White Bread In Wheat Bread's Clothing

Feb. 9, 2008

(CBS) Fiber-conscious consumers often assume wheat bread is a
healthier choice than white, but that's not always true: Some breads
labeled wheat are actually nothing more than white bread with food
coloring added.

On The Saturday Early Show, Dr. Mallika Marshall explained which
options in the bread aisle are the most nutritious.

Marshall notes that, with the popularity of low-carb diets, many
people are avoiding bread altogether.

But she says that's not a good idea. Your body needs carbohydrates to
function, and one of the places you find carbs is in products such as
bread.

But not all carbohydrates are created equal. You want to eat complex
carbohydrates, which are found in foods such as whole grain breads and
cereals.

White bread, she continues, isn't the best choice because that means
they took out the good stuff: They just left the starchy part of the
grain, then they threw back in a couple B-vitamins and some iron.
Also, there's little or no fiber, which you need for good digestive
health, and for helping ward off heart disease and some cancers.

Still, Marshall cautions, don't just "go brown" with your bread: Not
all brown breads are created equal.

Breads that look brown aren't necessarily good for you. It may simply
have caramel coloring. What you want to see on the label is the term
"whole wheat" or "whole grain," and you want that to be the first or
second ingredient on the list. Other words to look out for are "whole
mill," "whole barely," or "whole oats."

Whole grains have been shown to lower cholesterol and supply vitamins
and antioxidants that may help the heart. In fact, a recent study
showed that people who eat two-and-a-half servings a day of whole
grains are about one-fifth less likely to have heart disease than
those who pass on whole grains.

Rye and pumpernickel breads are others many people think are good for
them but that may not necessarily be, Marshall points out. They can
have refined grains in them, too, so don't be deceived by the color.
Again, you have to look at the label.

Another bit of advice: Don't be fooled by freshly-baked white and some
other breads, whose aromas waft through stores and are quite
appealing. It's not that those breads are unhealthy, but there are
healthier choices available, so if there's no real difference in
taste, why not go for a bread that has whole grains, which decrease
the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes?

Here are some things to keep in mind when looking at bread labels:

CHECK FIBER CONTENT

According to the American Dietetic Association, a healthy adult should
be taking in between 20 and 35 grams of fiber per day. Unfortunately,
most Americans only get about 15 grams of fiber a day. So when you're
in the grocery store aisle, look for breads that have the highest
fiber content.

CHECK SODIUM CONTENT

You wouldn't think that bread has a lot of sodium in it, but sodium is
used as a preservative in many breads. So make sure there are 350
milligrams or less per serving.

AVOID HYDROGENATED AND PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED FATS

These are the worst kind of fats for you, so if you see either of
these on the label, DON'T buy it.

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