Delicious and better for you, whole grains are hitting the supermarket
shelves
By Leigh Belanger, Globe Correspondent | January 5, 2005
The past few years have been hard on carbohydrates. They've shouldered
a lot of the blame for making us an overweight nation. They've been shunned
and vilified by dieters and nutritionists. Last September, when Interstate
Bakeries, makers of Wonder Bread and Twinkies, declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy,
it seemed like carbs were directly responsible.
That same month, another titan of the food industry made a different
declaration. General Mills announced it would use whole grains in all
of its cereals. As a result, the company became part of a growing trend.
The whole grain movement, which has been gaining popularity in recent
years, has found a place on the bread aisle. If you want to buy a hearty
loaf these days, you can go to your local supermarket. ''You'll see that
the trend is definitely headed in that direction," says Chris Smith,
president of New England Baking Companies, owners of Matthew's All Natural
Breads. When you see Wonder Bread's whole wheat sharing space with sprouted
wheat loaves from Vermont Bread Company, you know that manufacturers are
taking the move to whole grains seriously. Carbohydrates are changing
color.
A recent Tufts University study concluded that people who ate a plant-based
diet rich in whole grains had, over time, less weight gain and lower body
mass index. If you begin to change your ways by introducing whole grain
breads into your daily regimen, the world of carbs needs some navigation.
Dark breads are generally better for you than white, but looks can be
deceiving. You get more health benefits from whole wheat flour than from
refined all-purpose flour, for instance. But bread manufacturers are not
beyond darkening a loaf to fool you. Savvy shoppers need to be label readers,
ignoring package claims and studying ingredient lists (see related story
on this page). If it's wheat you're looking for, the list must include
the word ''whole." And just because pumpernickel is dark and multigrain
chewy, it doesn't mean either is made with whole grains.
Artisan bakers have been perfecting hearty loaves since the back-to-the-land
movement of the 1960s. The generation that made its own bread for decades
is now turning to Cambridge-based Iggy's Breads of the World, the Maine
company When Pigs Fly, and other natural bakers. Once you get used to
the firmer, chewier texture and earthy taste of these breads, it's hard
to turn back.
Among these bakers is Nashoba Brook, based in Concord with another location
in the South End, which makes a seven-grain bread studded with dates,
based on a sourdough starter. With a sweet taste, firm crust, and dense
crumb, the bread is a good introduction to whole grain toast. The bakery's
rye loaf also has the taste of sourdough; it's milder and more tender
than traditional rye. Continued...
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