why does white bread have less calories than wheat?

take a look at all of the ingredients. Whole Wheat bread actually contains more sugar than white bread.
If you're looking for a healthier alternative that doesn't contain wheat, buy sprouted grain bread. It's delicious!

mine depends on what i am eatinf if it is a sandwitch i eat wheat, if it is sloppy joes i eat white buns, pasta i dont like the wheat so i eat regular, just depends on what meal i have

While calorie counting is, in its most basic sense, about a number, the theory behind it is getting the most bang for your buck. There are a certain amount of nutrients you need for your body to function each day. Using calorie counting, you are trying to meet those needs with the fewest calories. This means you need to look for the most nutrient dense foods. It doesn't mean you completely deprive yourself of some indulgences, but overall you should be trying to fill up with the best fuel possible.

So. I can go eat a donut, for say 250 cals. I could also go eat a steak for 250 cals. Which will give me the most nutrition? Obviously, the steak.

The issue with white bread is in how the flour is processed. White flour is processed to the extent that many of the nutrients you need are removed, and what you are left with is a simple carb. Simple carbs are broken down in the body easily, and easily stored as fat, without conveying much in the way of nutrients other than basic energy. Simple carbs are processed so quickly that you feel hungry again very quickly, prompting you to eat more. Since this leads to eating again (and probably more simple carbs), you may actually end up eating MORE cals than if you had chosen the higher cal wheat bread.

Wheat bread is more of a complex carb, which takes longer for the body to break down, so it isn't stored as fat as easily/quickly. And it contains the whole grain, which includes fiber, which is good for your intestines. Also, the complex carbs make you feel full longer, because it takes longer for them to be broken down - meaning you're less likely to be as hungry as quickly.

So, while a slice of white bread may contain less calories, you receive very little benefit from those calories. If you take an equal amount of each bread, say 100 grams - you receive much more nutrition and satisfaction from the wheat, for the same amount of food.

So, when possible, it's better to choose whole grain wheat, even if the cals are a little higher. :flowerforyou:

if i eat white bread, i find im hungry again quite quickly. It might have less cals but it doesnt sustain for very long, so i end up snacking more

Now that is an amazing response and I completely agree to what you say. Nice!

ladyhawk00, Now that was a great response to the question!

Also, the soysos response is right on. You can make 100% whole wheat flour bread but it is dense, dry and crumbly unless you add more than just the basic four of bread making (flour, water, salt, and yeast).

When I make 100% whole wheat or 100% rye "loaf" -- more properly described as a "brick" or "doorstop" I add a good deal of vital wheat gluten to try to keep the crumbling at bay. I also use more liquid, maybe some honey, milk, whey, whatever to avoid total dry- as-concrete consistency.

When it comes right down to it, though, if you've never had a thin slice of a deeply moist, heavy as lead, 100% rye, you ain't lived. Speaking of which, I might just put a loaf together now. It's still early enough in the day for that. Hubby will be very happy and I can control myself with rye -- rather than inhale the whole loaf before it cools to room temp!

While calorie counting is, in its most basic sense, about a number, the theory behind it is getting the most bang for your buck. There are a certain amount of nutrients you need for your body to function each day. Using calorie counting, you are trying to meet those needs with the fewest calories. This means you need to look for the most nutrient dense foods. It doesn't mean you completely deprive yourself of some indulgences, but overall you should be trying to fill up with the best fuel possible.

So. I can go eat a donut, for say 250 cals. I could also go eat a steak for 250 cals. Which will give me the most nutrition? Obviously, the steak.

The issue with white bread is in how the flour is processed. White flour is processed to the extent that many of the nutrients you need are removed, and what you are left with is a simple carb. Simple carbs are broken down in the body easily, and easily stored as fat, without conveying much in the way of nutrients other than basic energy. Simple carbs are processed so quickly that you feel hungry again very quickly, prompting you to eat more. Since this leads to eating again (and probably more simple carbs), you may actually end up eating MORE cals than if you had chosen the higher cal wheat bread.

Wheat bread is more of a complex carb, which takes longer for the body to break down, so it isn't stored as fat as easily/quickly. And it contains the whole grain, which includes fiber, which is good for your intestines. Also, the complex carbs make you feel full longer, because it takes longer for them to be broken down - meaning you're less likely to be as hungry as quickly.

So, while a slice of white bread may contain less calories, you receive very little benefit from those calories. If you take an equal amount of each bread, say 100 grams - you receive much more nutrition and satisfaction from the wheat, for the same amount of food.

So, when possible, it's better to choose whole grain wheat, even if the cals are a little higher. :flowerforyou:

Well said, but I think the piece you are leaving out here is if you are eating at a deficit, you are not storing fat, if you are storing fat, you are not eating at a deficit...doesn't matter what you are eating, matters if you are eating at a deficit or not.

White bread on average is less calories dense and there are a few reasons for that. One is obviously what most have already stated, whole wheat contains the whole grain which means more fat and a tad more natural sugar. Also if you look at most whole wheat breads you will notice that a majority of them have a larger mass per slice. More mass = more calories. If you find whole wheat bread with the same exact size as a piece of white bread you will not see quite as large a calorie difference, though there is still one usually.

Second is that white bread rises more because of how its manufactured. It has more air baked in. Ever taken a loaf of white processed and squished the entire thing down into the size of a baseball. Try doing that with a real Whole Wheat loaf (not the "wheat" loafs that are not actually whole wheat at all. You can squeeze them down quite a bit but they don't compress nearly as much. There are other reasons for this besides density but that it the major contributor.

Bottom line is one should embrace the extra calories since white bread these days is almost empty calories. If they weren't forced by law to refortify the bread with nutrients it would be a complete waste of calories.

The one thing you do have to watch out for is heavily modified whole wheat bread, there are so many brands out there that add in extra fat and sugar to improve the taste, its easier then finding a better recipe and some companies are just lazy that way. I have seen some crazy added sugar totals in some whole wheat bread.