Much nudging from the health police has convinced more people to eat whole-grain bread, but just 60 percent of Americans eat a whole-grain food at least once in two weeks, according to the Whole Grains Council. Clearly our hearts, and our palates, still belong to white.
I am still trying. Wonder bread tastes odd to me now, but I can’t get excited about whole wheat bread. Its like milk … I have gone from whole milk to 2%. With bread, I’ve gone from white to light whole wheat.
The white bread crust gave off chemicals that smell like corn chips, potatoes, caramel, and flowers, while the whole wheat produced malty, earthy, cucumber, fatty smells. Which would you choose for toast?
So white bread cheats, I get it.
Products with the Whole Grain stamp, which is a common symbol on food packages these days, were higher in fiber and lower in trans fats than some other foods, but had more sugar and calories compared to products without the stamp. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that products that met the American Heart Association’s standard — requiring a 10:1 ratio of carbohydrates to fiber — were healthiest overall.
The more you know.