whole grain bread vs white??

i dont really understand why whole grain is healthier, can anyone explain?

and also i see that most white breads have fewer cals than whole wheat anyways. does it have to do with cals burnt during digestion or something?

i'm no bread scientist, but as far as i know, whole-grain bread uses the whole grain (duh?), instead of white bread just using enriched flour that turns to gluten in your system anyways.

whole-grain breads may have higher calories, but they usually also have higher fiber, protein, and good nutrients like iron.

whole grain bread has, well, whole grain in it. whole grains are good for your heart and cholesterol level. plus, whole grain breads usually have fiber and a little amount of protien.

whole grain bread is also much more filling, satisfying, and more natural. white bread tends to have fewer cals but they are completely empty cals.

oh ok thanks

wait, eerica, whats gluten? ive heard of it in breads and stuff, but dont know what it is...

Original Post by stephh11:

oh ok thanks

wait, eerica, whats gluten? ive heard of it in breads and stuff, but dont know what it is...

Then I wouldn't worry about it. :)

Anyway a good article that explains whole grain breads: wiki to the rescue.

Wholegrain bread has all the goodness still in it, whereas white bread is more processed.

IS there any difference between wholewheat and wholemeal bread? I can only seem to find wholemeal in my shops.

Original Post by betty1302:

Wholegrain bread has all the goodness still in it, whereas white bread is more processed.

 

IS there any difference between wholewheat and wholemeal bread? I can only seem to find wholemeal in my shops.

When in doubt look at the ingredient list, and check out the link I have posted. It mentions "wholemeal". Actually I would go by the ingredient list over what it is said in the name.

UD

There's no real difference between wholewheat and wholemeal.  There is a difference between 'brown' and 'wholemeal' .... brown can be white bread coloured brown. 

Calories are actually very similar per 100g for white and wholemeal bread.  Wholemeal bread tends to be denser and less fluffy than white so a slice can be more calorific.  But gramme for gramme there's not much in it.

'Gluten' is the part of the grain that gives dough its elasticity.  I make bread, for example, and have to use 'extra strong' bread flour with a high gluten content so that my loaves rise nicely.  Flour with a low gluten content is more appropriate for things like cakes.

I'd like to put in a good word for white bread since it often gets condemned as 'empty calories'.  Good quality fresh white crusty bread tastes great and won't harm either your health or your waistline if eaten in moderation as part of a healthy diet.  

Original Post by gi-jane:

I'd like to put in a good word for white bread since it often gets condemned as 'empty calories'.  Good quality fresh white crusty bread tastes great and won't harm either your health or your waistline if eaten in moderation as part of a healthy diet.  

 

Yay Jane!  Every once in a while, I crave just one piece of crusty on the outside, soft on the inside french bread with a bit of PB on it. If you don't eat this as a dietary staple, I don't see the problem. It's really no different than working a piece of cake into your day every now and then too.

I usually eat a multi-grain whole wheat bread, BUT when I get a craving, NOTHING beats a PB&J on fresh white bread!  Yum!

Whole grain bread has the bran, the germ and the endosperm. The bran and the germ contain all the fiber and other good stuff.

White bread is stripped of the bran and germ and contains only the endosperm, so it is the same/similar amount of calories without any of the nutrition. 

The fact of the matter is, there is nothing wrong with a little white bread once in a while. However, eating whole grain bread induces satiety because of the way it reacts in your blood stream.

i agree that whole grain bread has many nutrition benefits such as more fiber and varied grains, which are both very important for general health

...but! i disagree that white bread is totally stripped of any nutrition. in particular white bread contains niacin which is a very important mineral .

my take on it is similar to my take on many diet/nutrition issues: you need it all

don't eliminate white or whole grain bread--try to include both! (i love a turkey sandwhich on whole grain but for pb&j it HAS to be white bread because it just tastes so good like that) then there's naan bread, lavash, oatmeal flour breads...they all have their own nutritional value to add

Original Post by sparkle7c:

i agree that whole grain bread has many nutrition benefits such as more fiber and varied grains, which are both very important for general health

...but! i disagree that white bread is totally stripped of any nutrition. in particular white bread contains niacin which is a very important mineral .

White bread has no nutritional value that whole grain bread does not also have.  (Both have niacin; white bread just has to have it added as it got lost when the germ and bran of the wheat were taken out.)  So, there's no need to include white bread in your diet - unless you just happen to enjoy it.  In which case, for most people it'll be fine to have on occasion.  All things in moderation.

My mom just bought me some diet whole grain bread. Its 40 cals in a slice. This is only because it's sliced thinner, but since I don't have my own precision bread slicing machine I like it. And to me, it doesn't matter how fat the slices are, just as long as I have two of them with plenty of stuff in between.