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White Bread vs Whole Wheat - Any Questions?
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.
1howto.com
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