BREAD WINNERS: MAKING A HEALTHY CHOICE IN THE BREAD AISLE

BREAD WINNERS:  MAKING A HEALTHY CHOICE IN THE BREAD AISLE

Bread remains a staple in the American diet with the average American consuming 53 pounds of bread each year.  Because we eat bread so often, it is particularly important that we select a nutritious choice.  However, with the array of products labeled with healthy sounding phrases like “wheat”, “cracked”, “stone-ground”, and “multi-grain”, it can be quite challenging to determine which products are the most nutritious.   Here’s what you need to know to be a savvy bread shopper.

GRAIN BASICS

Before it is processed, a wheat kernel is a whole grain comprised of the outer layer known as the bran, the inner bulk called the endosperm, and the grain’s core, called the germ. The outer sheath, the bran, is rich in fiber, B-vitamins, and minerals. The germ is the portion of the grain that sprouts to generate a new plant. It is full of B-vitamins, antioxidants, and vitamin E.  The endosperm, making up the volume of the grain, is comprised of starch and some protein. 

To process whole grain flour into refined white flour, the nutrient-rich bran and germ are removed, leaving behind only the starchy endosperm.  

SELECTING A HEALTHY BREAD PRODUCT:  UNDERSTANDING THE FRONT OF THE PACKAGE

-Choose 100% whole: If the packaging says “100% whole grain” or “100% whole wheat” this is your guarantee that the bread contains no white flour.

-Whole vs. 100% whole:  If the packaging says “whole grain” or “whole wheat” this means that the product is comprised of 51% or more whole grains.  So, beware, these products may contain nearly as much white (refined) flour as whole grain flour. Ingredients are listed in descending order based on how much they weigh in the product. This means that the first ingredient is the most prevalent ingredient.  To determine if a product is mostly whole grain check to see where the whole grains appear in the ingredient list.    

-Multi-grain does not mean whole:  When the package says “multi-grain”, this simply means that there are different kinds of grains (i.e. oat, wheat, rye, barley, etc.) in the product.  Whether these are whole or refined grains has nothing to do with number of different grain sources.

-Other names for white flour:  Do not fall for deceitful terms such as “wheat flour,” “unbleached wheat flour,” “multigrain,” “enriched,” or “stone-ground wheat flour” on the package or ingredients list.  These are just sneaky ways of saying the product contains refined white flour. 

-White flour vs. white whole wheat:  Regular whole wheat flour is made from a variety of wheat known as red wheat. White whole wheat breads are made from a special variety of albino wheat. White whole wheat flour is as nutritious as regular whole wheat flour, but bread made with white whole wheat flour has a milder taste and texture due to the characteristics of that particular type of wheat.  For picky eaters (including kids) who don’t like the taste of regular whole wheat bread, white whole wheat bread could be a good option.

SELECTING A HEALTHY BREAD PRODUCT:  SIZING UP THE NUTRITIONAL LABEL

-Calories:  Aim to choose slices that have no more than 100 calories.  With bread, if it is thinner, it generally has fewer calories.  Pita and “thins” or “flats” (that offer a svelte sandwich top & bottom for 100 calories) have about half the calories of regular slices.  Another calorie conscious option are the breads labeled “light”, “diet”, or “low-carb”.  These are formulated to contain less of the digestible grain carbohydrate than regular slices. 

-Sodium:  Bread is the leading source of salt in the American diet.  Because salt is baked into the bread rather than being on the surface (such as with chips) it does not necessarily taste that salty but a typical slice has 220mg sodium.  This means 2 typical slices can have around a third of the advised 1500 mg daily sodium limit. Try to make choices with less than 120mg of sodium per slice.  

-Fiber:  Most Americans get much less than the recommended 25-30g of dietary fiber.  Whole grain options contain the grains’ bran making them naturally high in fiber.  Many breads are also formulated with added fiber, though this may not have all the benefits of the naturally occurring fibers.  Look for a 100% whole grain slice with 2g or more of fiber.