Whole Grain Bread, A Better Alternative To Classic White Bread

Atta bread, also known as whole grain bread is now trending amongst health-conscious Indians. This has replaced white or brown bread on a large scale.

Why wheat as an alternative?

The flavor of wheat is loved by Indians, since it has been the historic staple food for Indians. The addition of wheat to bread gives it a lot of fiber and also makes you feel satisfying. Also, one could lower the risks of getting heart attack by consuming whole wheat bread instead of normal classic white or brown bread.

Wheat bread in India

When you have a deep look into the health consciousness and awareness level of Indians, it is a pity to know that we Indians are addicted more towards white bread for its taste and forget about the goodness of Atta bread.

If and only the doctors advise or if they really are diet and health conscious they choose wheat bread over white bread.

Dietary fibre percentage

In comparison with maida, atta is definitely a better choice since it has more dietary fibres compared to atta. Also, it normalizes bowel movements, lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Exploring deep inside

Whole wheat flour includes three layers of grain, such as bran, germ and endosperm. Whereas, refined flour consists only the endosperm.

Also, whole wheat flour has more fibre and phytochemicals that reducesrisk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes.

Other things to note

One must note that wheat might be sensitive on certain types of skin and it may lead to allergy or sometimes an auto immune disorder (Celiac disease). So, it is always better to take a test before consuming wheat and wheat related products that are rich in gluten.

Toxic chemicals found in normal bread

After a research, it has been found out that, chemicals such as potassium bromate and potassium iodate, that is used to treat baking flour could lead to cancer. Almost 40 countries have banned the usage of these harmful chemicals in bread.

Pathetically, this is not the case in our country. So, we must be choosy about the food we eat. Always, it is better to choose healthy one over delicious one.

Is White Bread Losing Its Popularity ?

What more evidence one want to see that  white bread has fallen from its once most sought out bread  for  even the street hawker  for  snacks ( tikkiwala)  gives option for multi grain, brown or whole grain bread instead of white bread .

White bread which are mass produced  are made of wheat flour  devoid of  bran  and germ  which are removed while passing through milling process.White  bread flour  thus doesn't  have dietary fibre , iron ,Vitamin B and micro nutrients such as thiamine,riboflavin and niacin . However many countries have  food laws making white flour fortification with these nutrients mandatory (  Fortification of  bread is not present in Indian PFA act ) .Another important nutrient is folic acid .Removal of bran and germ gives wheat flour a longer shelf life thus making it  popular among bread manufacturers .

Popularity of  Whole grain or Brown Bread  are for  following  reasons

• Consumers are now  more health conscious  than  ever before  with information available  easily to majority population on advantage of  whole grain breads  .
• Availability  of  options   to  consumers  for white bread  by manufacturers who are now producing  breads such as whole grain , multi grain  breads (.Manufacturers like Harvest Gold and Bonn have introduced healthy options of whole grain breads ).

Recent  articles in leading mag/newspaper  shows similar trend  in other countries


British Bakers
Sale Volumes of  Brown /seeded  bread has increased by 6.1% from last year  and for  white bread  decreased by 1.4% for the same period

Herald Sun


Health-conscious consumers are driving a trend toward wholegrain and nutrient-laden bread varieties, steadily eroding the popularity of white bread.Sales of breads enriched or fortified with nutrients are growing by 10 to 15 per cent a year, with more than $320 million in sales, a Bread Manufacturing in Australia report by IBISWorld found.

 GreenFieldReporter.com

For the first time in 15 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing new standards for school meals - ones that call for more whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables, fat-free flavored milks, limited servings of potatoes and starchy vegetables, and reduced amounts of sodium and calories.



leaderwheels.com
Whenever you replace white flour with whole grains—in bread, cereal, pasta—it’s a strike against aging. Soluble fiber, found in oats and barley, has been linked to lower levels of insulin and bad cholesterol (think: diabetes and heart disease), and insoluble fiber in whole wheat reduces risk of gastrointestinal maladies like diverticulosis. Check out bread made with the new albino whole wheat—it tastes like the real white thing.