Wanting to eat healthful food, you may grab a loaf of brown bread labeled “wheat” at the grocery store. Unfortunately, you may be giving yourself the equivalent of white bread with caramel coloring added to make it look brown and “healthy.” Understanding what constitutes whole grains will help you assess bread labels to ensure that you are getting the full benefits of true whole wheat bread. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that at least half of the grains in your diet be whole grains, but most Americans eat less than one serving of whole grains per day.

Looking Beyond the Label

Labeling terms like “multi-grain,” “rye,” or “7 grain” do not mean that a bread contains whole grains. Take a few extra moments in the bread aisle to look at the ingredient label on the back of the package. The first ingredient should include the word “whole.” A first ingredient that includes the term “enriched” is not the same as a whole grain; instead, the term indicates that some, but not all, of the vitamins were added back into the grain after the refining process.

What’s a Whole Grain?

A whole grain has all of its essential components: bran, germ and endosperm. The bran is the outler layer of the grain, the germ is the embryo that can sprout a new plant, and the endosperm is food for the germ. When manufacturers refine grains, they remove the bran and germ. More than half of the fiber in wheat is in the bran, and most of the vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, selenium, iron, magnesium, zinc and B vitamins, are present in the germ. So brown bread that is not made using whole grain does not include these components and may be missing many of their important nutrients as well.

Fiber in Brown and Whole-Wheat Breads

The large amount of fiber in the bran of wheat is one of the major benefits that you get from eating whole wheat bread. A slice of white bread typically contains 1-2 grams of fiber, whereas a slice of whole wheat bread contains 2-4 grams. The benefits of fiber include prevention of constipation, reduced risk of some cancers, lowering of “bad” cholesterol and, therefore, reducing heart disease risk and lowering blood sugar to help control diabetes. Including fiber in your meals also helps with weight management because it helps you feel full.

Effects On Blood Sugar