HOME & GARDEN CONSUMER GUIDE

The Whole Story On Healthy Bread

Just because a loaf of bread is a healthy looking brown and the wrapper boasts that it is made with stone ground, multi-grain, or cracked wheat, it will not necessarily provide the benefits of whole grain. As The Wall Street Journal recently pointed out, a lot of bread is “dressed up,” through the use of food coloring, a brown wrapper, and confidence-inspiring words, to seem healthier than it actually is. Multi-grain bread, for example, may contain only a small percentage of grains other than wheat, and there may not be whole grain in it at all.

Whole is the key word, as in whole wheat and whole grain. It should be the first word in the ingredients, or part of the first ingredient’s description. Look for whole-wheat flour, or stone ground 100 percent whole-wheat flour, for example. If a loaf is multi-grain, this still applies: make sure it contains whole grains and that they are one of the first few ingredients listed.

Bread made from refined, enriched white flour provides useful nutrition, but it lacks the fiber that comes from bran, the outer layer of the wheat kernel. This fiber helps reduce blood cholesterol. It also helps the body process the carbohydrate in the grain more slowly, avoiding the surge of blood sugar and later “crash” that leads to hunger and craving more carbs.

Whole grains make a firmer, fuller flavored loaf than those made with white flour. Still, the flavor and texture of whole-grain breads from different bakeries can vary. Try a few loaves and find the one you like best, selecting only from those with at least three grams of fiber per serving. (Calories count, but in bread, fiber is more important. It is better to use whole-grain bread that is 90 calories per serving with three grams of fiber than a “light” or refined variety with 45 calories per serving and only one gram of fiber.)

For sandwiches, you may prefer toasting whole-grain breads. And you may enjoy them more using mustard in place of mayonnaise. They make excellent French toast, too. Whole-wheat French toast is especially good served with fresh fruit, like this Fruit Salsa

Whole-Wheat French Toast with Fruit Salsa

• 1 large banana, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered lengthwise
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup 2% (reduced fat) milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 4 slices stale, whole-grain wheat bread
• Canola oil spray

Toss the banana slices with lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Add blueberries, strawberries and syrup. Set salsa aside for at least 20 minutes for flavors to meld; or, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours before serving. Bring chilled salsa to room temperature before serving.

In a large pan that will hold at least 2 bread slices at a time, whisk eggs until well blended with milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Soak bread in the mixture 2 minutes per side, or until well-soaked.

Meanwhile, use canola oil spray to coat a large skillet (preferably, one big enough to hold 4 slices) and heat over medium-high heat. Add bread and cook until browned on bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn and brown on second side, about 2 minutes. (If pan is not large enough to hold 4 slices, transfer finished toast to a warm plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm while remaining slices cook.)

Serve, topping each slice of toast with one-fourth of the salsa.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 187 calories, 4 g. total fat (2 g. saturated fat), 34 g. carbohydrate, 6 g. protein, 3 g. dietary fiber, 67 mg. sodium.

By Dana Jacobi for the American Institute for Cancer Research
“Something Different” is written for the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) by Dana Jacobi, author of The Joy of Soy, and recipe creator for AICR’s Stopping Cancer Before It Starts.