Wheat vs. White Bread Calories?

caesarslaw
caesarslaw Posts: 45
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
hello everyone! I have a quick question about whole wheat bread vs. white bread. I was at Trader Joe's yesterday and was looking at the bread calories and there was only a difference of about 10-20 calories for serving. I love bread (the white variety haha sometimes whole wheat tastes like dust to me) but since I started I've really cut down on it but was wondering is it bad that I choose white bread over wheat bread in terms of calories? Will it affect my weigh loss as long as I stay within the carbs limit and calorie limit? I understand that whole wheat bread has more nutrients but in terms of strictly losing weight, besides the few extra calories, why is white bread bad for you?

Replies

  • JMCade
    JMCade Posts: 389 Member
    I think white bread is bad because of the bleaching and all the additives? A lot more chemicals that are harder for your body to break down.
  • NYCDutchess
    NYCDutchess Posts: 622 Member
    White bread turns to sugars (carbs) faster that Whole Wheat. But don't be fooled Enriched Wheat breads aren't really good either...

    All Breads turn to sugars, it's just how fast which determines what your body does with these sugars.
  • t_rog
    t_rog Posts: 363 Member
    You're right, there isn't much of a difference in terms of calories. The thing is, wheat bread is better for you in terms of whole grain, sugars, etc.
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
    White bread turns to sugars (carbs) faster that Whole Wheat. But don't be fooled Enriched Wheat breads aren't really good either...

    All Breads turn to sugars, it's just how fast which determines what your body does with these sugars.

    Basically this.

    And emphasizing reading the labels. Even the "wheat" breads can be the same as white. If you are going to eat bread, look for it to say WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR as the first ingredient....and not the front like Sara Lee saying "made with whole grains" that's totally different from being whole grain.
  • snowflakelaia
    snowflakelaia Posts: 214
    make your own whole grain bread ^_^
  • MissKMN
    MissKMN Posts: 119
    There is a huge...huge difference in terms of health.
    In terms of JUST calories, a calorie is a calorie but that's a pretty bad way to look at it.

    Whole wheat (whole is the key word here) or whole grain bread is much healthier for your body. Not only does it have more fiber (and often more protein) but it takes your body a lot longer to break it down, keeping you fuller longer. It doesn't cause spikes in your blood sugar or insulin levels as it is processed and digested much slower, and won't leave you hungry quickly after.

    I am a convert - I used to HATE wheat or grainy bread...I loved white bread and it's all I ate. Over time I forced myself to switch to whole grain or ezekiel bread and now I can't imagine going back to white. I feel so much better after eating it both physically and guilt wise and after giving up white carbs I haven't been tired for a second.

    If you want to understand the whole process of why its better...check out the article below:

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/whole-grains/NU00204
  • aeckels616
    aeckels616 Posts: 210 Member
    It will affect your weight loss, but not strictly because of the calories. White flour is really bad for you - as my MIL, the Ph.D. who has done TONS of research on nutrition says, it's "poison" for the body. It drives the blood sugar crazy, which is why every other food on the glycemic index is measured against it (and sugar). It's also really addictive, so it will slow weight loss AND leave you wanting more and more.

    Best to avoid it altogether and opt for whole grain (not to be confused with "multi-grain") or rye. Check out a glycemic index chart and choose a bread that registers below 55.
  • caesarslaw
    caesarslaw Posts: 45
    ahhh sugars...didn't look at that. I'll try to find a tastier whole wheat bread. Yeah, I read about looking at ingredients to check that it's authentic haha.
  • caesarslaw
    caesarslaw Posts: 45
    thanks for the replies! any recommendations for a good whole wheat bread? I shop at Safeway and Trader Joes and CVS (I know great options). Just b/c it's confusing w/ the whole wheat, whole grain, multi grain, etc., so would love some recs for tasty and healthy wheat ones. Surprisingly, when I eat at subway I get their wheat one (hmm I don't think it's multi grain) and find it tasty.
  • JMCade
    JMCade Posts: 389 Member
    Exactly right! They market their product by putting with whole grains on the package, but you really have to read the ingredients. If the very first words aren't whole wheat, you're getting jipped! 100% or nothing!
  • EDesq
    EDesq Posts: 1,527 Member
    WHOLE Grain (wheat, rye ...) bread is best. If it is not whole grain it may as well be "white." It's about the way it breaks down in the Body and releases insulin into the bloodstream. Quick rise insulin levels is a BAD thing! Also, the added fiber and nutrients are very important in whole foods.

