We've all heard for years that whole-grain bread is the healthiest way to eat baked goods. But where can you find it? Shops are full of what looks like "whole-grain" bread, but the truth is that it is almost impossible to find the real thing. If you decide you want some healthy whole-grain bread for breakfast, get ready for a long drive. We finally found a loaf of true whole-grain bread, but it was in a shop over 45km away. Even then, the bread we found was a little disappointing. Stores are practically overflowing with what looks like whole-grain bread, at least if you judge it by the color. With such names as dark, multi-grain, cereal, and whole-wheat, it looks like there are many choices. But even so, it is very difficult to find true whole-grain bread. Why is this? For the answer, we asked agricultural expert Peter Havel. „The reason is the cost of the flour, which is usually higher for whole-grain flour. Also, consumers don’t demand whole-grain products. Just give us something that looks healthy, for example something darker or sprinkled with seeds, and the consumer will be fooled into thinking they have a great variety of products from which to choose. But in reality, these are all just variations on the same flour“ explained Mr. Havel. For a grain to be considered whole-grain, by law it must contain at least 80% whole-grain flour. „Do not be fooled into thinking something is whole-grain just by the color of the bread. Bread can be made darker through other means, such as adding malt to the flour, or even artificial colors“ says Jan Šmikmátor, a lecturer on grains and baking. So how can you tell if that healthy-looking dark loaf is any better than the rows of white bread full of empty calories? The appearance or name doesn’t help, even if it is called multi-grain or whole wheat. „Names can be confusing, and this is something done intentionally by the producers or shops. True whole-grain bread will have the word “whole-grain" in its name. Of course, if you cannot find any good whole-grain bread nearby, you can always bake it yourself” advised Mr. Šmikmátor.
