White — it’s the new wheat
By Jessica McCormick

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend adults eat three servings of whole grains each day. This may be easier for America’s white bread lovers to do, as new types of whole wheat bread, actually white in color, hit grocery store shelves.

“In American today, dietary fiber intake is too low. It is supposed to be around 25 grams a day for the average adult. The problem is that not many people are meeting this requirement,” Ingolf Gruen, MU associate professor of food science, said.

“Most regular white breads provide, at best, two grams of dietary fiber per serving. By simply switching to a whole-wheat bread variety, a person could receive up to six grams of dietary fiber per serving. Therefore, if you eat three slices of those varieties each day, you could be getting about 18 grams of dietary fiber,” Gruen said.

Sara Lee and Wonder Bread are now offering their own versions of whole-wheat white products that are already available or coming to a grocery store near you. These new products could help white bread fans get closer to their suggested fiber intake.

Last year, ConAgra foods unveiled Ultragrain, a line of white whole-wheat products that have 11 times more vitamin E, four times more niacin, five times more magnesium and three and a half times more dietary fiber than refined flour. Sara Lee released its Soft & Smooth Bread, which is white in color and offers 30 percent whole grain. This product is currently available at your local Gerbe’s Grocery Store.

“Because this product only provides 30 percent whole grain and approximately two grams of dietary fiber, it is not really comparable to true whole wheat varieties that can have in the upwards of six grams of fiber, but it is better than nothing,” Gruen said.

Until recently, there was not a 100 percent whole grain white bread product. According to www.wonderbread.com, Interstate Bakeries Corporation unveiled the first real 100 percent whole grain white bread. “White Bread Fans 100% Whole Grain Bread,” by Wonder, was created for people who prefer the mild taste and soft feel of white bread, but still want the benefits of whole grain nutrition. This product provides 16 grams of whole grain per slice and nine other vitamins and minerals. Retailers in six U.S. markets, including Kansas City, introduced “White Bread Fans 100% Whole Grain Bread” in July of 2005. If it is not at your grocery store yet, look for it to be popping up by early 2006, Wonder Bread said.

Believe it or not, the wheat used to make these products is not genetically modified. According to research done by Kansas State University, some of the components of red wheat, used for making traditional whole-wheat bread, are not present in the naturally occurring albino wheat variety used in the newer products. For instance, phenolic acid and tannins in the outer bran of the red wheat give the traditional whole-wheat bread the bitter taste that most white bread lovers do not prefer. The albino variety does not contain these properties.

The great debate of white or wheat may soon be resolved. If you cannot pick a side, look for the new products in Columbia grocery stores soon. They may be the answer to one of your diet’s most frequently asked questions.

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