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What if all of the nutrition of 100 percent whole wheat bread could be packed into a loaf of white bread?
What if white bread had six times the amount of fiber that white bread now contains?
Sound too good to be true? Perhaps, but it is a reality in the making. It won't be long before 100 percent white whole-wheat bread is available in a store near you.
This type of bread is made from a relatively new class of wheat called "hard white wheat." This wheat differs from traditional "hard red wheat" in that it produces more flour per bushel of grain milled. It also has less bitter after taste and superior bread baking characteristics. In addition, less sugar is needed when making the bread. This adds up to cost savings and a greater appeal to nutrition-conscious shoppers who really do prefer white bread.
According to the USDA, Americans consume five loaves of white bread for every loaf of whole wheat. The message sent is loud and clear, the majority of Americans prefer white bread. For some, wheat bread has an undesirable flavor and for others, whole wheat is much too different than what they are accustomed to. They don't like the taste or the texture.
One of the new Dietary Guidelines for 2000 is to, "eat a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains." A recent USDA analysis of American eating habits showed that Americans are eating one serving or less per day of whole grain foods. The American Dietetic Association recommends a minimum of three servings of whole grains per day.
If a bread label does not list whole wheat, oats or some other whole grain as the first ingredient, enriched white flour probably has been used. When enriched white flour is milled, much of the vitamin and mineral-rich germ and bran content are lost. Niacin, thiamin, riboflavin and iron are added back, but the lost vitamin E, B-6, magnesium, manganese, zinc, potassium, copper, pantothenic acid and phytochemicals are not replaced.
For those who prefer white bread, eating white whole-wheat bread could help increase intake of whole grains and other vitamins and minerals. The FDA recently has allowed health claims on labels of products containing at least 51 percent whole grain flours. This could help increase the amount of whole grains in our diets.
The National Cancer Institute recommends that Americans get 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day. Currently, fiber intake is at about 14 grams per day for women and about 19 grams per day for men. If white bread eaters switch to white whole-wheat bread, fiber intake could be increased.
A study conducted by Kay Behall and Judith Hallfrisch at the Beltsville, Md., Human Nutrition Research Center, part of the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, evaluated an experimental bread to see if the particle size of the finely ground whole-wheat white flour would have an effect on glucose tolerance. They concluded that particle size of the whole grain flours from white wheat improved blood glucose and insulin levels about the same as regular whole wheat bread. This is good news for the many Americans with diabetes who prefer white bread. Traditional white bread does cause a rise in blood glucose levels at a higher rate.
Foods made from hard white wheat have, for about four years, been used to make tortillas, Asian noodles, breads, waffles and some high fiber snack products. Right now, however, not enough of this type of wheat is on the market. Grain producers are stepping up production of the hard white wheat crop in order to increase the supply, thereby bringing down the cost of producing breads and other products made from the wheat.
For more information about bread made from hard white wheat, contact Doreen LaDuca, Colorado State University Extension agent with the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program at (303) 271-6639 or e-mail: dladuca@co.jefferson.co.us or contact your local Colorado State University Extension office.
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