December 3, 2007

You Ask, I Answer: White Whole Wheat Breads

I personally am kind of sketched out by ["white with the same goodness of whole wheat" products] because if they're not actually whole wheat they've got to be missing something somewhere, right?

-- Vincci (via the blog)

I assume you are referring to whole wheat breads that are white in color.

If so, I'm happy to report that they are just as healthy and nutritious as regular whole wheat breads.

The only difference between them is that while standard whole-wheat bread is composed of red wheat, white whole wheat breads are made using albino wheat.

Remember -- determining a bread's whole grain content by its color is often inaccurate.

Many brown breads are made of refined white flour and have molasses thrown in for color. And, in the case of white whole wheat products, their color does not represent a fiberless bread.

You'll always be sure of what you are getting by reading the label.

If "whole wheat flour" is not the first ingredient, you are not getting a whole grain bread.

In fact, if the second ingredient is "unbleached wheat flour," you are not getting as many whole grains as you could. The ideal whole wheat bread should have one kind of flour -- whole wheat.

If your question is in reference to breads "made with whole grains" (or those labeled "multigrain"), then you have every reason to be suspicious, since they are not whole grain breads.

1 comment:

Vincci said...

Thanks Andy! I never knew that; I always thought it would just be refined flour with inulin added into them for the fibre content or something.

I swear, maybe you should come lecture at my university!