white bread vs wheat bread ??? help

Make your own bread with wheat, almond, coconut, or another alternative flour. Go to a bakery. I just wouldn't eat the mass produced bread in stores. Too many hidden things and sugar.

stich0203 wrote: »

I really think we put too much emphasis on being in a caloric deficit than eating what is truly good for our bodies. Eating bleached white bread has less nutrients than whole grain would. I myself would skip the bread entirely and opt for some cuccumber slices and an egg but think about it. A handful of almonds and a glass of Pop have the same caloric value but I think it's an obvious statement that the almonds are a better choice. The almonds will give you energy for longer and takes longer to digest. The coke is sugar and will be processed quickly and converted to fat by your liver because there's not much in there for the body to use. Similarly, white bread has been bleached and much of its nutritional value lost. When you eat it, the body converts to sugar and again the liver processes quickly and converts the sugar to fat. At least with the whole grain, you'll get some nutrition from it and it won't be completely empty calories. Calories are not created equally!

Hear hear!
We place so much emphasis on the sterile mechanics of weight loss we forget about how health and fitness includes wholesome foods, physical and mental well-being and a balanced diet. I'll be the first to admit that I struggle with this on a daily basis because I focus so much on the number on the scale that I take shortcuts myself but i'm trying to change this bit by bit by being more aware of foods I eat and eating healthy despite some days of unhealthy blow outs or unhealthy "starvation" days.

Yes, a calorie deficit is all that is needed to lose weight, but if I subsist on a diet full of twinkies and honey cakes and keep under 1500 cal or whatever my calorie needs are, I end up a sickly, skinny-fat person who still is in the fast moving queue for a host of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc etc.

So its important to realise that while we don't want to cut off ANY type of food completely, we don't want to overdo it with binging either. Too much of a 'good' thing is bad, just as too little of a 'bad' thing is also bad.

OP, like the posters have said, it doesn't really matter as long as you have a deficit calorie-wise, there's no problem enjoying white bread. But whole wheat bread is definitely better - maybe if you're interested in incorporating it because of its added benefits maybe try a white bread with some whole wheat in it (50/50 blends). Also when choosing wheat breads look for whole wheat breads - some companies use label their breads with 'wheat' or 'wheat flour' but the breads aren't actually whole wheat.

More importantly, be careful of breads with added sugars in its many forms - honey, fructose, corn syrup, glucose, etc etc. I'd prefer to bake my own breads - plenty of no knead breads out there you can chuck in the oven and get freshly baked, clean eating bread.

malibu927 wrote: »

As long as you're in a calorie deficit, you'll lose weight. Whether you eat white bread, wheat bread, or no bread.

^^ this.

Kind of boils down to taste preferences as well. If you like white bread, go for it. If you like whole wheat, awesome. Just make sure you are in a calorie deficit.

Life is too short to eat bad bread. Bread calories don't count

I'm personally not a fan of white bread...I like hardy, whole grain breads that also have lots of seeds and whatnot.

This is my favorite sandwich bread...



I like the one in the middle the best.

stich0203 wrote: »

I really think we put too much emphasis on being in a caloric deficit than eating what is truly good for our bodies. Eating bleached white bread has less nutrients than whole grain would. I myself would skip the bread entirely and opt for some cuccumber slices and an egg but think about it. A handful of almonds and a glass of Pop have the same caloric value but I think it's an obvious statement that the almonds are a better choice. The almonds will give you energy for longer and takes longer to digest. The coke is sugar and will be processed quickly and converted to fat by your liver because there's not much in there for the body to use. Similarly, white bread has been bleached and much of its nutritional value lost. When you eat it, the body converts to sugar and again the liver processes quickly and converts the sugar to fat. At least with the whole grain, you'll get some nutrition from it and it won't be completely empty calories. Calories are not created equally!

and this is why you will not lose fat...

stich0203 wrote: »

I really think we put too much emphasis on being in a caloric deficit than eating what is truly good for our bodies.

Hmm. I really wonder which of the posts prior to yours you think you are responding to here. Who said that eating what is good for our bodies is not important? Or do you imagine that if someone chooses to eat some white bread that that person cannot be eating what is good for his or her body? If so, I think you are confused about how nutrition works.

Also, if someone is overweight or, especially, obese (which, granted, OP does not seem to be) losing weight is the thing to focus on, as it's almost certainly the number one thing you can do through nutrition for your health. (Exercising is usually a really good thing to do too.) The value of these things vastly outweighs the value of dropping bread (which is commonly eaten by healthy people all over the world) or switching from white to whole grain (although some people might find this a small help in losing weight). Therefore, if someone is more able or likely to stick to a weight loss plan when continuing to eat bread or even white bread, why tell them that's bad?

Eating bleached white bread has less nutrients than whole grain would.

