What's The Difference Between White Bread and Whole Wheat Bread?

3 Important Differences Between White Bread and Whole Wheat

 by Emily Clark

For any kid who grew up eating doughy, thick Wonder Bread for
lunch, the encouragement by dietitians and nutritionists to
switch to whole wheat bread can be a tough transition.

Bread, like any other part of our diet, is an acquired taste.

Starting out early helps since children are much more adaptable
to accepting foods than adults. This does not mean that children
LIKE as many foods as adults - children are renowned picky
eaters. But if you only expose them to healthy, whole grain foods
they won't have the opportunity to develop a taste for white
bread or other non-nutritious foods.

Adults, however, must learn to change their diet preferences
because of knowledge. Understanding why whole wheat is superior
to white bread can help you feel good about the compromise and
encourage you to make it the standard for your children. Who
knows - you may even like it!

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

The two biggest differences between white bread and whole wheat
are the processing and the nutritional value.

Flour is made from wheat berries. The wheat berry is made up of
the bran, the germ and the endosperm. All parts are filled with
nutrients and are used in whole wheat flour.

White bread on the other hand, uses only the endosperm - the
starchy inner layer. There is a total of 30 nutrients missing in
white bread. The nutritional difference is immense and has
measurable impact on our health.

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF SWITCHING?

The fiber content of whole wheat bread has several health
benefits.

Fiber helps the digestive system. It also creates a 'full'
sensation and thus can help with weight control. Research has
been conducted by Harvard and other organizations that shows men
and women who eat high-fiber foods have less heart attacks and
strokes than those who don't.

There is also an increased risk of diabetes in children who eat
refined white flour - a risk that has been proven by the increase
in cases of childhood diabetes.

WHAT DO I LOOK FOR?

Watch out for words like 'wheat flour' or 'enriched wheat flour'
as they can be mostly made from white flour with just a small
amount of whole wheat added in.

Look for 'whole wheat' or other whole grains, like oat. And don't
be mislead by the name of the product. Names like wheat, whole
bran, stoned wheat, 12 grain and others are still mostly white
flour. The only way to know for sure is to read the label.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes
only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any
disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any
health care program.



About the author:
Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News
where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on
many medical, health and lifestyle topics.

Whole Wheat Bread V. White Bread - Which One Is Better?

Beth Scott

Junk food addicts argue with health food nuts, asserting white bread to be the best. The health food nuts retaliate exclaiming about how much better store bought whole wheat bread is than white bread.

The battle rages on...

On which side of this debate do you stand?

For that matter, which side should you REALLY be pulling for?

Lets weigh all the facts, the faults about each choice and determine which one we should honestly be proclaiming as "the honest to goodness best!"

THE FAULTS OF WHITE BREAD

1. White bread is nutrition less. Even fortifying it with vitamins can't replace half of the nourishment that is lost through the bleaching and sifting process that is used on the flour which white bread is make out of.

2. White bread has a lot harmful chemicals and preservatives added to it to increase it's shelf life, but they decrease your lifespan.

3. White bread is practically tasteless. This is a pro to some people but a con to a lot of others who enjoy tasty food.

THE FAULTS OF STORE BOUGHT WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

1. Store bought whole wheat bread would be extremely healthy and good for your body IF you could find a loaf made without fattening and nutrition less sweeteners like sugar (but no store that I know of sells any such thing).

2. Store bought whole wheat bread contains, unfortunately, the same chemicals and preservatives that white bread does, also to lengthen shelf life.

On light of this information which viewpoint do you now hold to?

Neither hopefully. There is only one thing you can do to make sure you are getting the best tasting, highest quality and healthiest bread. And that is...

Bake your own whole wheat bread! Read why you should below.

THE VIRTUES OF HOME BAKED WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

1. Home baked whole wheat bread tastes good. Home baked whole wheat bread has a very delightful taste that is probably the main reason (even more so than it's health aspects) people prefer home baked whole wheat bread to it's bland counterpart, white bread or unhealthy store bought whole wheat bread.

2. Home baked whole wheat bread contains vitamins and minerals your body needs. Medical studies have proven that all the B vitamins in whole grain foods help you to have a healthy heart, and guard against heart disease.

3. Baking your own whole wheat bread is not the least bit "difficult" either. Just learn the basics to baking bread along with a few proven recipes and you'll be set.

About the author:

Beth Scott makes whole wheat bread baking simple with her ebook "The Ultimate Whole Wheat Bread Baking Guide!" learn all about it at her Healthy Bread Baking web site.

Topics for further research:

whole wheat bread machine bread
whole wheat banana bread recipe
whole wheat bread machine recipe
honey whole wheat bread recipe
whole wheat bread machine recipes
low sodium whole wheat bread