[inspired by you]

ok, i know whole wheat bread is better for you than white, but we have tried many brands and many varieties such as multi-grain and such. some we kinda liked but got tired of after about 3 loaves and some we just couldnt stand. a while back we started buying the white wheat or white made with whole wheat. I'm confused, isnt all bread made with wheat? is the white wheat really any different from regular white? any comments would be appreciated. thanks.

[mandalinn82]

Have you ever checked out the website of the Whole Grains Council? The "Whole Grains 101" section, and the "Identifying Whole Grain Products" section in particular, might really help you with this kind of research.

http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/wh...grain-products

Specifically in regards to "White Whole Wheat" products, these ARE whole wheat products. Here's how it works.

Normal white bread is made from processed white flour. The end product is white because the colored parts of the grain are stripped when processing the flour. The parts they strip tend to be those parts which contain the most nutritional value, so white bread is a pretty empty food.

Regular whole wheat bread is made from red wheat, which has all of its components (hasn't been refined to remove the good stuff). This is what makes the bread dense and dark.

White whole wheat bread is made from a different variety of wheat...an albino wheat, to be specific, that is milder and sweeter than standard red wheat. It does go through some additional processing to make it smoother, but all of the components are there still. Here's an article from the Mayo Clinic on this: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/who...-bread/AN01512

So white bread isn't ALWAYS white bread. Look for breads that meet the criteria defined on the Whole Grains Council page and you should be good!

[inspired by you]

Thank you Mandalinn, I really appreciate your help on this. I'm willing to change my lifestyle and my way of thinking about food just want to make sure i'm doing it right.

[beau159]

Hi inspired!

Best thing I would reccommend is to get into the habit of reading the ingredients on the bread before you buy it. I've noticed that probably 80% or more of bread that claim to be "whole wheat bread" right on the front are actually made from mostly "enriched wheat flour" with very little whole wheat/grain flour because that is listed almost last. The problem lies in the "enriched" part! Think about it: Why would they need to enrich the flour in the bread? Because it was stripped of its nutrients during processing.

I have not come across any white bread that said "whole" anything on the back label (well *maybe* it said whole wheat flour at the end of the ingredient list which means next to nothing). And believe me, I spend a LOT of time reading labels in the grocery store!

My personal favorite kind of bread and what has been reccommended by my trainer is stone ground whole wheat bread which can be hard to find in certain stores.

I also don't buy bread that has high fructose corn syrup in it, which many do! Makes it softer, I suppose, but my bread always goes in the fridge anyway because it takes me a long time to eat a whole loaf by myself.

The very first ingredient on the list for the bread you buy should be "whole _____ flour". I've never heard of this albino wheat, so I can't comment on that, but "whole" things are what are healthy for you.

[MrKeith]

I love bread and bread loves me, just look at my belly!
Just kiddin'

[kelly315]

I like flax and fiber bread- very good, and good for you.

[Extasee58865]

Originally Posted by MrKeith

I love bread and bread loves me, just look at my belly!
Just kiddin'

That's funny!

[RangerChic]

Ezekiel Bread is the best IMO. I have fallen in love with it. Won't eat anything else but that anymore. It is very good for you too.

[willow650]

When I look for a bread, it cant say 'enriched" or have HFCS in it. I also look for for multigain breads, usually Natures Own or Arnold breads, but i still read labels before buying.