White, Wholemeal, Multigrain... Bread Basics

White bread

Made from just the starchy inner part of the grain with all the fibre and many nutrients removed this is the least nutritious bread. 
It almost always has a high GI meaning the carbs are absorbed almost as quickly as if you drank pure glucose in water! 
This gives you big rise in blood glucose levels and needs a lot of insulin to be dealt with. Not good news for heart health, weight control or reducing risk of or controlling diabetes. 
However there are now a few low GI white breads on the market. These are a step in the right direction if you must eat white bread. Sourdough white is also much better having a lower GI. Many also have fibre added but these are still not the same as eating a wholegrain bread.

Wholegrain bread

These are the best types of bread as the grain is processed intact. Usually these have a lower GI, all the fibre and most of the nutrients preserved from the intact grain.

Wholemeal bread

It’s important to recognise the difference between wholemeal and wholegrain. Wholemeal are more processed – often the fibre component is added back, making them more nutritious than white bread, however the GI is often still high.

Multigrain bread

Multigrain bread is often white bread in disguise, dressed up with a few seeds and grains thrown in! Take a bite of a multigrain slice and feel it dissolve in your mouth. It is rapidly absorbed, just like white bread. Go for wholegrain rather than ‘multigrain’.

Flat breads

Joanna loves Mountain bread and Sorj bread – no preservatives and literally just flour water and salt. Joanna uses Tannour bread for making homemade pizza for the kids – made by Old Time Bakery Pty Ltd and described as “first made by Ancient Phoenicians”. There has been a real move back to these kind of old fashioned breads. Good old wholemeal pita is also good and tends to be low GI.

Sourdough bread

Longer dough fermentation aids in restoring the function of the digestive tract and supporting the immune system. Sourdough bread is a low GI food. This has been proven to provide many health benefits for medical conditions such as diabetes while also assisting in weight control by improving appetite control and delaying hunger. These breads are best eaten cut fresh, rather than as a sandwich later in the day. Sourdough doesn’t hold together as well over time.

How to Make a Healthy Wrap!

Bursting with colour, fibre, low GI carbs, lean protein and a dash of healthy fat this wrap will keep the hunger under control and provide loads of nutrition.

Ingredients

1 wholegrain Mountain bread

1 grated carrot

1 generous handful of baby spinach

1 thinly sliced tomato

+ any other salad vegetables you enjoy

100g thinly sliced chicken breast

¼ avocado used as healthy spread

Cracked pepper to taste

Method

Slice up all salad vegetables and place on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. In doing so this will stop your wrap going soggy by lunchtime!

Arrange your ingredients down one end of the Mountain bread to allow a tight and easy roll. Roll with care and to be environmentally friendly, wrap in some aluminium foil, as it can be recycled.

Enjoy, Lisa xo

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