Many of you should have eaten whole wheat bread, right?
Compared with ordinary bread, whole wheat bread is claimed to be healthier and more suitable for weight loss people.
In supermarkets, in bakeries, they can look like this...
It could also look like this...
(Image source: soogif)
It could still look like this...
But did you know?
Of all the whole wheat bread you've bought and eaten, 99% of it may be fake!
As we all know, the bread we eat every day is made from flour as the main ingredient.
Flour, on the other hand, is the product of wheat processing.
A grain of wheat is composed of three parts: bran, germ and endosperm, and the three partners have their own strengths.
The bran is rich in dietary fiber, the germ is rich in vitamins, and the endosperm is rich in starch and protein.
(Image source: Station Cool Helo)
Generally, refined flour is marketed, that is, the bran and germ of the wheat are removed and only the endosperm is processed.
Such refined flour tastes good, but the nutrition is not comprehensive.
Whole wheat flour, on the other hand, is made from a whole grain of wheat.
The bran and germ are not removed, and although the taste is poor, it is full of nutrition, a strong sense of fullness, and a low glycemic index (GI, which is the amount of blood sugar increase after eating).
Bread made from whole wheat flour can reduce food intake and control blood sugar, and is loved by people who lose weight [1].
(Source: Agricultural Machinery)
However, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standard, only bread with more than 51% (by weight) of whole wheat flour added can be called whole wheat bread [2].
At present, there is no relevant industry standard in the mainland, so many merchants have taken the opportunity to exploit loopholes...
In order to cater to the weight loss psychology of consumers, even if the amount of whole wheat flour is added very little, or even not added at all, dare to call themselves "whole wheat bread".
A lot of what we buy in supermarkets and bakeries is this type of "fake whole wheat bread".
According to the relevant regulations of the mainland, the ingredient column on the food packaging needs to be arranged one by one in the order of decreasing amount of addition, that is, the more it is ranked in front, the more the amount of addition [3].
Let's start with the ingredients for fake whole wheat bread:
(Image source: self-photographed)
Wheat flour ranks first in the ingredients, and whole wheat flour only ranks third, indicating that the amount of whole wheat flour added is very small, and the nutrient content is naturally "not up to standard".
And everyone carefully look at the ingredients behind, in order to make the bread taste more sweet and soft, this bread also added a lot of sugar, margarine (containing trans fatty acids) and food additives.
People who want to lose weight if they eat this whole wheat bread, I am afraid that they will only get fatter and fatter...
(Image source: Internet)
And real whole wheat bread, whole wheat flour must be in the first place.
Moreover, in addition to the "good things" of flour, water, yeast, and nuts with rich flavors and fortified nutrition, the fewer other ingredients, the better.
In addition, the ordinary bread we usually eat, the cut noodles are mostly white or creamy yellow, and the tissue is more delicate.
Whole wheat bread, on the other hand, is light brown (dark brown made with rye flour), has a rough tissue, has many pores, and can also see many small yellow particles - wheat bran.
(Image source: made by yourself)
However, it should be noted that brown, wheat bran bread is not necessarily whole wheat bread, and some merchants will add brown sugar and wheat bran to the flour to achieve the effect of fake and real.
Therefore, to determine whether it is whole wheat bread, the most fundamental thing when purchasing is to look at the ingredient list.
If the bread is in hand, the taste can also help you simply and directly identify the "strength" of whole wheat: the more difficult it is to eat, the higher the whole wheat content may be.
That's right! The real hardcore whole wheat bread can be described as difficult to swallow.
This is also the fundamental reason why whole wheat flour is obviously not expensive, but the merchant tries everything to "fake".
Bread with a high content of whole wheat flour is hard and difficult to chew, it can make your cheeks hurt, and it has a sour taste (fermented taste) when eaten, which may pull your throat when swallowed.
Look at everyone's real evaluation of an imported brand of whole wheat bread.
It is recommended to carefully taste these descriptions: did not dare to feed the dog, afraid of the dog's death...
(Image source: Screenshot of a shopping platform review)
It tastes like sour chicken feed...
It's hard to eat until the scalp explodes...
Ducks vomit when they eat...
It is normal for merchants not to dare to challenge easily.
The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016) recommend that healthy people should consume 1 to 3 pairs of whole grains and miscellaneous beans every day, and grasp almost two handfuls with their hands.
Whole grain refers to grains that have not been finely processed and still retain all or most of the bran, germ, and endosperm.
(Source: Chinese Nutrition Society)
Compared to refined grains, whole grains are more nutritious, providing essential B vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber in addition to carbohydrates and proteins, which can help prevent diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and obesity [1].
Therefore, bread made mainly of whole wheat flour is naturally healthier and more suitable for weight loss people than bread made of refined flour.
If you can accept the taste of whole wheat bread, then it is indeed a good diet food.
However, it is really impossible to accept the "chicken feed flavor" of whole wheat bread, if it is for health or weight loss, you do not have to cling to whole wheat bread.
Is it not fragrant with mixed grain rice?
Of course, the "fake whole wheat bread" on the market is not impossible to buy, although its nutritional composition and real whole wheat bread have a gap, but the psychological comfort effect is still there!
The key is that many brands are doing quite delicious, hiccup~
Review expert: Li Yuanyuan | Registered Dietitian
Resources:
Tan B, Tan H D, Liu M, et al. Nutrition and health of grain (whole grain)[J]. Journal of the Chinese Cereals and Oils Society, 2010(04):107-114.
Health Claim Notification for Whole Grain Foods.https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/ health-claim-notification-whole-grain-foods.1999.
[3] GB 28050-2011 National Standard for Food Safety General Rules for Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods. National Standard of the People's Republic of China.2011.