FAQs

What's the difference between whole wheat and white bread?
Both breads are made from wheat flour. Whole wheat is composed of the entire kernel - the bran, germ and endosperm. White bread is milled from only the endosperm. Both whole wheat and white breads are high in complex carbohydrates and low in fat. Whole wheat bread contains four times as much fiber as does white bread - 2 grams as compared to .5 gram. Other "non-nutritive compounds" included in the bran and germ are still under investigation for their contribution to the diet. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommends 3 to 10 ounces of grain servings daily, with half those servings being whole-grains. White bread is enriched with the four major B vitamins - niacin, thiamin, folic acid and riboflavin - and iron to equal or exceeded amounts of whole wheat flour. Fortification of bread with calcium is optional and effective January 1, 1998, all enriched grain flours must be fortified with folic acid. Folic acid has been shown to play a beneficial role in protecting against spina bifida. Some trace nutrients are also removed with the bran and germ.
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