Know the Difference Between Whole Wheat and Enriched Wheat

When you want healthier, nutrient-rich grain products, whole wheat is the way to go. Chances are, however, that you'll find "enriched" wheat products that sound just as good if not better. In reality, they're not worth your money. Alanna Nu?ez, writing for Yahoo, explains why.

Whole grains can be part of a healthy diet, providing essential nutrients such as fiber and minerals, but unless that package of bread you're holding has "100 percent whole-grain" listed as the first (and ideally only) ingredient, it probably only includes a a few whole grains mixed in with enriched wheat flour as the main ingredient.

"The key word to watch out for is 'enrichment'," Dr. [Christine] Gerbstadt says. "The means niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid, and iron are added after these and other key nutrients are stripped out in the first place during the refining process, whether it's wheat, rye, or other grains."

Enriched bread offers benefits over your standard white bread, so it's not some awful mess of food science, but if you're looking for a healthier option you should stick with whole wheat. If you want to learn more about what food labels mean, check out our guide.

9 Ingredients Nutritionists Won't Touch | Yahoo! Shine

Photo by Boston Public Library.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/vfgtWkFuFb0/know-the-difference-between-whole-wheat-and-enriched-wh-472997429

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