A guide to choosing 100% whole wheat bread.

ABOUT WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Bread is food for life. It has been the dietary staple – the very food that sustains cultures and life all around the world for thousands of years. In the U.S. alone, the consumers of bread have increased from 308.69 million in 2011 to 326.91 million in 2020. It’s estimated that by 2024, the number of consumers will rise up to 335.49 million.

Among all types of bread being consumed in the U.S., the most eaten type has always been whole wheat/multi-grain bread. In the year 2020, the consumers of whole wheat/multi-grain bread were estimated to be 192,68 million. That was 1.42 times more than white bread consumption and 5.48 times more than sourdough bread consumption.

Despite the ever-increasing demand for whole wheat/whole grain bread, however, there has never been this much confusion regarding whole wheat bread. People know neither where to find it nor how to identify it. The scarcity of 100% whole wheat bread makes the searching process difficult, let alone the knowledge it entails to identify 100% whole wheat bread.

Indeed, a recent study from Tufts University and New York University confirmed that, out of the 1030 respondents, more than 60% would prefer whole grain to refined grain. But 29-47% of the respondents were unable to identify whole grain products. And to make things worse, their confusion aggravated after they were exposed to lengthened ingredient lists with mindboggling jargon (Wilde, etc., 2020).

People need to be informed of what 100% whole wheat bread entails.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF BREAD

WHAT IS WHOLE WHEAT

When it comes to bread, the single most important grain is wheat. Wheat is what makes bread the bread.

Whole wheat contains 100% of the wheat grain kernel – the bran, the germ, and the endosperm.

• The bran is the outer layer of the edible kernel. It protects the entire kernel from oxidization. Keeping it intact, the wheat kernel can be stored forever without losing nutrients. Removing it, the wheat kernels will kick-start the oxidization process which can destroy 45% of the nutrients in 24 hours and 90% of the nutrients in 72 hours.

The bran is nutrient dense. It not only consists of fiber (including both soluble and insoluble fiber), but also contains the vitamin B complex (20% of riboflavin, 50% of pantothenic acid, 73% of the vitamin B6, and 86% of niacin). Beyond fiber and B complex, the bran is also rich in selenium, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, antioxidants, and phytochemicals.

• The germ is the embryo of the kernel. This nutrient-rich component is loaded with nucleic acids, unsaturated fats, Vitamin E, B vitamins, trace minerals, phytochemicals, polyphenols, flavonoids, antioxidants, and other micronutrients. These micronutrients, such as amines, purines, and phenolic acids, can be easily oxidized and lose nutrition values.
• And between the bran and the germ is the starchy endosperm – the largest portion of the kernel that makes up about 83% of grain, 72% of the protein, and 43% of the pantothenic acid.

WHY WHOLE WHEAT

While grains are recognized as the most nutrient-dense food group available, wheat has the highest nutritional value among all grains (Becker, 2010). As Sue Becker explicitly pointed out, “of the 44 known essential nutrients needed by our bodies and naturally obtained from foods, only 4 are missing from wheat–vitamins A, B_12, and C, and the mineral iodine.” Wheat contains 9 times more fiber than white rice, 85.8 times less sugar than plantain, 3.81 times more zinc than yam, 8.5 times more manganese than corn, 58 times more selenium than potatoes, 3.45 times more Vitamin B3 than white rice, and 23.2 times more Vitamin E than potatoes.

Fiber_wheat : Fiber_{white rice} ≥ 9

Sugar_plantain : Sugar_wheat ≥ 85.8

Zinc_wheat : Zinc_yam ≥ 3.81

Manganese_wheat : Manganese_corn ≥ 8.5

Selenium_wheat : Selenium_potatoes ≥ 58

Niacin_wheat : Niacin_{white rice} ≥ 3.45

Vitamin E_wheat : Vitamin E_potatoes ≥ 23.2

TYPES OF WHEAT FLOUR                                                                               

Whole wheat, in its entirety, possesses a remarkable combination of nutrients and health benefits. However, due to the industrialized milling process, these components are separated, repurposed, and sold individually, which gives rise to three primary types of flour: refined wheat flour, enriched wheat flour, and wheat starch.

• Refined wheat flour is the one with both bran and germ removed. In comparison to the original whole wheat, refined flour pulls out almost all unsaturated fat and fiber. It loses about 50% of B vitamins, 92% of Vitamin E, 75% of fiber, 84% of magnesium, 71% of potassium, 67% of iron, 41% of folate, and 25 to 30 vital nutrients.
• Enriched wheat flour is refined flour with added synthetic vitamins and minerals, which normally include niacin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, and reduced iron. Having some nutrition back is good. The caveat, however, is that these additives are synthetic, meaning human bodies cannot absorb them readily. And these additives are only a small fraction of the 25-30 nutrients and phytochemicals that the original grain contains.  
• Wheat starch is the ultra-refined wheat flour void of bran, germ, and protein. It’s essentially a nutrient-empty carbohydrate high in carbs and low in fat, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It contains 0% fat, 0% protein, 1% fiber, and 86% carbs.

One common issue associated with these flour types is that they are all stripped of bran and germ. The removal of bran and germ results in the loss of fiber and fat content found in the original wheat kernel. Without fiber and fat, refined flour can be digested more quickly, leading to a rapid increase in blood sugar levels.

How do we know? We look at the Glycemic Index (GI).

Glycemic Index (GI) is an index that measures the impact of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. A high GI (≥ 70) indicates the food can spike blood sugar quickly, and a low GI (≤ 55) indicates the food can raise blood sugar slowly and steadily. Pure glucose has a GI value of 100.

