Why Whole Wheat?

Alexstrasza
Alexstrasza Posts: 619 Member
edited November 10 in Food and Nutrition
Why is whole wheat better than white?

Like with baking to. Why is using whole wheat flour better than using all purpose?

What exactly are the differences, nutrient wise.


I'm curious because I decided to make pancakes tonight for me and my son with some fresh blueberries and I thought I'd make them with whole wheat, but then I wondered, why exactly is that so important.

Replies

  • issyfit
    issyfit Posts: 1,077 Member
    Whole wheat hasn't had the fiber removed and is less processed. This makes it digest slower and thus not raise you blood sugar as much or as quickly.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    Whole wheat is more nutrient dense that refined wheat. This makes many people think white flour is the devil, which isn't true.
  • rjt1000
    rjt1000 Posts: 700 Member
    Why is whole wheat better than white?

    Like with baking to. Why is using whole wheat flour better than using all purpose?

    What exactly are the differences, nutrient wise.


    I'm curious because I decided to make pancakes tonight for me and my son with some fresh blueberries and I thought I'd make them with whole wheat, but then I wondered, why exactly is that so important.
    whole grains have fiber. Refined wheat has low or no fiber.
  • rebelo3
    rebelo3 Posts: 51 Member
    The fiber is definitely the biggest difference, and on a personal level, whole wheat anything fills me up so much quicker than white !
  • kbw414
    kbw414 Posts: 194
    White flour is more likely to result in an increased insulin response after a blood sugar spike. For weight loss, the higher fiber, less processed whole grain flour is better because you're not getting such big blood sugar spikes.
  • lauraleeleg
    lauraleeleg Posts: 5 Member
    i am a white "flour" lover but switched to whole wheat, which always seems to be higher in calories, but i think the difference i have noticed is that it keeps me fuller for longer AND (this is the biggy) "white carbs" only make you crave more of the same (breads, sweet snacks), so you are not satisfied the same as with whole wheat...although i am fairly new to this, this is what somebody told me about it :)
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
    less processed=Better for you!
  • iKristine
    iKristine Posts: 288 Member
    There's a few reasons.

    White is the left over germ after the wheat has been processed. Think of like an egg, with the yolk the nutritious germ. In processing they take the yolk and leave the white. The germ (yolk) is where the nutrition is. So your left with less than nutritious white.

    In your body, white enters your bloodstream really quickly, giving you a quick burst of energy but doesn't maintain. Where wheat takes longer for your body to get into your blood, maintaining fullness longer.

    There is nothing wrong with white. The problem comes when everything you eat is white, and that tends to be what happens in american diets. if you eat white, just do so in moderation. I would suggest at least half be whole wheat, if you can do that exclusively even better.

    When you take the nutrients out of food, your not giving your body what it needs to fight free radicals and prevent disease like cancer.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,207 Member
    Because everyone seems to believe that if one is better than the other, then the other is no good. The nutrient difference is minimal, as well as the GI for most foods where whole grain is used instead of refined. The nutrient density is minimal as well. Whether whole grain is better or not is suspect especially considering other factors like phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that are in whole grains. Regardless of these facts it's still about context and dosage and in that regard I don't see one as better than the other if they represent a small percentage of total calories.
  • Alexstrasza
    Alexstrasza Posts: 619 Member
    Thank you everyone. I get it now. And the staying full longer thing makes sense. I usually make pancakes with white flour and I am always hungry like an hour later.

    I'm going to try it with the whole wheat flour tonight and see how it sits.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    White, refined flour is junk food when it comes to health.
    Jack LaLanne was 60 years ahead of his time when he said this...

    Jack Lalanne - 10 Point Plan
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eB4cQO4sjo


    Jack Lalanne - Stop being so Tired
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBVk071N88M&feature=related

    And this at age 95:
    Jack LaLanne tip: Nutrition advice
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJX5n6Y8XcY&feature=related
  • Tara4boys
    Tara4boys Posts: 515 Member
    If baking, I recommend white whole wheat flour. It is made from an albino wheat and has nearly same nutrients but it has less "nutty" flavor and tastes more like regular white flour.

    I've substituted in it EVERYTHING and it turns out great.

    Whole wheat flour has a different texture and many recipes won't turn out the same.
  • cnhanson
    cnhanson Posts: 26
    If you are baking you can get whole wheat pastry flour that works really well.
  • cnhanson
    cnhanson Posts: 26
    If baking, I recommend white whole wheat flour. It is made from an albino wheat and has nearly same nutrients but it has less "nutty" flavor and tastes more like regular white flour.

    I've substituted in it EVERYTHING and it turns out great.

    Whole wheat flour has a different texture and many recipes won't turn out the same.

    Have you tried whole wheat pastry flour? It has a much different result than whole wheat flour.
  • Smansfield1
    Smansfield1 Posts: 50 Member
    My nutrition instructor at college drilled into our heads FIBER FIBER AND MORE FIBER!! You get more fiber out of whole grains than you do white breads. Fiber keeps you fuller long, keeps your poop moving and all around is better on your blood sugar and your whole GI system.

    When buying bread you should be looking for a MINIMUM of 3grams of fiber per 100kcals. If you buy your bread this way, you won't go wrong
  • amykathleen2005
    amykathleen2005 Posts: 79 Member
    Careful baking with whole wheat flour. Different bake times and sometimes you cannot totally switch the two in a recipe, you have to do half and half.
  • Alexstrasza
    Alexstrasza Posts: 619 Member
    I'll deffinetly do more research on switching out all purpose white for wheat.

    However my pancakes came out wonderful! My son loved them to! We even had a little blueberry syrup on them.


    I could only finish one pancake and it's been just over an hour and I'm still full!
  • rhinomikeh
    rhinomikeh Posts: 8 Member
    Please refer to this recently published book called Wheat Belly You may never eat any kind of wheat again after reading this book. For those of you who work out hard, watch your calories and cannot understand why losing weight is so difficult the culprit just might be wheat. Evaluate it for yourself.


    http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose-Weight-Health/dp/1609611543/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328838532&sr=1-1
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