Is Wheat Bread a Better Choice Than White Bread?

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Are wheat bread products healthier than white bread products at sandwich restaurants? Methods An online nutritional analysis was conducted for wheat and white bread item from seven restaurants. Nutritional apps, including Cronometer (www.cronometer.com) and restaurant websites nutrition information were used to collect the data. Specifically, nutritional information was used to compare one wheat and one white bread product from each restaurant in the following nine categories: Calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, cholesterol, total carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugar, and protein. In order to maintain consistency, the data were normalized to weight of the bread product. Results The results suggest that what is determined a ‘healthy’ choice is dependent on the specific nutritional characteristics. For instance, white bread consistently showed lower Calories, total carbohydrates, added sugars, and sodium. However, the wheat bread had higher protein content and 2–3 times the dietary fiber compared to its white bread counterpart. Conclusions These results reinforce the idea that healthier choices may be individualized and underscores the trend towards personalized nutrition. Funding Sources None.