We’ve probably all heard that white bread unhealthy for you and that you should stick to whole wheat or whole grain bread if you have the option. The problem is that most of us don’t know why those things are being said. White and whole wheat bread vary in a few different things, such as ingredients, productions processes, and therefore, nutrients.
Whole wheat bread truly reflects its name, it’s made out of the “whole wheat”. This means that all the parts of the grain, such as the bran, germ, and endosperm, are all kept in the creation process. This means that all the nutrients that are in the wheat, like important fiber, vitamins, minerals, and fat, are kept during the baking process. It is important to mention that it is unknown how much of those vitamins our body is actually able to absorb. Whole wheat breads is usually lower in calories than white bread. Though the difference isn’t drastic, it might be a factor to consider. Whole wheat bread is also significantly higher in fiber, which is very important for a healthy digestive system. To get all the benefits of whole wheat bread, you have to make sure you are buying bread that contains 100% whole wheat, otherwise the benefits could be reduced.
White bread is most often made of refined flour. This means that the wheat went through a milling process that removed part of it, such as the bran and germ. This means that often times, a lot of nutrients are lost since they are hosted in the bran and germ. This doesn’t mean that white bread doesn’t contain any nutrients though, as many brans use fortified flour in their breads, meaning they have added important components such as Vitamin B and iron back into the flour after it’s been processed. Though whole wheat is the better option for the majority of people due to its fiber contents, if you have digestive issues, white bread may be the way to go as high-fiber foods can actually make the issue worse.
Overall, both bread options are good, and overall, the nutrients balance out depending on what your dietary needs are!
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