    All bread is high glycemic but if you have to choose...go Whole Grain.
  • helthymom6
    helthymom6 Posts: 77
    basically if they wave it near a whole grain they can call it made with whole grains. It is amazing what they can get away with!
  • DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo
    DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo Posts: 296
    hello everyone! I have a quick question about whole wheat bread vs. white bread. I was at Trader Joe's yesterday and was looking at the bread calories and there was only a difference of about 10-20 calories for serving. I love bread (the white variety haha sometimes whole wheat tastes like dust to me) but since I started I've really cut down on it but was wondering is it bad that I choose white bread over wheat bread in terms of calories? Will it affect my weigh loss as long as I stay within the carbs limit and calorie limit? I understand that whole wheat bread has more nutrients but in terms of strictly losing weight, besides the few extra calories, why is white bread bad for you?

    on your next visit to Trader Joe's try their brand of Quinoa bread... I have never been a white bread eater ( grew up on whole wheat bread) but since I started eating the quinoa bread, I dont even like the taste of Whole WHeat anymore
  • bexfield
    bexfield Posts: 21
    Hey, I found this and hope it will help.

    "Foods with a low glycemic index, like whole oats, are digested more slowly, causing a lower and gentler change in blood sugar. Foods with a score of 70 or higher are defined as having a high glycemic index; those with a score of 55 or below have a low glycemic index."

    "Diets rich in high-glycemic-index foods, which cause quick and strong increases in blood sugar levels, have been linked to an increased risk for diabetes, (5) heart disease, (6, 7) and overweight, (8, 9,10) and there is preliminary work linking high-glycemic diets to age-related macular degeneration, (11) ovulatory infertility, (12) and colorectal cancer. (13) Foods with a low glycemic index have been shown to help control type 2 diabetes and improve weight loss."

    (Source: Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source at http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/carbohydrates)

    Here's a chart with the glycemic index of breads : http://www.glycemicedge.com/glycemic-index-chart/glycemic-index-of-bread/

    White bread scores a 70, whole wheat a 69, whereas whole grain scores a 40.
  • aeckels616
    aeckels616 Posts: 210 Member
    WHOLE Grain (wheat, rye ...) bread is best. If it is not whole grain it may as well be "white." It's about the way it breaks down in the Body and releases insulin into the bloodstream. Quick rise insulin levels is a BAD thing! Also, the added fiber and nutrients are very important in whole foods.

    All bread is high glycemic but if you have to choose...go Whole Grain.

    Exactly.
  • NYCDutchess
    NYCDutchess Posts: 622 Member
    hello everyone! I have a quick question about whole wheat bread vs. white bread. I was at Trader Joe's yesterday and was looking at the bread calories and there was only a difference of about 10-20 calories for serving. I love bread (the white variety haha sometimes whole wheat tastes like dust to me) but since I started I've really cut down on it but was wondering is it bad that I choose white bread over wheat bread in terms of calories? Will it affect my weigh loss as long as I stay within the carbs limit and calorie limit? I understand that whole wheat bread has more nutrients but in terms of strictly losing weight, besides the few extra calories, why is white bread bad for you?

    on your next visit to Trader Joe's try their brand of Quinoa bread... I have never been a white bread eater ( grew up on whole wheat bread) but since I started eating the quinoa bread, I dont even like the taste of Whole WHeat anymore
    Theres Quinoa bread? I love Quinoa!! Thanks, gna check this out!
  • DaisyBayberry
    DaisyBayberry Posts: 50
    I don't have a Trader Joe's near me, but I am curious about the Quinoa bread. Is it wicked expensive? Because I looked for Quinoa for a recipe this week and it was ridiculous. I could not afford it at all.
  • MissKMN
    MissKMN Posts: 119
    You can get the Quinoa bread at Whole Foods as well - I moved and no longer have a Trader Joes around me (SOOOOO disheartening)...

