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Healthiest bread:Wholemeal or wholeWheat bread or multigrain or other??

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  • 23-04-2009 10:26am
    #1
    Stella89
    Registered Users Posts: 166 ✭✭


    Does anybody know what is the healthiest bread to eat? Would anybody be able to tell me what to look for in the ingredients for bread?

    I am confused with this "100 % wholemeal goodness" or other breads claiming to be the healthy choice . Alot of the "wholemeal breads" seem to be a even enough mixture of wholemeal and wholewheat . What about multi grain breads?:o Any opinions :)


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    #2
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,378 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    usually you see wholegrain and wholemeal, wholegrain usually has "bits" in it, like half chopped up grains, while meal is usually a proper flour. The full flour can be digested faster, so might have higher GI values. In both cases you must watch out as it can also have normal white flour mixed in too. Check for 100% on the front of the pack and read the ingredients list.
    Stella89 wrote: »
    Would anybody be able to tell me what to look for in the ingredients for bread
    Ingredients are listed in order of greatest first. Look out for "wheat flour", which is usually white flour. Many brownbreads have mixture of wholemeal/wholegrain and wheat flour (white flour).

    It might say
    100% wholegrain flour, wheatflour, yeast, etc
    This can be misleading as people see the 100%, but it means that ingredient is 100%. It is like products with 100% chicken breast, but meaning the chicken in the product is 100% chicken breast, it could still only be 10% chicken!.

    Mc Cambridges bread is often recommended here, it does have wheatflour but it is low on the list.

    more here
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=55377395


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    #3
    Stella89
    Registered Users Posts: 166 ✭✭Stella89


    Thanks a million ! , great info Rubadub .


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    #4
    flywheel
    Registered Users Posts: 4,027 ✭✭✭flywheel


    much prefer the LifeFibre Co stuff (check out their Hi Fibre & Seed):
    http://www.abreadlessordinary.ie/products.html


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    #5
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    rubadub wrote: »
    Look out for "wheat flour", which is usually white flour. Many brownbreads have mixture of wholemeal/wholegrain and wheat flour (white flour).

    Really annoyed with Brennans. Checked the ingredients list today....Their wholegrain is about as wholegrain as my <beeeeeep>. First ingredient is wheat flour. :mad:


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    #6
    dioltas
    Registered Users Posts: 1,183 ✭✭✭dioltas


    Khannie wrote: »
    Really annoyed with Brennans. Checked the ingredients list today....Their wholegrain is about as wholegrain as my <beeeeeep>. First ingredient is wheat flour. :mad:

    Fairly sure their wholemeal is just wholemeal. Says wholemeal flour, no wheat flour..


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    #7
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,378 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    dioltas wrote: »
    Fairly sure their wholemeal is just wholemeal. Says wholemeal flour, no wheat flour..
    Yeah, I think the wholemeal is fine, but the wholegrain has wheat flour. It could easily be the other way around too, so be careful of all brands.

    http://www.brennansbread.ie/product_range/brown/
    Brennans 100% Wholegrain

    Brennans Wholegrain is made using flour using a small amount of unground grain.This means it has more fibre than white bread.



    Brennans 100% Wholemeal

    Brennans Wholemeal, made from flour using the entire grain, is a rich source of fibre, vitamins and iron. The healthy option and delicious too!
    That is confusing, hopefully a typo and not deliberately misleading. The wholegrain packet does not say 100%, but the wholemeal does. This infers to me the wholegrain is 100% from the name, but the description suggest is has white flour (and it does).


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    #8
    savvy shopper
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6 ✭savvy shopper


    DubFit wrote: »
    much prefer the LifeFibre Co stuff (check out their Hi Fibre & Seed):
    http://www.abreadlessordinary.ie/products.html

    The LifeFibre Co breads have too many ingredients among which wheat flour features high on the list. They also add colourants (such as caramel) to their darker breads. A good bread should be dense and heavy, and their breads are light like air.

    The Blazing Salads do the best yeast-free, crap-free breads. You can buy them in health food shops or in their deli in town. Pricey (3.55 euro) but the real deal!


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    #9
    jdivision
    Registered Users Posts: 4,260 ✭✭✭jdivision


    A lot of breads you might consider healthy just have white flour dyed brown nowadays


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    #10
    flywheel
    Registered Users Posts: 4,027 ✭✭✭flywheel


    savvy shopper wrote: »
    The LifeFibre Co breads have too many ingredients among which wheat flour features high on the list. They also add colourants (such as caramel) to their darker breads. A good bread should be dense and heavy, and their breads are light like air.

