Rejoice Michael Pollan, it’s finally happening: wheat bread is almost more popular than white bread. Consumers are increasingly skipping past the Wonderbread for healthier-looking fare that either has “natural” in the name or whole grains visible through the packaging.
It’s part of a major turning of the tide. Packaged wheat bread recently surpassed white bread in dollar sales, according to Nielsen Co. For the 52 weeks ended July 10, wheat bread sales increased 0.6 percent to $2.6 billion, while white bread sales declined 7 percent to $2.5 billion. White bread is still ahead in volume, but the margin is shrinking. Americans bought 1.5 billion packages of white bread in the last year, a 3 percent decrease, and 1.3 billion packages of wheat bread, a 5 percent increase.
We find it tough to believe. Back in our day, white bread was what you ate to fight communists. Peanut butter and jelly on wheat bread? Please. Now, consumers care about what is cheap and what is healthy. How about you? Are you ditching white for wheat?
Grains make gains: Wheat surpasses white in sliced bread sales [Chicago Tribune]
More From Consumerist
-
Wegmans And King Arthur Recall Flour Due To Infestation Of Blue Balls
-
DiGiorno And California Pizza Kitchen Pizzas Recalled Because Plastic Fragments Are Not Desired Toppings
-
Twinkies & Wonder Bread To Likely End Up With Different Parents Following Hostess Collapse
-
McDonald’s Looking To Slim Down Its Bloated Menu
-
Handy Video Explains Exactly How To Opt Out Of Olive Garden's Invasive Unlimited Breadsticks Program
The thing about grocery-store white bread is that it has no taste whatsoever. I have never understood why anyone would buy it, let alone eat it.
That said, I grew up in a home where all the white bread we ever had was homemade. We did occasionally have store-bought bread, but that was always rye or, rarely, whole wheat. I still follow this same pattern: If I want white bread, I bake it myself; if I buy bread, it’s rye, or whole-grain, or whatever. Even then, I occasionally bake my own rye bread.
So I admit my own personal experience has jaded me where grocery-store white bread is concerned.
I ditched white for wheat over a decade ago but people still need to read labels. Some of those wheat breads are just as bad or worse than their fortified/fiber-enriched white counterparts.
People still need to be mindful of the amount of HFCS, sodium, etc. in their bread. Get one that has as much fiber and as little sugar as possible. Those breads are denser, which I prefer.
Try it!
I never really liked white bread. Give me rye (with seeds) or pumpernickel any day!
I haven’t touched white bread in years. Although I still eat muffins and pastries, etc. which are probably made with regular white flour.
We ditched for wheat bread years ago. However I agree its still made with HFCS in it which is still bad for you but at least its a improvement.
Back in the 70′s I switched from fluffy white bread to Peppridge Farms or Arnolds white bread because it tasted better. Back in the 90′s I found Alvarado Street sprouted grain breads. If you read the panel on the bread you find it has more of everything you need than regular “wheat” breads. And don’t forget that “wheat bread” does not necessarily mean “WHOLE wheat bread,”
especially since most white bread is made from wheat and is therefore, also wheat bread.
Almost all bread is wheat bread. Even white bread. I suppose we should feel encouraged that people are increasingly buying bread they think may be healthier, but they are probably being fooled. Unless the label and ingredients list say 100% whole wheat, the loaf is probably only white bread masquerading — under cover of molasses coloring and a handful of whole wheat and a few seeds — as something more wholesome.
Ditched white for wheat or grain or oat of many kinds back in April of 2009.
White bread hits your bloodstream just like a huge dollop of sugar.
Ditch the Whitey !!!
White wheat is the best. Deliciousness of white and the health benefits of wheat.
I gave up white bread (not baked at my local bakery) 10 years ago, my freshman year of college.
I gave up HFCS four years ago (although I had limited my intake for a long time prior to that). There are finally plenty of store-bought breads that offer whole grains AND no HFCS.
I eat mostly wheat bread (not sure if it’s actually wheat bread or just bread colored to look like wheat) but I miss my white bread… nothing like a pbj sandwich on newly bought white bread.
I know it’s not healthy (the white bread, that is) but I don’t care.
http://www.accidentalhedonist.com/index.php/2005/06/09/foods_and_products_containing_high_fruct
FYI, according to this site these breads have HFCS:
Pepperidge Farm’s line of 100% whole grain breads
Sara Lee Heart Healthy Whole Grain Bread.
Thomas English Muffins
Brownberry Breads
Wonderbread
Here’s a longer list of breads with HFCS:
http://www.stophfcs.com/list.html
I’ve always eaten wheat bread. I eat 2 sandwiches 4-5 times per week for lunch and not once have I gotten white bread. I had white bread when I was a little kid and it just tasted like eating a sponge so never again!
What the hell is white wheat bread?!