    I also hugely recommend Ezekiel bread. I practically live off of this and Quinoa as my "grain" intake. Ezekiel is flourless and has no added sugars and is considered "nutritionally complete"...I personally love it. It is a VERY dense, heavy bread but I would never switch back. They also do cereals which I LOVE, and wraps (which I'm not a huge fan of but I'm trying).

    If you find a grain you love such as quinoa, you can find they make almost everything out of it! Quinoa flour, quinoa pasta, quinoa bread, etc. I personally don't even eat pasta anymore, I just put pasta sauce on a big bowl of sprouted quinoa and am LOVING it!
  • DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo
    DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo Posts: 296
    besides buying quinoa bread at Trader Joe's. I also have successfully made this recipe ( using both red or white quinoa)...

    http://www.neverhomemaker.com/2010/05/red-quinoa-bread.html


    What you'll need . . .

    * 1 cup raw quinoa (we used red quinoa, but any kind will do)
    * 2 cups of water
    * 1/2 cup raw walnuts, chopped
    * 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
    * 3/4 cup water, wrist temperature
    * 1/3 cup agave nectar (again, we used Xagave)
    * 1/4 cup sunflower oil (or canola)
    * 2 tablespoons flax meal
    * 3 tablespoons grainy mustard
    * 2 cups unbleached white bread flour
    * 1 cup whole wheat bread flour
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt



    Method . . .

    1. In a medium saucepan, combine the 2 cups of water with the red quinoa. Cook over medium to high heat -- stirring as necessary -- for between 10 and 15 minutes. It's "done" when all the water is absorbed. Set aside to cool.
    2. Whisk together your 3/4 cup warm water with the yeast (I did this in the bowl of an electric mixer). Let sit until frothy -- about 5 minutes.
    3. Add the agave, oil, flax meal, and mustard to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
    4. Using a dough hook, stir in 1 cup of the unbleached white bread flour. Add the salt, too.
    5. Now add the quinoa and walnuts. Continue stirring until well combined.
    6. Now add the whole wheat bread flour and the other cup of the white bread flour. Continue mixing with your dough hook for about 5 minutes. You may wish to just knead yourself on a lightly floured work surface.
    7. Dough is "ready" when it is smooth and elastic. So work in more flour if it's sticky. Add water if it's dry.
    8. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel for 2 hours -- until doubled in bulk.
    9. Then oil a large loaf pan. Shape the dough into an oval, smoothing the top, and place inside the pan. Cover with your plastic wrap and let rise again for 1 hour.
    10. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a pie pan with an inch or so of water in it at the bottom of your oven when you're ready to place your loaf inside.
    11. Bake for 30 minutes -- routinely checking to see if the top is browning too much -- and then cover with tin foil and bake for another 15 (or so) minutes until the loaf is done.
    12. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes . . . and then remove to let cool completely on a wire rack.


    4595207150_a29db45eb9.jpg
  • k_ewilliams
    k_ewilliams Posts: 43
    Calorie wise, a difference of 20ish calories is definatly not a deal breaker.
    But what you have to be thinking of is nutrient density.

    A lot of white bread is enriched so that all the nutrients from the removal of the germ is not lost. ( the germ is the part where are the nutrients are) white bread consists of the endoderm...which mostly is all starch...aka a lot of glucose.
    However, folate, some vit b's, and that are added. But fiber is not, which is the complex carb that everyone desires lol.

    I'm the same, I detested whole wheat bread, I thought it tasted awful, but then after learning all the benefits I was missing out, mainly fiber, I switched over. Now I totally avoid white bread, it's like a complete 180 degree turn! Lol
    But if you can't grow on the taste of it stick with an enriched white bread.
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