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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
(NUI) - Seven-grain or focaccia? White, whole-wheat or rye?
According to the Food and Drug Administration, you should try to consume between six and 11 servings a day of foods from the grain group. But with so many choices in the bread aisle, how do you decide which type of bread to buy?
These tips from Oroweat will help you understand the differences between certain breads and show you how to choose the healthiest one.
* Select 100 percent whole-wheat bread. Whole-wheat bread and wheat bread are not the same. Whole-wheat bread contains the entire wheat kernel and all of its natural micronutrients and fiber. Many nutrition experts recommend whole grains to increase dietary fiber. They say high fiber diets may help lower cholesterol levels and help reduce cancer risk.
Most wheat bread contains minimal amounts of whole-wheat flour. Instead, they predominantly contain refined flour. This refined flour contains only part of the wheat kernel, so any darker color comes from additional ingredients like molasses. Typically, white bread contains only refined flour, which has the dietary fiber and vitamin rich sections of the wheat kernel removed.
* Read nutrition labels and ingredient lists. Nutrition labels have a standard format, which is supposed to make them easy to understand. Unfortunately, these labels can still cause confusion. Most importantly, remember that the numbers on these labels refer to one "serving." A serving is not necessarily one cookie, one cracker, one chicken breast or one slice of bread. Serving size varies by manufacturer.
When it comes to ingredient lists, the lists say more about the product than you may think. Ingredients are listed in order of the amount of each ingredient in the product, so look for what type of flour is listed first on your bread products. If the list includes whole-wheat flour before wheat flour, then it is better than if it only contains wheat flour. If it only lists whole-wheat flour, then it is 100 percent whole-wheat bread.
* Keep your bread fresh. After choosing your bread, store it properly. Bread should be stored in a dark, dry place at room temperature. Putting bread in the refrigerator will not keep it fresh longer. In fact, it may dry out sooner.
Oroweat is the official bread supplier of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team. For more information, visit www.oroweat.com.
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