As the Glycemic Index Table shows, GI is 45 for whole grain wheat, 85 for white wheat flour, and 100 for wheat starch. That’s about double spikes from low to high GI.

While the Glycemic Index (GI) is an important factor in assessing the impact of food on blood sugar levels, it is just one piece of the puzzle. The truth is, whole wheat in its natural form offers a host of nutritional benefits that cannot be replicated by a combination of refined flour, added bran, added germ, added protein, and added vitamins. When businesses alter whole wheat by taking something out and adding something in, they compromise its integrity and diminish its full potential.

FOOD LABELS FOR WHEAT FLOUR

Understanding food labels becomes essential when it comes to reaping the full nutrition benefits of whole wheat bread. It’s crucial for people to acquire the knowledge necessary to navigate food labels effectively.

For that purpose, we carefully studied the ingredients of 245 bread products in our sample. We sorted through the ingredients and compiled a list of labels for different wheat flour. All these labels were strictly derived from the sample. Any labels beyond the sample were excluded.

Whole wheat

According to the Federal regulations (Federal regulations), whole wheat flour is one that keeps a wheat kernel’s original constituents (bran, germ, and endosperm) unchanged and their corresponding proportions unaltered.

In our sample, we found the following food labels that have been used to describe whole wheat flour (in alphabetic order):

• 100% Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour
• Organic hard white whole wheat flour
• Organic whole wheat
• Organic Whole Wheat Flour
• Stoneground whole wheat flour
• Whole flour
• Whole grain wheat
• Whole grain wheat flour
• Whole Wheat
• Whole Wheat Flour

Sprouted wheat

Sprouted wheat comes from germinated whole-grain wheat. It contains all three components of whole wheat kernel: bran, endosperm, and germ.

In our sample, we found the following food labels that have been used to describe sprouted wheat (in alphabetic order):

• Sprouted organic hard white whole wheat berries
• Sprouted organic wheat kernels
• Sprouted Organic Whole Wheat Berries
• Sprouted Wheat Grains
• Organic sprouted wheat
• Organic Sprouted Whole Red Fife Wheat
• Organic sprouted whole-grain wheat flour
• Organic sprouted whole wheat

Wheat berries

A wheat berry is simply a whole wheat kernel without the husk. It contains all three components of a whole wheat kernel: bran, germ, and endosperm.

In our sample, we found the following food labels that have been used to describe wheat berries (in alphabetic order):

• Sprouted organic hard white whole wheat berries
• Sprouted organic wheat kernels
• Sprouted Organic whole wheat berries
• Wheat berries

Rolled and kibbled wheat

Rolled wheat comes from wheat berries being steamed and rolled (Mueslihaus), while kibbled wheat comes from wheat grains being coarsely ground. Both contain the three components of a whole wheat kernel: bran, germ, and endosperm.

In our sample, we found the following food labels that have been used to describe rolled and kibbled wheat (in alphabetic order):

• Rolled and kibbled wheat
• Organic rolled wheat

Cracked wheat

Cracked wheat comes from raw wheat berries that have been coarsely ground. It contains all three components of a whole wheat kernel: bran, germ, and endosperm.

In our sample, we found the following food labels that have been used to describe cracked wheat (in alphabetic order):

• Cracked wheat
• Cracked whole wheat
• Crushed wheat
• Organic cracked wheat
• Organic cracked whole wheat

Bulgur wheat

Bulgur comes from cracked wheat that has been parboiled. It contains all three components of a whole wheat kernel: bran, germ, and endosperm (wikipedia.com).

In our sample, we found the following food labels that have been used to describe Bulgur wheat (in alphabetic order):

• Bulgur 
• Bulgur wheat

Stoneground wheat

Stoneground milling starts with whole grain wheat, but it does not necessarily mean that the milling will yield whole wheat flour. Depending on whether the miller sifts out none or part or all of the bran after milling, stoneground milling can give rise to either refined wheat or whole wheat. Unless the manufacturers explicitly include the term “whole” in the label, we can reasonably assume that stoneground wheat flour is refined wheat flour. (The Whole Grain Council)

In our sample, we found the following food labels that have been used to describe stoneground whole wheat:

• Stoneground whole wheat
• 100% stoneground whole wheat

Food labels being used to describe refined wheat:

• Stoneground wheat

Wheat

Wheat is essentially endosperm-based wheat flour with no bran and germ.

In our sample, we found the following labels that have been used to describe wheat flour:

• Organic Unbleached Wheat Flour
• Organic wheat
• Organic wheat flour
• Wheat
• Wheat Flour

Enriched flour

Enriched flour is basically refined wheat flour with added vitamins and minerals.

In our sample, we found the following labels that have been used to describe enriched flour:

• Enriched Flour
• Enriched Semolina (Durum wheat)
• Enriched Wheat Flour
• Unbleached enriched flour
• Unbleached enriched wheat flour

Wheat starch

Wheat starch is pure starch-based flour without bran, germ, and protein. 

In our sample, we found the following labels that have been used to describe wheat starch:

• Modified wheat starch
• Resistant wheat starch
• Wheat starch

Wheat bran flour

Wheat bran flour is a pure bran-based flour base without germ and endosperm.

In our sample, we found the following labels that have been used to describe wheat bran flour:

• Organic Unprocessed Wheat Bran
• Organic Wheat Bran
• Wheat Bran

Wheat germ flour

Wheat germ flour is purely a germ-based flour base without bran and endosperm.

In our sample, the only food label we found for wheat germ flour is wheat germ.

Bear in mind that the only and last defense in searching for 100% whole wheat bread has always been and will always be to know and read labels. There is no shortcut otherwise. You are your only and your ultimate defense.