I was walking through the store the other day looking to buy some bread to make my favorite turkey sandwich. As I was reaching for my normal 12 grain bread I glanced to my right and realized that both whole wheat and whole-grain breads were displayed next to each other.

I stood there and thought “wow choosing bread could be difficult”. I looked to see if there were any signs or postings that would explain the health benefits of these various breads. I saw absolutely nothing!

I can’t imagine what the average person goes through when they are trying to select healthy bread. So I felt it was necessary to give you a quick rundown so you have a better idea about those slices you are using for that tuna sandwich.

Right off the bat the labels you will see are; wheat, multigrain, whole wheat, and whole grain. Beginning with wheat bread, which you will commonly see died white or brown, will probably be last on the “healthy scale” out of the four breads since it’s the most refined.

As a side note, a good time to have white wheat bread will be right after a workout since the body can process that bread quickly. Taking one step up from wheat is whole wheat. When you see whole wheat on the label, it’s establishing that the wheat grain is still intact and was not refined. This will make the bread healthier since the intact grain increases the fiber you are receiving from the bread. Next, (this may get a little complicated) is whole-grain bread which is telling you that the grain is still intact but the grain can be from wheat, oat, farro and many other type of grains. The label should give you an indication of what grain was used.

Lastly, multigrain labels are only telling you that multiple grains were used. Some of the grains in that bread might be processed taking away some of the health benefits.

So what’s the healthiest?

Well, every bread has its place and time in which you are receiving the best benefits. For your average sandwich I would say going with a 7 or 12 whole grain bread. This type of bread has great taste and awesome health benefits.

-Phil