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HolsumAZ.com > Healthy Living > Health News
Source: Boston Globe, January 5, 2005 by Leigh Belanger, Boston Globe Correspondent
The past few years have been hard on carbohydrates. They've shouldered a lot of the blame for making us an overweight nation. They've been shunned and vilified by dieters and nutritionists. Last September, when Interstate Bakeries, makers of Wonder Bread and Twinkies, declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy, it seemed like carbs were directly responsible.
That same month, another titan of the food industry made a different declaration. General Mills announced it would use whole grains in all of its cereals. As a result, the company became part of a growing trend. The whole grain movement, which has been gaining popularity in recent years, has found a place on the bread aisle. If you want to buy a hearty loaf these days, you can go to your local supermarket. ''You'll see that the trend is definitely headed in that direction," says Chris Smith, president of New England Baking Companies, owners of Matthew's All Natural Breads. When you see Wonder Bread's whole wheat sharing space with sprouted wheat loaves from Vermont Bread Company, you know that manufacturers are taking the move to whole grains seriously. Carbohydrates are changing color.
A recent Tufts University study concluded that people who ate a plant-based diet rich in whole grains had, over time, less weight gain and lower body mass index. If you begin to change your ways by introducing whole grain breads into your daily regimen, the world of carbs needs some navigation. Dark breads are generally better for you than white, but looks can be deceiving. You get more health benefits from whole wheat flour than from refined all-purpose flour, for instance. But bread manufacturers are not beyond darkening a loaf to fool you. Savvy shoppers need to be label readers, ignoring package claims and studying ingredient lists (see related story on this page). If it's wheat you're looking for, the list must include the word ''whole." And just because pumpernickel is dark and multigrain chewy, it doesn't mean either is made with whole grains.
Artisan bakers have been perfecting hearty loaves since the back-to-the-land movement of the 1960s. The generation that made its own bread for decades is now turning to Cambridge-based Iggy's Breads of the World, the Maine company When Pigs Fly, and other natural bakers. Once you get used to the firmer, chewier texture and earthy taste of these breads, it's hard to turn back.
Among these bakers is Nashoba Brook, based in Concord with another location in the South End, which makes a seven-grain bread studded with dates, based on a sourdough starter. With a sweet taste, firm crust, and dense crumb, the bread is a good introduction to whole grain toast. The bakery's rye loaf also has the taste of sourdough; it's milder and more tender than traditional rye.
On many supermarket shelves, you can find loaves from Vermont Bread and Matthew's All Natural. The product list of Brattleboro-based Vermont Bread has recently expanded to include organic loaves, wheat-free items, and a popular cinnamon swirl. ''When the bread market went south last year," says company spokesman Ralph Nagle, ''we struggled a little bit, but we were right there with the whole grain thing."
A loaf of Vermont bread can cost up to 40 cents more than supermarket standards such as Wonder and Pepperidge Farm ($2.69 and $2.99 respectively, the range for commercial loaves). Vermont, Matthew's, and Pepperidge Farm offer breads that are soft in texture, so they don't scream healthful (though they are) and they're easy for kids to get used to. Vermont Bread's Sunflower Sesame Bread is nutty, with a texture that is hearty but not overwhelmingly so. Vermont's sprouted wheat, also firm, contains potato flour and is delicious toasted and spread with peanut butter.
Matthew's All Natural 9 Grain and Nut Bread is sturdy but soft, ideal sandwich bread and another good one for children. Pepperidge Farm Natural Whole Grain Nine Grain is soft and mildly sweet but still substantial, with a slight malty and nutty flavor. It makes great crispy, buttered toast.
It isn't surprising that Wonder Bread's Stoneground 100% Whole Wheat has the squishy quality of white Wonder Bread, along with a sweet but somewhat bland flavor. Slices have no heft, and the toast, though nicely browned and crispy, is insubstantial. Also disappointing is Wonder's ingredient list, filled with preservatives and sweeteners. When Pigs Fly bread, for serious bread lovers, is in many supermarkets. Their whole wheat is full-flavored, very wheaty, almost too hearty for certain sandwiches. Substantial delicatessen meats would be great on this loaf.
When you find the loaf that suits your tastes, it's worth switching, say the experts. The three parts of a grain seed -- bran, germ, and endosperm, all still present in whole grains -- work more nutritiously together than they do separately, though scientists and dietitians haven't figured out why. ''We're still trying to understand what a whole grain is," says P. K. Newby, a scientist involved in the recent Tufts University study.
Scientists do know that these complex carbohydrates have multiple effects on diet and health. Dieters who switch from refined to whole grains will have the advantage of fewer calories per ounce. They'll also notice how much fuller they feel. ''Eating whole grains is important for satiety," says Pat Vasconcellos, an American Dietetics Association spokeswoman.
This month, the Agriculture Department and Health and Human Services Department's joint 2005 dietary guidelines may recommend people get at least three daily servings of whole grains. A sandwich made with whole grain bread takes care of two. Filled with peanut butter, hummus, or lean meats, a whole grain sandwich for lunch is more filling than its refined counterpart.
Now that whole grains breads are so accessible, it's just a matter of knowing, as nutrition scientist Newby says, that ''a carb is not just a carb, like a fat is not just a fat." You just have to choose which ones to eat.
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