Smart Shopping for Wheat Bread

If you're looking for wheat bread, you probably want whole grain bread. All bread is made from wheat, but only some is whole grain. White bread is made with refined grains, from which most of the nutrients have been stripped. In contrast, whole grain includes the bran layer, with fiber, B vitamins and minerals. It also includes the endosperm, or middle layer, which has good carbs, antioxidants and protein. The third layer, called the germ layer, contains additional B vitamins, vitamin E, minerals and unsaturated fats (good fats). Because whole grains have high fiber content, foods made from whole grains tend to have a low glycemic index. Low-glycemic-index foods keep you from experiencing blood sugar and insulin spikes after you eat. Whole grain consumption probably reduces the risk of diabetes.

Whole grain also contains 2 kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber helps decrease cholesterol levels and slows the rate at which sugars are absorbed from the food we eat. This helps keep your blood sugar steady and maintains the low glycemic index. Insoluble fiber helps prevent constipation and may lower colon cancer risk.

What to Look for

Read the ingredient list and the nutrition facts labels carefully. The words "whole grain" should appear first on the ingredient list. Here's another hint: whole grain foods typically have at least 2 g of fiber per serving. This information is on the nutrition facts label. If you're looking to get more fiber in your diet, pick a bread with seeds. Bread with crushed seeds that are visible have higher fiber content than breads without seeds.

Are you really turned off by bread that is not white? If so, try one of the "white" whole grain breads that are now available. The wheat from which these breads are made is lighter in color, but the health benefits are the same as those of regular whole grain breads.

Common Pitfalls

Watch out for white bread that had dark food coloring or molasses in it to make it look like whole wheat bread. Remember that all bread flour is made from wheat, and a product labeled "wheat bread" could be whole grain---or not. Other misleading terms that you may see on the product label include "stone ground" and "multigrain." These don't guarantee that the bread is a whole grain product.