Bread ~ What kind to give?

[McQ]

Declan just gobbles up any thing bread. Toast & grilled cheese rule :) I've been buying the Pepperidge Farm Hearty Farmhouse whatever in oatmeal and white. We used to buy the mulit-grain and 9 grain varieties but I'd wondered if I he can have those.

So I was wondering what kind of bread do you give your little ones? Thanks!

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03
and number 2 EDD 9.14.04

[Momof3Labs]

Anything without nuts. Colin was gobbling down homemade corn bread the other night, good because he won't eat veggies on their own (this had corn kernels in it). I'm going to try carrot bread or muffins and zucchini bread soon.

[JElaineB]

We always use 100% whole wheat bread, whatever brand is cheapest usually. He ate two pieces yesterday just for a snack!

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[mharling]

I think the multi-grain varieties should be fine. They are best if they used whole grains and like Lori said, no nuts. We use 100% whole wheat and Lane loves it!

Mary
Lane 4/6/03

[Marisa6826]

Love that Farmhouse bread!

We have the crunchy oatmeal and the seven grain. Sophie has both of them (yes - grilled cheese ;) )

-m

[McQ]

Thanks as always! I've been worried that the multi-grain would have some kind of unsuspecting nut in them that I wouldn't be aware of. They seem nutty to me. Or at least I think that's why they taste so yummy.

And whole wheat? Really? I thought wheat was some thing to be cautious about so I would think that 100% whole wheat bread would be a no-no.

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03
and number 2 EDD 9.14.04

[mharling]

From an allergen perspective, I don't know if there is any difference between a refined grain and a whole grain. My gut says there's not, but who knows if it's right. ;)

We do not have a family history of allergies and Lane hasn't shown a reaction to anything, so we have been fine using whole wheat bread. Is Declan eating other things with wheat in them?

Mary
Lane 4/6/03

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I get whole grain bread for Logan. "Whole wheat" is just about the same thing as white bread, which is not really a healthy thing to eat. I try to eat whole grain too, but having been raised on Wonder Bread, it's hard for me to convert. :) I look at white bread as a treat, like dessert.

I get a whole grain bread from Trader Joes.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[mharling]

Whole wheat is not 'just about the same thing as white bread'. You just need to be sure that 'whole wheat' is listed as the first ingredient. I would agree, however, that 'non-whole' wheat bread is as unnutritious as white.

http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/nutrition/white_versus_wheat.html

Mary
Lane 4/6/03

[egoldber]

Unfortunately many breads that label themselves as whole wheat ALSO have refined white flour as a significant ingredient. A good test is how heavy the loaf is. If it feels light and airy, then there is generally a lot of refined flour.

We only eat whole grain breads and that is all Sarah has ever had. You can try TJs for a good selection. :)

HTH,

[mharling]

I totally agree with you Beth. The trick is navigating through the gosh-darned tricky labels!! :) The bread we use has whole wheat flour as the first ingredient and there is no enriched white flour.

Mary
Lane 4/6/03

[McQ]

Well Declan has been eating things with wheat in them. And we don't have a history of allergies in the family. So I haven't been checking anything for wheat. But just the thought of whole wheat bread made me do a double take.

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03
and number 2 EDD 9.14.04

[stillplayswithbarbies]

It is my understanding that "whole wheat" is still ground up so fine as to lose the nutrients, just like white flour. The difference is that it is not bleached white.

My guideline is that if I can't see whole, or nearly whole, pieces of grains in the bread, it's not what I want.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[mharling]

You've sent me on my research project of the day! :)

From what I've found, it doesn't appear that it's the fineness of the grinding that causes nutrients to be lost, but rather the amount of heat generated during the milling process. For optimum preservation, it looks like grains should be stone ground and the temp should be less than 90 degrees.

Mary
Lane 4/6/03

[stillplayswithbarbies]

very interesting!

I wonder if the coarse ground grains are not subject to the heat as much, since (I assume) they are not in the "grinder" for as long?

I'll be looking for labels that say "stone ground", thanks!

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[JElaineB]

Any bread labeled 100% whole wheat has to be made with only 100% whole wheat flour :). No refined flours. It may contain other ingredients to lighten it, but no other flours. Whole wheat flour has all the bran, wheat germ, etc. in the grain, nothing is taken out. Regular "wheat" bread can indeed have regular enriched wheat flour, which is refined flour. That is why we look for the label to say 100% whole wheat.

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[deborah_r]

OK, I seriously don't have the energy for this! Anyone know if Orowheat 100% Whole Wheat is OK, because that's what I usually get!

[egoldber]

Its fine. That what I used to buy.

If you care, we stopped buying it because it has a lot of added sugars. DH and I are following the South Beach Diet which has you avoid added sugars as much as possible. And thats also when I became a compulsive label reader.

And you gotta love the web: http://www.oroweat.com/varieties.html

HTH,

[suribear]

I noticed the corn syrup. What brand would you recommend?

Kris

[egoldber]

I generally buy my bread at Trader Joe's. I know I have gotten the TJ brand whole wheat and also some others, but I haven't really paid attention to the other brand names. Sorry.

I just read the label and look for 2 or less grams of sugar per slice, stone ground whole wheat flour or a bread labeled as "whole grain", and preferably at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. Not asking too much of a simple loaf of bread. :) On the upside, I buy 3 loaves at a time and freeze the extra so I don't have to do it that often. LOL!

[deborah_r]

Wow, can't believe there is high fructose corn cyrup in 100% Whole Wheat bread.

