How to spot fake brown bread

Because of the popularity of brown bread, some bakers will try to pass off enriched wheat flour as whole wheat flour, which is wrong. COURTESY PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Many of the wheat bread products on the market are not true whole wheat breads, making them little more nutritional compared to white breads in disguise. Here is how to spot the real whole grains.
  • Look for breads with low or no added sugars.
  • Added sugars in processed foods are difficult to track.

You might have been told to stop eating white bread for the sake of your well-being. What your advisers failed to explain is that not all brown bread is healthy. Purity Wako, a nutritionist and dietician, says most people confuse brown bread with whole wheat bread. “Some brown bread is just white bread with brown or caramel colouring,” Wako says.

Buying the right bread has become a difficult task with numerous options to choose from. To narrow down the options, we may have to choose between white and whole wheat bread. While we know that white bread is made of refined flour bleached with chemicals such as benzyl peroxide, potassium bromide and fortified with vitamins and minerals through an artificial process unlike brown bread which mostly contains natural elements.

Sheila Karungi, a nutritionist, notes that there is a misconception that one can easily tell the difference between white and whole wheat by the colour of the loaf. She recommends that when looking for a healthy loaf, the keywords to look out for are “whole grain” and “whole wheat” as the first ingredient on the ingredient list. “In case the ingredient list has other things listed first, seek more clarification because chances are that is just white bread with caramel colouring added,” Karungi clarifies.

Why brown ?
According to Wako, fibre is a very important nutrient because not only does it promote health, it also helps reduce the risk for some chronic diseases. It also prevents constipation and hemorrhoids. Fibre is also linked to prevention of some cancers, especially colon and breast cancer. In addition, fibre may help lower the LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) and the total cholesterol therefore reducing the risk of heart disease. Fibre can also help lower blood sugar and keep you trim since it contains zero calories.

Karungi notes that whole wheat bread is especially good for diabetics because it has a very low glycemic index which helps in lowering sugar levels. The nutritionist cautions against binging on bread however healthy it might be. “Some people tend to do things in extremes which as we all know too much of anything is always bad. Four slices of brown bread a day should provide the recommended calcium intake,” she explains.
John Patrick Lubega, a baker, observes that because of the popularity of brown bread, some bakers will try to pass off enriched wheat flour as whole wheat flour, which is wrong. “Once refined, whole grains lose their essential vitamins, fibre and minerals, only iron is added back to enriched flour,” Lubega explains.

The easiest way to choose healthy bread is reading the ingredient list. “It should have additives that you know and understand. If you find many words that you cannot even pronounce, there is a possibility that they will be as hard for your body to digest. A quick Google search should be able to tell you whether they are healthy or not,” Lubega tips.

What about sugar?
Look for breads with low or no added sugars. Added sugars in processed foods are difficult to track. “Sugars” on Nutrition Facts panels include natural and added sugars. Check the ingredient list for sugar and all its aliases: corn sweetener or syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, malt sugar, molasses, syrup and sugar molecules ending in “ose” (fructose, glucose, sucrose).
The closer sugars are to the top of the list, the more the food contains. Also look for bread that does not contain soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil and sunflower oil. These oils are high in omega-6 fats, which compete with healthy omega-3 fats that benefit your heart and brain.