White bread vs wholegrain bread

White bread is one of the most commonly purchased food products in Australia, so how can such a highly consumed products be bad?

In the scheme of things white bread isn’t a ‘bad’ food. It’s low in fat and high in carbohydrates for everyday energy, but if you are looking to get nutritional bang for your buck when eating bread, wholegrain bread is certainly the better choice to make. 

Wholegrains have 70% more nutrients than grains which are processed and refined. The nutrients in wholegrain bread and cereal read like the side of a supplement bottle… Vitamin B and E, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus as well as good fats, protein, fibre, antioxidants and phytonutrients.

All the processing machines have to do to breakdown wholegrains and make white bread is work the stomach and digestive system. With this increased workload you become fuller for longer as fuel slowly enters the blood stream.

White bread can still have a time and place. If you want energy in a hurry and not a lot of fibre in your belly, say around training time, a white bread sandwich will be ideal.

Small changes from white bread to wholemeal or wholegrain bread can have big impacts on your overall health and wellbeing. Little things like this add up, so next time you buy a loaf of bread try a grainy variety.