    I was highlighting their Hi Fibre & Seed bread, which has a good quality seed mix, mono/polyunsaturates, and carbs (with a small proportion as sugars), together with protein and fibre. The Hi Fibre & Seed bread has no colourants in it.

    Nutritionally it is the best available option for me and fits very well into my food intake, and find it plenty 'dense / heavy and it tastes grand, so compared to what is available along side, it is miles out in front.

    The Blazing Salads bread (100% Wholegrain) sounds great. If better/widely distributed rather than having to trek somewhere else to find it, it looks like a good option...


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    #11
    samson09
    Registered Users Posts: 426 ✭✭samson09


    Get allergy tested for grains and you'll know what to eat and what to avoid, a surprising amount of people are wheat intolerant and dont even know it.


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    #12
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,378 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    savvy shopper wrote: »
    They also add colourants (such as caramel) to their darker breads.
    DubFit wrote: »
    I was highlighting their Hi Fibre & Seed bread, which has a good quality seed mix, mono/polyunsaturates, and carbs (with a small proportion as sugars), together with protein and fibre. The Hi Fibre & Seed bread has no colourants in it.
    Caramel is basically burnt sugar. Not saying it definitely is in this case, but the sugars used might be caramelised and not described as such to mask the fact that they are using it as a colourant. There are LOADS of tricks used on food labelling.


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    #13
    Jamie-b
    Registered Users Posts: 274 ✭✭Jamie-b


    I know this is a bit off the point, but why is white bread so bad??? I know it can give you an energy rush and then a crash, however, is it possible to lose weight with a calorie controlled diet which include white bread? I love my crispy rolls :o


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    #14
    flywheel
    Registered Users Posts: 4,027 ✭✭✭flywheel


    rubadub wrote: »
    Caramel is basically burnt sugar. Not saying it definitely is in this case, but the sugars used might be caramelised and not described as such to mask the fact that they are using it as a colourant. There are LOADS of tricks used on food labelling.

    good point about the food label tricks, i've even made caramel, and managed to burn it (not intentionally, just not cut out as Jamie Oliver)

    sure i eat about 2 slices a day so it should be ok, i look at it as a better choice to what it replaced... each (slice of 42g) includes 11.9g of Carbohydrate (0.7 of which sugar) in it, but 5g fibre, 5g protein, 1.6g monounsaturates, 1.6g polyunsaturates, 0.8 g saturates, lower 0.2g salt... comparing it to the other "bread" that is available and my nutritional needs it's up there as the best choice...

    what i really enjoy is the Ryvita, especially the one with the Oats and Pumpkin Seeds, especially with cottage cheese (low fat) and (natural) peanut butter - in fact that made me hungry and it's mid morning snack time so i'll have one some right now :)


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    #15
    metamorphosis
    Registered Users Posts: 4,991 ✭✭✭metamorphosis


    what i really enjoy is the Ryvita, especially the one with the Oats and Pumpkin Seeds, especially with cottage cheese (low fat) and (natural) peanut butter - in fact that made me hungry and it's mid morning snack time so i'll have one some right now :)[/quote]


    I absolutley love cottage cheese and either peanut butter or almond butter on ryvita. never tried the above mentionned one but i sure will!!


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    #16
    ciagr297
    Registered Users Posts: 428 ✭✭ciagr297


    with regard to breads (i like my bread), as someone with IBS i have been told to avoid wholemeal and wholegrain because of the insoluable fibre content. what is the best type of bread to go for in that case? and one which is available in the average tesco/dunnes?
    really liking the M&S multiseed bread but not convinced on whether its actually better for you or not


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    #17
    jdivision
    Registered Users Posts: 4,260 ✭✭✭jdivision


    It's worth trying to avoid it completely so and use maybe spelt breads from Blazin Salads or rubadubs oat-based pancakes. I got IBS as a symptom of being a coeliac, went away when I gave up wheat.


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    #18
    baybike
    Closed Accounts Posts: 61 ✭✭baybike


    So, what about the 'health' bread you can get in S*perQ**nn? The one with all the seeds in.
    Is that a good bread to eat?


