Question
Is there a difference between whole grain and whole wheat bread? Is nine-grain bread better than seven-grain?
Answer
You probably already know it’s best to eat whole wheat or whole grain bread. But when you walk down the bread aisle in the grocery store, you’re hit with multi-grain, seven-grain, nine-grain, and stone ground, too. What to buy?
First, read the label. A bread is considered whole grain if the front of the package says “whole wheat” or “whole grain” or if the first ingredient contains the word “whole” (for example, “whole rye” or “whole cornmeal”). If the front of the label says “made with whole grain,” “made with whole wheat,” “multi-grain,” “seven-grain,” “nine-grain,” etc., it’s mostly a refined grain — not a whole grain. If the package says it contains wheat flour or unbleached flour, that doesn’t mean it’s whole grain either. Bottom line: Whole wheat and whole grain breads are the real deal; the others may not be. Aim for those that contain 3 grams or more of fiber and fewer than 100 calories per slice.
Whole Grain
Whole grain breads add more texture and fiber to your diet. They also retain vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytoestrogens, lignans, and antioxidants. Bread loses those properties when grains are refined. A whole grain means that the entire bran, germ, and endosperm are intact, no matter what grain the bread is made with. The bran is a good source of fiber and B-complex vitamins, the endosperm provides protein and carbohydrates, and the germ is the only part that contains fat and is rich in thiamin. Look for varieties that say 100% whole grain.
Whole Wheat
Whole wheat bread also contains the entire bran, germ, and endosperm of the grain. The only difference? The grain used is always wheat. Stone ground wheat bread indicates the grains were ground with a stone mill rather than by steel blades. This doesn’t mean the grains are necessarily better, but the technique may produce softer bread, so they’re sometimes more expensive. For a bread to be 100% whole wheat, make sure the first ingredient is whole wheat flour.
Multigrain
This term can be deceiving. Many multigrain breads are made with the same flour as white breads, while each of the grains listed on the front of the package may make up just 2% of the bread. Look at the ingredients list: If the first grain is “enriched white flour,” it is not a whole grain bread! It may be made with many grains, but it’s mostly white flour.
Brown Bread
Brown bread does not mean whole grain, nor does it mean it’s necessarily better for you than white bread. Some companies add food coloring to their bread to make it brown. Pumpernickel, a common brown bread, is made with rye and wheat flour. It can be a whole grain, but isn’t always, so read the ingredients list, looking for the word “whole” high up.
White Bread
This is a refined grain. During processing, the bran and endosperm are removed from the wheat flour, depleting the white bread of zinc, fiber, thiamin, niacin, and trace elements. If you grew up on white bread and like the texture better, transition to wheat bread. Start with your favorite White Bread Made with Whole Grains or a Multi-Grain Bread before heading to straight-up whole wheat.
Tags: Multi-Grain Bread, Whole Grain, Whole Wheat
