Bread is one of the main ingredients for snacks to go and packed lunch items. It’s filling, easily accessible, and goes well with so many other food items that you can really have a full meal with just some good quality bread. For the health conscious people, however, there’s a battle between white bread and whole wheat bread. Check out what I’ve found out about these two types of bread and make better decisions when buying your next loaf.
What’s in Your Bread?
Bread is made out of basic ingredients such as flour, water, eggs, and shortening. When comparing whole wheat bread and white bread, the ingredient being questioned is the kind of flour used. Flour comes from grain kernels which are usually from wheat. Every grain kernel has three parts: the germ, endosperm, and bran. Whole grain bread has all three parts and refined grains such as those used for white bread only have the starchy endosperm.
Whole wheat bread has the nutrients from the bran and germ, some of which include zinc, vitamin E, magnesium, and other essential fatty acids. What makes whole wheat bread the better choice is that the fibers and proteins from the bran are left intact. Fiber from the whole wheat bread can make you feel fuller for longer which would also help you avoid overeating. They are also great sources of energy which is exactly what you’ll need if you have a long day ahead of you.
One of the most noticeable things you’d see upon inspecting whole wheat bread and white bread is the color difference. Whole wheat bread has a darker color and is usually brown or beige and this is caused by the presence of bran which has those colors. White bread only has the inner white parts of the grain kernel which is why these bread loaves look “cleaner.” Upon tasting the bread, you will also notice a rather coarse texture when eating whole wheat bread, but this is a great clue that you’re getting more of the fibers which can help your body become healthier! Choose whole wheat bread over white bread whenever you can and you won’t regret the extra money you’ll pay for them.