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    #19
    El_Dangeroso
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 5,620 ✭✭✭El_Dangeroso


    ciagr297 wrote: »
    with regard to breads (i like my bread), as someone with IBS i have been told to avoid wholemeal and wholegrain because of the insoluable fibre content. what is the best type of bread to go for in that case? and one which is available in the average tesco/dunnes?
    really liking the M&S multiseed bread but not convinced on whether its actually better for you or not

    I think if you can't avoid it altogether then sourdough bread is your best bet. It's fermented so all the antinutrients are neutralised. I have IBS too, and the once in a blue moon that I have bread it's sourdough, still get the wheat-bloat-belly but not the agonising cramps and other digestive 'issues'.


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    #20
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Where would you get sourdough bread?


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    #21
    abcjonesy
    Registered Users Posts: 45 ✭abcjonesy


    Seen the Sourdough bread in Lidl Rathfarnham


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    #22
    El_Dangeroso
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 5,620 ✭✭✭El_Dangeroso


    I think I saw it in Dunnes a while ago but come to think of it haven't clocked it since then. Is the alternative bread company still around?

    Other than that I'd say lidl would be your best bet.


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    #23
    Doolee
    Registered Users Posts: 390 ✭✭Doolee


    Theres a fab new bakery in Rathmines opposite Tesco. Went up there at 9.30am on Sunday morning and they had just brought out all their breads. They have a great selection.. lots of sourdoughs with Rye, Wholegrain, seeds etc then the sweeter breads, fococcias, spelts, turnovers etc etc. Highly recommend it. :)


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    #24
    watna
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,367 ✭✭✭✭watna


    Temple_Grandin wrote: »
    I think if you can't avoid it altogether then sourdough bread is your best bet. It's fermented so all the antinutrients are neutralised. I have IBS too, and the once in a blue moon that I have bread it's sourdough, still get the wheat-bloat-belly but not the agonising cramps and other digestive 'issues'.

    Yup - I have IBS too and have found in a few sources that a small amount of good quality sourdough is the best kinf of bread to eat. However, I did find that not eating bread didn't help me a great deal but cutting out high fat carbs(i.e. crisps - and I love them so much! or cheese crackers) made a huge difference.


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    #25
    El_Dangeroso
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 5,620 ✭✭✭El_Dangeroso


    I have that reaction to crisps too! I think it's the carbs fried in vegatable oil combo as I get it with chips too. If I make homemade parsnip crisps in duck fat I have no reaction however.


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    #26
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Temple_Grandin wrote: »
    I think if you can't avoid it altogether then sourdough bread is your best bet. It's fermented so all the antinutrients are neutralised.

    Bit of a bump here, but can you explain that a bit? (i.e. how the antinutrients are neutralised?) I'm in the process of baking my own sourdough. I've fermented the starter (sour yeast bit). Really looking forward to it. :)

    Anyway, the only real difference that I can see versus normal white bread is that you're fermenting your own yeast instead of using packaged yeast. Also, the volume of the fermented yeast is substantially higher than the volume of yeast you'd use if you were using store bought yeast.


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    #27
    El_Dangeroso
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 5,620 ✭✭✭El_Dangeroso


    It reduces the lectin and phytate content as well as reducing the gluten content too.

    It seems the store bought sourdough isn't fermented so it's good your making it yourself. Here's more info:

    http://web.me.com/seattledebs/gofrolic/food_blog/Entries/2008/11/22_Sourdough,_Gluten_and_Weston_Price.html

    Edited to say: you have to let the dough ferment, wasn't clear from your post if it was only the yeast that is fermented?


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    #28
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    I fermented a sourdough "starter" from flour and water over about 5 days. It's now "proofing" (fermenting further) downstairs. I'll be making the bread some time this evening.

    I followed the guidance on this page.

    I expect it to taste flippin' savage. :D Normally I wouldn't eat bread at all, but I don't have any fights for the next 3 months or so, so I'm indulging my love of nice bread at the moment.


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    #29
    Khannie
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 37,485 Mod ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Well....I got around to baking the sourdough last night.

    ANIMAL.


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    #30
    morningpeasant
    Registered Users Posts: 163 ✭✭morningpeasant


    Temple_Grandin wrote: »
    I think I saw it in Dunnes a while ago but come to think of it haven't clocked it since then. Is the alternative bread company still around?

    Other than that I'd say lidl would be your best bet.

    Is the bread from ABC good? I used to buy their Health Loaf, absolutely delicious, but stopped because I was afraid there were too many ingredients. I know Ryevita, which I now eat, are a better choice, but would still like to know how the ABC stuff compares to McCambridges.


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