The Choice Between White or Brown Bread
Retail sales for white bread have dropped across the country in the past year by approximately 1 percent.
This fall in consumption of refined white bread has been triggered by reports in the media and articles in newspaper and magazines suggesting that consuming high-fibre wholemeal bread is a much healthier option.
Nowadays, customers walking through the bread section of a supermarket will see them grabbing a loaf of brown or seeded wholemeal bread in replacement of the white loaf. Customers are becoming more concerned with their health and the trend is to eat healthy and develop a healthier diet.
Demand for seeded and brown bread is increasing with a yearly growth of between 5 – 10 percent but convenience store owner Patrick Azzar says “brown bread is definitely on the increase, but our sales for white bread is still double to triple of that for wholemeal and wholegrain breads.”
National figures show that white bread still accounts for about 2/3 of the bread sales each day.
Brown bread is seen as a healthier choice, but is refined white bread really that harmful, or are we just vindicating this wonderful food source?
Brown wholemeal bread is naturally much higher in fibre and has a higher nutritional content than refined bread. Wholegrain seeded bread in particular is a good source of vitamins B6 and E, magnesium, zinc, folic acid and chromium as it contains all three nutrient parts of wheat.
White bread on the other hand is made from processed bread flour. This processed flour has been literally stripped of all its nutrients during processing. White bread is much lower in zinc, fiber, vitamins, trace elements and essential fats and oils.
A ten-year study conducted by scientists at Harvard University found that those who ate high-fibre breads had fewer heart attacks and strokes than those whose tastes ran to refined bagels and baguettes.
Another research conducted by the University of Washington found that changing your diet from white to whole wheat bread can lower heart disease risk by 20 per cent.
But how can you beat the taste of white bread?
Most of us including myself was brought up eating soft white bread. The taste difference between the two is quite significant and I personal have yet to come across a brown alternative that can beat the taste. The texture for white bread feels so much smoother and softer to the senses.
Now, I’m aware that white bread is not a very healthy option, but I don’t think this is a big enough deterrent for me to make the switch to eating the seeded bird grains.
For those that are ready to make the change, be careful when selecting your loaf. Just because bread is brown in color doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wholewheat, wholegrain or wholemeal. Be sure to check the ingredients list labelling and ensure that the first ingredient is wholewheat or wholemeal flour rather than enriched wheat flour or just wheat flour.
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My father is a doctor and he suggested us to eat white bread rather than the brown one.The reason is that white one contains less oil.
It is actually up to the people which one they want to eat. Persons who have been conscious with their diet will surely choose the brown bread. It really does not matter which bread you want to take. As long as you still have an intake of carbohydrates.