How bad is white bread?

[MeSarah]

I know that if you eat bread, it's better to eat whole grain bread, but how bad is white bread for you? Is it just that it's not as nutritious or is it that it can actually make you fatter? I've never understood it.

[enviroTodd]

White bread is bad enough that it's actually not good for you. It does more harm to your body to eat white bread than it benefits. Clearly, if you were lost in the woods and you had the choice between eating a handful of dirt or a loaf of white bread, you should eat the bread, but virtually every component of white bread has elements that are bad for you. Did you ever squish up a piece of bread in your hand when you were a kid? Do you remember how it could essentially turn into a ball of gluey substance? That’s essentially what you’re eating: a ball of glue. The bleaching of the flour and stripping the parts of the grain remove nearly all of the nutritional benefits of the wheat, and reduces the fiber level to the point where any fiber you get from white bread does next to nothing for you – especially because your digestive system is trying to work with a big ball of glue. Even the “enriched” bread doesn’t offer a lot of nutritional benefits. If you read the label, you’ll see that it’s more of a marketing gimmick than anything else, like those vitamin water products.

[BabyButtons]

As envirTodd has said, it is quite bad for you. It is far better to eat whole grain breads. These are even better for you than whole wheat. If you really enjoy white bread, have it as an occasional treat, but mostly you'll just want to drop it like a bad habit. You might find that when you give it up, you'll find you'll like the taste of other breads, too. While you're at it, you might want to consider looking for white rice and white pasta alternatives, too

[Speeddemon]

I have to agree with eT. White bread is crap. There's just nothing good about it. I know because I'm one of those people who is prone to liking foods that have zero health benefits. Plus, if you have never tried making that ball of glue like he mentioned, you should give it a shot MeSarah. You'll soon discover that eating white bread is like eating playdoh.

[enviroTodd]

BabyButtons - that's a very good point. Whole grain breads are far better for you than whole wheat. The reason is that whole wheat isn't actually a specific term. It doesn't necessarily mean that all of the parts of the grain have been used in the flour for making the bread. It could include only two parts and not all three. On the other hand, in order for a bread to call itself whole grain, it is required to use all three parts of the grain, and that is far better for your nutrition and your overall health.

Speeddemon - it seems that we are in agreement a lot. I wouldn't have phrased it quite as eloquently as you have, but you do get the point across. I think we're making a habit of being on the same side of a debate, lately. What is the world coming to?

[TeensyTiff]

Yeesh! White bread is really that bad?? I knew it wasn't good for you but I didn't know it was essentially only better for you than eating dirt. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say it's the same as playdoh, but it's likely on par with a hot dog in terms of being good for you.

[MeSarah]

Wow...okay, so I have to go throw out all my white bread now! Gosh, why do they even sell the stuff if it's that bad for you?