listed on your bread, cereal or other food in the number 1 or number 2 position on the ingredients list. No, whole wheat flour which is followed by (enriched white flour, niacin, and iron) is not healthy, it is a way of making people believe that they are getting a whole grain bread. They are not lying, it is whole wheat flour, but not whole grain. It did come from the wheat plant and it is all wheat, but not all grain. Whole is just another word like all. If you look a little farther down on the list you will see molasses, why molasses you ask? It colors the bread to make it look brown. Yup, white flour plus vitamins and minerals still does not bring the bran back into the bread. Bran is what helps to give the natural brown color to bread. So, they again, add something to it, to try and make it look like something it is not
  • Nelski
    Nelski Posts: 1,607 Member
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    I would have to see the actual breads myself, but most light breads I've seen are just smaller pieces or less dense, so you are just eating less.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    For my bread I forget about calories. I go for the bread with lots of whole grains and the most fiber & protein per serving (compare serving sizes to ensure they're similar from bread to bread). Then I'm be able to use less of it because it's more satisfying & it's a lot more nutritious than low calorie fluff breads.
  • gnme4243
    gnme4243 Posts: 120
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    I agree that the whole grains are better for you. Not all of them are higher in calories. I eat Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Bread, and it's only got 80 calories per slice, plus, being sprouted grains your body will process the nutrients better. There are no sugars whatsoever in it, and it tastes good. Here's the link if you want to check it out; [/url]http://www.foodforlife.com/procart_catalog/index.cfm?ProductID=33&do=detail[url] :smile:[/url]
  • Oompa_Loompa
    Oompa_Loompa Posts: 1,099 Member
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    Stay away from MULTI GRAIN! Its just more calories and isnt that great for you. I saw it on oprah lol
  • karmasBFF
    karmasBFF Posts: 699 Member
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    WOW! Great post! This explains why my good-for-you cereals and flour and rice gets bugs in it if it sits too long! Now....to get my kids to understand this! LOL
  • karmasBFF
    karmasBFF Posts: 699 Member
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    Thanks, all! Looks like I am going to have to spend much more time in the bread aisle researching the labels because this is just something I cannot give up!!!!
  • Oompa_Loompa
    Oompa_Loompa Posts: 1,099 Member
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    I like pepperidge farms, lite wheat with extra fiber. its so soft and good
  • Oompa_Loompa
    Oompa_Loompa Posts: 1,099 Member
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    oh and only 80 calories for 2 slices. :happy:
  • karmasBFF
    karmasBFF Posts: 699 Member
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    oh and only 80 calories for 2 slices. :happy:

    WOW! Really! The lowest I found is 80 calories for 1 slice!! I am definitely going to research this one with everything I learned in this post!

    I love MFP!!!
  • annastasia76
    annastasia76 Posts: 123 Member
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    What about whole wheat flour that you buy from the store, is that still the same as the wheat they use in the bread and such not good for you?? I bake muffins, bread and pizza with it, I thought it was the good stuff.
  • karmasBFF
    karmasBFF Posts: 699 Member
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    I like pepperidge farms, lite wheat with extra fiber. its so soft and good

    Well, I looked this up and it is only 47 calories per slice, which is great! However, it is an enriched flour, which is not soo great!

    However, for the first steps of cutting back, this is DEFINITELY something I will be stocking! Either way, I'm eating bread (a lot of it!) and yes, it is enriched....might as well eat the lowest calories/fat until I learn to cut back on my bread habit!

    I will also be looking up the other link provided and will post feedback on that too!
  • karmasBFF
    karmasBFF Posts: 699 Member
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    I agree that the whole grains are better for you. Not all of them are higher in calories. I eat Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Bread, and it's only got 80 calories per slice, plus, being sprouted grains your body will process the nutrients better. There are no sugars whatsoever in it, and it tastes good. Here's the link if you want to check it out; [/url]http://www.foodforlife.com/procart_catalog/index.cfm?ProductID=33&do=detail[url] :smile:
    [/url]

    WOW!!! This entire line of products seems great! Although the double the calories of the Pepperidge Farm brand, it is not enriched! And its available at sooooo many places near my house! Will definitely be trying this one also!!!!
  • Nelski
    Nelski Posts: 1,607 Member
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    What about whole wheat flour that you buy from the store, is that still the same as the wheat they use in the bread and such not good for you?? I bake muffins, bread and pizza with it, I thought it was the good stuff.
    I think this could depend on brand, just make sure you read lables.
  • karmasBFF
    karmasBFF Posts: 699 Member
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    What about whole wheat flour that you buy from the store, is that still the same as the wheat they use in the bread and such not good for you?? I bake muffins, bread and pizza with it, I thought it was the good stuff.

    I do the same. I think the key is to make sure that it is not enriched...which is essentially the same as white...with the addition of a miniscule amount of nutrients. I will be checking my whole wheat flour when I get home as I too use it for baking and especially variety pancakes in the morning!
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    Stay away from MULTI GRAIN! Its just more calories and isnt that great for you. I saw it on oprah lol

    This only counts if it's not multi WHOLE grain. If it's multi WHOLE grain, it's good. But, no, "multigrain" by itself doesn't mean anything, really. Just that they used processed flours from more than one grain in the dough.

    [Oprah. :grumble: ]
  • Nelski
    Nelski Posts: 1,607 Member
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    I agree that the whole grains are better for you. Not all of them are higher in calories. I eat Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Bread, and it's only got 80 calories per slice, plus, being sprouted grains your body will process the nutrients better. There are no sugars whatsoever in it, and it tastes good. Here's the link if you want to check it out; [/url]http://www.foodforlife.com/procart_catalog/index.cfm?ProductID=33&do=detail[url] :smile:
    [/url]

    WOW!!! This entire line of products seems great! Although the double the calories of the Pepperidge Farm brand, it is not enriched! And its available at sooooo many places near my house! Will definitely be trying this one also!!!!
    This is a great healthy product, but if you are used to soft white breads it will seem very different to you. It's very dense and not as soft. For me it's a great bread to toast or make a grilled sandwich with.
  • Nelski
    Nelski Posts: 1,607 Member
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    Stay away from MULTI GRAIN! Its just more calories and isnt that great for you. I saw it on oprah lol

    This only counts if it's not multi WHOLE grain. If it's multi WHOLE grain, it's good. But, no, "multigrain" by itself doesn't mean anything, really. Just that they used processed flours from more than one grain in the dough.

    [Oprah. :grumble: ]
    Yes, don't believe everything OPRAH says. There can be 100% whole grain multi grain breads that are healthy.

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