About Trader Joe's bread - everytime I look at their bread the date (which I assume is the sell by date) is always within 2-3 days from the date I am buying it. So I am afraid to buy it. Beth, do you know if it stays good beyond those dates?

[papal]

I eat this constantly... is it healthy???
Here is what the food label says:

Ingredients:
Unbleached Enriched Wheat Flour (flour, malted barley flour, reduced iron, niacin, thiamin mononitrate (vitamin b1) riboflavin (viamin b2), folic acid)
Buttermilk
Water
Sugar
Yeast
Wheat Bran Cornmeal
Brown Rice
Oats
Wheat Gluten
Brown Sugar
Pea Fiber (WHAT???)
Soybean Oil,
Black and White Sesame Seeds
Salt
Calcium Carbonate
Mono and Di-Glycerides
Calcium Propionate(preservative)
Poppy Seeds (no wonder i am always on a high)
Sucralose
Soy Lecithin
Citric Acid
Sodium Citrate
Hazelnut meal
Walnuts

Serving Size 1 slice (muhahahahaha)

Calories 120. Calories from Fat 15
Total Fat 1.5g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g %
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated fat 1g
Monounsaturated fat 0g
Cholestrol 0mg
Sodiu 180mg
Total Carbs 23g 8%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 4g
Protein 5g


Phew.. when did bread become so complicated? Please tell me it is ok to eat this.. i love this bread. Or give me a healthier option.

Beth, you can freeze bread???? I did not know that. I would love to stock up when it is on sale.. right now i think it is $2.79 a loaf but sometimes you get a Buy one get one Free offer.

[mharling]

We freeze bread. I only buy it when it's on sale and I have a coupon. Did you know you can also freeze cereal?

Mary
Lane 4/6/03

[egoldber]

Well, as I said, I freeze extra loaves. I also keep the current loaf in the refrigerator. I've never had a problem doing this.

Anf you will find that breads without a lot of preservatives always have shorter sell by dates. I think thats actually a good thing. :)

HTH,

[egoldber]

Well, I wouldn't buy it. It doesn't have any whole wheat flour. In general, flours labeled enriched have been highly processed. They are enriched to add back in the nutrients lost during the manufacturing process. Its also relatively high in sugar.

But another big thing is that it has nuts. You'll need to find something else to give Leela.

I freeze bread all the time. Its just fine after being frozen and it doesn't affect the texture at all.

HTH,

[papal]

So, to recap:
I should look for a bread that has WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR and LOWER SUGAR.. okay.. i am off to the Giant to see if any such thing is available... skanky Arnold people.. fooling me with their lovely pictures of grains on their breads.. i might as well have been eating plain old sugar. :(
Oh, it is not for Leela.. it was for me... i don't plan on giving her bread till she is a year old or so.
I WISH i had the energy to make my own bread without all these weirdo ingredients in them!!!!

ETA: Thanks Beth and Mary! I now know I can freeze bread and cereal! Woohooo! I can buy Total on sale now!!

[McQ]

Hey Rashmi ~ When you're at Giant reading all the labels, please report back on the Pepperidge Farm Multi-Grain and 9 Grain varieties :). Those are the ones that I like and would like to give Declan. Thanks much! And this is of course if you have time and run across them. But I know you love a research project :)

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03
and number 2 EDD 9.14.04

[stillplayswithbarbies]

notice the "sucralose" in there? That is an artificial sweetener.

I have noticed artificial sweeteners are hidden in a lot of things you wouldn't expect these days.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[mharling]

I suspect you're right about the course ground grains. Less grinding seems like it would translate to less heat generated. I never knew to look for stone ground; guess I'm on the hunt for new bread!

Mary
Lane 4/6/03

[papal]

Will do. :)
Anyone else want me to check anything else? It is true what Allison says, I love a good research project.

[jubilee]

As for freezing bread, I freeze it the day I buy it. When we want a sandwich, I take the 2 slices of bread and pop it into the mircowave to thaw it. My mircowave takes only 15 seconds to thaw. It always tastes fresh and I've never had mold. Just remember to freeze the day you buy- and when I buy I get the freshest date possible.

[McQ]

I actually popped into Giant last night and read all the Pepperidge Farms loaves. And yes, it has a whole bunch of stuff the hard core types probably wouldn't like. What I was surprised about was to see HONEY listed on the ingredients list. Granted it was listed in the this product contains the less than 2% section but I was still surprised to read that. The white and the oatmeal even had it and I'll given Declan plenty of that. The good news the 7 Grain, 9 Grain and Multi Grain all don't have nuts.

When can kids have honey?

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03
and number 2 EDD 9.14.04

[JElaineB]

Honey may contain botulism spores in it and heat will kill them, but in uncooked form there may be enough in there to end up harming an infant. As long as honey is cooked in a food they can have it anytime. It is uncooked honey that you need to wait on. Once they are a year old it is fine to give them honey uncooked as well.

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[calebsmama03]

Whole foods also has a lot of great breads from their fresh bakery. I get a multi grain loaf that is made with whole wheat and various other grains and is only $1.99 per loaf. It does spoil (mold) faster than commercial breads, but I take that to be a good thing and just store it in the fridge.
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03

[suribear]

We get TJs brand when we go there, but that doesn't happen regularly as it's a pain to go! We go through two loaves a week and our freezer is too small to store more than one extra.
Today I happened to go by House of Bread and bought their honey whole wheat, which looks pretty good :)

I also find that I must refrigerate TJs products, due to lack of preservatives. I don't mind!

Kris