Whole Wheat Bread for Health

Nowadays, it is a known fact that brown bread should be used instead of white.

So, whenever you grab a sandwich, you would make sure to get one that uses brown bread because it is "healthy".

But, why is brown bread better? Is white bread that bad that you should avoid it completely?

Brown Bread or Whole Wheat

You would think that brown bread and whole wheat bread are one and the same. Is there any difference?

So, the next time you buy a pack of brown bread, remember, it could be brown just because of some colour added to it. So specify that you want "whole wheat bread". Also, check the ingredients at the back of the pack.

Pure Whole Wheat

If you read about the list of ingredients at the back of a whole-wheat bread pack, you will find that the manufacturers use whole-wheat flour as well as wheat flour.

Wheat flour is actually maida, and this is a normal practice. So, don't think the manufacturers have cheated you because all whole wheat bread is usually made with some amount of wheat bread.

Also you may find the colour of the bread changes according to brand. This is because some brands use a little "caramel colouring" to give the bread a dark shade of brown.

Nutritional Values

According to Lisa Sarah John, Chief Nutritionist of Calorie Care, here is a comparison of the nutritional content of white bread with whole wheat bread.

 

Nutritional Content
per 100 grams

 Whole Wheat Bread 

 White Bread

 Calories

250 cals
i.e 50 cal per slice

250 cals
i.e 50 cal per slice

 Carbohydrates

 50 grams

52 grams

 Protein

 8.8 grams

 8 grams

 B Vitamin - Thiamin

 0.21 mg

 0.07 mg

 B Vitamin - Niacin

 2.5 mg

 0.7 mg

 Iron 

 2.2 mg

 1 mg

 Fat

 1.5 grams

 1 grams

 Calcium

 18 mg 

 11 mg 

 

According to the above chart, whole-wheat bread has a higher iron, vitamin and calcium content than white bread. This is what makes it a healthier alternative.

 

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