Sure, although the difference isn't huge and if you are eating plenty of fiber (as many of us do) from other foods, the reason to prefer one over the other is marginal. I like whole grain bread better, given a choice, and find the difference between a good whole grain and white pasta not that significant, depending on the sauce, so at home I tend to go with whole grain (and I almost never eat bread at home anyway, since I don't care about it). However, I don't turn down a good sandwich or pasta dish because it's made with white vs. the whole grain option. The fact is that the nutritional benefits of either of those options depends much more on the other ingredients than white vs. whole grain--the purpose of including the starch in those cases is as a base for the meal, taste, and energy/satiation, not really because they add tons of nutrients. And, contrary to your apparent opinion, there's nothing wrong with that. Many of us can easily include such foods and may need to for the calories (if we are very active) and yet get plenty of nutrients. Never once in my life have I had a choice between broccoli and bread or chicken and bread. Who eats just bread? (Well, in the US today, I mean--not trying to play Marie Antoinette.)

I myself would skip the bread entirely and opt for some cuccumber slices and an egg but think about it. A handful of almonds and a glass of Pop have the same caloric value but I think it's an obvious statement that the almonds are a better choice.

In what possible context are people choosing between bread and cucumber slices/egg? I mean, the macros, the micros, the purpose in the meal, the tastes, the availability if one is ordering at a restaurant, etc. have nothing remotely in common. Just bizarre.

And not sure what pop vs. almonds have to do with anything. No one chooses between pop and almonds. Some people (not me) like pop and want to incorporate it into their calories.

The almonds will give you energy for longer and takes longer to digest.

This is not always good. Your body can't digest almonds efficiently at all. If I were on a long bike ride and desperately in need of some quick energy, the pop would be better, although I'd not choose either, personally.

The coke is sugar and will be processed quickly and converted to fat by your liver because there's not much in there for the body to use.

As others have pointed out, you won't gain fat from the coke unless you are in a calorie surplus. If you are in a calorie surplus, you will gain fat regardless of what you eat, also.

Of course, the almonds have more that your body needs, in all likelihood, than the pop, so are often a better choice nutritionally, but if someone loves pop and wants to fit some in in moderation, that's not going to hurt if the overall diet is nutritionally sound (as of course everyone recommends).

Similarly, white bread has been bleached and much of its nutritional value lost. When you eat it, the body converts to sugar and again the liver processes quickly and converts the sugar to fat. At least with the whole grain, you'll get some nutrition from it and it won't be completely empty calories.

Again, you seem to misunderstand how this works.

Also, the main reason for eating bread is for calories/energy and taste. Just because you are focused on keeping your calories low and may find it challenging (or think they need to be as low as possible) doesn't mean that others might not have reason to include quick carbs in their diet or simply have the room.

Personally, like I said, it's not a food I care about, but it seems really odd to claim that saying you can eat bread somehow means you are anti good nutrition.

Calories are not created equally!

Do you really not understand what "a calorie is a calorie" means? Nothing you have said means that a calorie is not a calorie, and it has nothing to do with an almond being pop (which no one says) or nutrition at all.

Either you know this and are being intentionally disingenuous for some reason, or you have not managed to understand the 800 prior discussions on this point. Either way, that's sad.

jaga13 wrote: »

marcosdt10 wrote: »

Does it really matter ????? I love bread but ppl always say that it will get you fat ... Is this true ??? Or as long as your below your calories ? Thank you

It's really personal. No, white bread in itself won't get you fat. Excessive calories will. But if you have to reduce calories, you have to reduce it from SOMETHING(s). So that's where it gets personal: only you can decide "what's worth it". I realized years ago that I actually don't "love" bread or sandwiches. So I stopped making them for lunch and traded them for salads with some protein. I really enjoy this more and they turn out to have way more volume for less calories. But if I loved bread and sandwiches? I would have found a way to work them into my calories.

Every day, every meal, you'll be faced with a choice. Steak or chicken tonight? Well, the chicken has less calories. But if you LOVE steak, you can eat a smaller portion of steak. If you find steak and chicken to be almost the same to you (or steak is only just a smidge tastier to you), then you might as well go for the lower calorie chicken.

I think it's called a cost "differential". How much is the white bread worth it to you? If you love it, then it's worth a lot to you personally and you should cut back elsewhere. For me, it's just "eh" so it definitely isn't worth it.

Good luck!

Great post!

(By which I mean I agree, of course. ;-) Up to and including bread being "eh" to me and thus something I often cut back on. Not naan, though--that's usually worth the calories, just not all that often.)

Not sure if helpful but I've found wholemeal bread much tastier and filling and it seems to have ore vitamins in. Certainly worth a try but I don't think I could cut it out though. Have reduced it to 2 slices a day and it has helped x