Q: I pay $4 for multigrain or whole wheat breads because I've heard white bread isn't as healthy. But when I compare nutrition labels, $2 white breads look much the same. Are they?
A: My Talmudic answer: yes and no. You must inspect labels to make sure the first ingredient is whole grain, the total number of ingredients is small and devoid of unpronounceable chemicals, the fiber content is at least 2 grams per 1-ounce serving and the label says 100 percent whole wheat. Anything less is reconstituted white bread with occasional pieces of the original grain added back.
Delicious handmade breads take forever to make and quickly go stale. Commercial bakeries deal with these problems and compensate for the loss of flavor by adding stabilizers, dough softeners and preservatives, and covering up the chemical tastes with sweeteners. Breads with 30 or more ingredients are not unusual and violate my rule: Never buy processed foods with more than five ingredients.
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