It can be difficult to pin down precise nutritional data for multigrain baguettes because there is so much variation among them. The size of the baguette determines its total nutritional values, but totals are also impacted by specific ingredients as well as how you serve the bread. It is clear, however, that multigrain loaves have superior nutritional profiles to loaves made with refined white flour.
Ingredients
A baguette is a simple loaf of bread with a small set of basic ingredients. Specifically, it contains flour, water, yeast and salt. Some baguettes also have olive oil, herbs or additional ingredients. Although a typical baguette is made with refined white flour or white bread flour, a multigrain baguette must contain more than one type of grain. The grains can be refined; thus, it's possible for a multigrain baguette to contain no whole grain ingredients. However, it's more common that the loaf has a base of whole wheat flour and additions of rye, spelt, millet, cornmeal or another type of flour.
Nutrition Information
A typical serving size for any grain product is about 2 ounces, which is equivalent to one thick slice of baguette or one regular-size slice of a sandwich loaf. Depending on the size of your baguette, however, that 2 ounces may be half the loaf or it may be just one-eighth or one-tenth of the loaf. Two ounces of multigrain baguette contains approximately 140 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 270 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. In contrast, a 2-ounce piece of multigrain sandwich bread has 150 calories, 7.5 grams of protein, 240 milligrams of sodium, 24.5 grams of carbohydrates and 4.2 grams of fiber.
Health Properties
When a multigrain baguette is made with whole grains, it's nutritionally superior to a loaf made with refined grains; specifically, its values of protein and dietary fiber are higher. According to ChooseMyPlate.gov, the properties of whole grain products such as multigrain baguettes have the potential to reduce risks of heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity. Further, the Whole Grains Council notes that eating more whole grains may cut risks of dental problems, asthma, high blood pressure, cancer and inflammatory diseases.
Considerations
If health is your main priority, it's beneficial to choose a multigrain baguette over a traditional white loaf whenever possible. Whole wheat loaves also offer the same whole grain benefits and are viable alternatives. Since you can't be sure that a "multigrain" loaf is always made with whole grains, however, check nutrition and ingredient labels.
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