As a dietitian-in-training, I’m always encouraging people to consume whole grains over refined as often as possible. For those just getting started (and for those who’ve been on the wagon since birth), whole wheat bread is one of the easiest swaps to make. It seems like practically every week, there’s a new variety hitting the shelves.
Trader Joe’s Soft Whole Wheat bread has long been a favorite of mine, but when the folks at Foodbuzz sent me a loaf of Nature’s Pride’s new Hearty Wheat with Flax recently, I was curious to try it.
Though the list of ingredients is a bit longer than I prefer, everything was pronounceable and recognizable. I was intrigued by the fact that it is baked in olive oil—I can’t say I detected any difference in taste, but it didn’t hurt at all. The nutrition stats weren’t bad either.
Each slice contains:
- 100 calories
- 1.5 grams fat
- 130 mg sodium
- 17 grams carbohydrate
- 3 grams fiber
- 4 grams sugar
- 5 grams protein
- 6% of your daily iron needs
I will admit I’m curious to know what the actual omega-3 content is, though. If there are flax seeds ground and mixed in with the dough, it’s much more likely that the omega-3 will be absorbed. Whole flax seeds, though they are delicious and add a nice crunch, basically pass through the body intact, preventing absorption of the nutrients. They’re a great source of fiber, though, which helps maintain proper digestion and carry toxins out of the body.
Though I don’t know if I would buy this on a regular basis (the slices are a little too big for my preference), I enjoyed experimenting with different types of sandwiches. A few favorites:
Veggie burger with greens, hummus, roasted peppers
Tahini chickpea burger with hummus, roasted peppers, roasted beets, greens, and goat cheese
…and of course, open-faced with (dark chocolate) peanut butter and banana.
I also think this would be great for making croutons. French toast (regular or vegetarian) would probably come out really well too.
If I had one suggestion for Fodbuzz, though, I would recommend less packaging—the box-to-bread ratio was a little crazy.