Better breads for kids

[Lost Dog]

Whole grain white is a new type of breads that you might see in the stores. Wonder has one, as does Sara Lee and other companies.

These products use a new type of wheat that produces a finer, lighter, and whiter grind than other wheats. So, the "whole" part is less noticable to kids (and adults, too, I'm sure).

Just like other wheat products, beware the fine print. Only 30-50% of the flours used in these breads is whole wheat. The rest is still white flour.

Better, yes. Expensive, yes. Worth it, perhaps. I would actually prefer more "transitional" breads that are between white and true whole wheat, so I can slowly migrate them to healthier breads. But, I'd be marketing a failed product, likely.

My kids don't eat a lot of bread. When I give it to them, it's usually as french toast. I just use whole wheat and since you can't see the color, they don't know any better.

[LunchboxMan]

Personally, I don't like the whole "semi-WW" breads idea. there should really be no compromise as white bread is almost worthless *IMHO* nutritionally. HOWEVER, i do see how it might be useful to "weed off" the kids from the white stuff. but the better solution is not to start them on it at all. if they grown up on WW, they'll never want the white crap, no?

[emartin10]

I wonder why kids shy away from WW breads? I wonder if just starting them right away on WW would make a difference. I don't have experience in this area, so does anyone have any feedback?

E

[RedWifey]

Samantha, 3.5 years, has no idea that bread comes in any other color than brown. Although, what she calls brown (the crust) must come off somedays and other days it's fine. Sometimes, she asks for just plain bread for a snack and it's always WW.

She does go to Mothers Day Out (MDO) twice a week, and so she may see white bread there, but she's never mentioned hers being a different color. Maybe one day she will, but I am certain by that point she'll be noticing lots of other differences and hopefully bread will be low on the list of defining characteristics.

RedLefty and I took a parenting class once, and they gave a mantra that we try to live by: training is SOO much easier than re-training.

[Lisa~]

My kids grew up eating whole wheat bread and think white bread tastes like glue. It's all what you get used to.

Lisa

[BamaDave]

Our kids have grown up eating whole wheat bread, but my older daughter developed a preference for white bread after she started school and/or had white bread at friends' and relatives' homes. She generally only gets the whole wheat at home, though. My younger daughter prefers whole grain everything, including pasta. There is a "White Wheat" that's out now which is 100% whole grain made from the lighter-colored wheat, which my older daughter liked better.

[Lost Dog]

Dave, where do you find that? My stores only have the ones that are mixed.

[RobLL]

Having low carbed for a few years, I watch bread ingredient lists carefully. Two brands here in the Northwest are my current favorites. Neither is advertised as lo-carb. Both contain wheat gluten and cellulose as ingreadients after the whole wheat/other grains. Both make several types. They are Sara Lee and Orowheat. I like them because they contain extra fiber, and are moderately low carb. Both have a good mouth-feel. Rob

[Lost Dog]

I like the Orowheat Light, too. They have a low carb (or had), but it was almost the same stats as the Light, only more expensive. Part of what I like is the small size of the slices. I'm okay with smaller pieces of bread. I'd rather put the cals back into the meat or cheese.

[eros]

i never liked white bread, when I was a kid I always wanted brown bread!
Anyway I don't know how the situation is over there but in belgium we have a baker/bread tradition... There are dozens of stores that only sell fresh baked bread and we have them in all kinds! 7 grain bread, 9 grain bread, etc...

What concerns me however is that the supermarkets all have bakery sections nowadays and their bread is industrial produced so less healthy...

[cappuccino]

My nephews were raised on ww as well and don't complain. They get the occasional white hot dog or hamburger bun. I agree that it's all about what they're used to.

On the original bread topic, you have to be careful on what they claim as ww. If the first ingredient on the list isn't 100% whole wheat, you're getting a mixture anyway. Some like to say 'wheat flour' which is just white flour made from wheat.

[fireman1k]

My kids eat ww bread. They prefer it over white. still working on the ww pasta. I been slowly mixing it into the regular pasta and they have not noticed.