Whether you talk to a dietitian, visit your doctor or listen to the media, you likely hear the admonition to eat more whole grains because they provide more nutrients than refined grains. By choosing from the many varieties of whole grain breads, pastas and cereals such as wild rice, barley and whole-grain bagels found at most grocery stores, you add interest and variety as well as nutrition to your meals and snacks, according to MayoClinic.com.
Identification
Whole grains, such as whole wheat, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, millet and oatmeal, contain all three parts of the grain kernel, which consists of the bran, endosperm and the germ. Refined grains, such as the flour that white bread is made from, have undergone processing that removes the bran and the germ. "Enriched" means the manufacturer of white bread added back some of the vitamins that were removed by the refining process.
Facts
Bran is fiber-dense and germ is rich in nutrients because it is the part that germinates into a new plant. The endosperm is starchy. Nutrient dense whole wheat bread also contains iron, folic acid, copper, vitamin B6 and other B vitamins. Without the bran and germ, refined grains contain less essential fatty acid, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc and protein than do whole grains, according to KidsHealth.org.
Carbohydrate accounts for 76 percent of the 66 calories in a slice of white bread and 69 percent of the 69 calories in a slice of whole wheat bread. Protein accounts for 13 percent of white bread calories and 16 percent of whole wheat calories. Fat accounts for 11 percent of white bread calories and 15 percent of whole wheat calories, according to WheatFoods.org. A slice of white bread has only 0.5 g of fiber compared with 3.6 g fiber in a slice of whole wheat bread.
Benefits
Enjoy bread, the staff of life. The recommendations of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, based on age, gender and activity level, encourages consumption of the grains food group with at least half of the grains, 3 or more oz. of bread, cereal, rice or pasta, coming from whole-grains daily. These complex carbohydrates or starches are high in fiber, iron and B vitamins while low in fat, according to WheatFoods.org.
Significance
Feel full longer with the natural fiber in whole grains. Although some vitamins and minerals are added back to refined grains after milling, they still lack some nutrients and fiber found in whole grains, according to MayoClinic.com. Higher protein, fiber and nutrients with fewer calories makes whole wheat bread a better nutritional choice than white bread, according to MayoClinic.com. The insoluble fiber in whole wheat bread also helps prevent colon cancer and possibly breast cancer, according to WheatFoods.org.
Considerations
Examine the nutrition label. The first entry on the ingredients list should be whole wheat flour or whole grains for the product to be a whole grain food. Choose items with at least 3 g of dietary fiber per serving. Some brown bread has caramel coloring rather than whole grains and the nutrient value is essentially that of white bread. Bread marketed as "white whole wheat" is made from an albino variety of wheat that goes through an extra processing step and has some but not all of the nutritional benefits of whole wheat.
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