John Myers
Wholemeal bread, rolls, or biscuits are considered healthy and keep you full for a long time. Here you can find out why this is the case, whether there are any exceptions, and how you can use the whole grain in the kitchen.
Hearty enjoyment: whole grain products
In the case of whole grain products, the cereal grains are completely processed into flour, flakes or coarse grains – including the shell and germ. This is not the case with white flour or white flour: it only consists of the starchy endosperm. Since the shell, also known as bran, contains a lot of dietary fiber, the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) classifies wholemeal bread as healthier than white bread. The indigestible fibers keep you full for longer and contribute to normal bowel function. The DGE therefore recommends a daily intake of 30 grams of fiber per day as a guideline. A good part can be absorbed by eating whole grain products. On average, a whole-grain roll contains around 4 grams of dietary fiber, while a wheat roll has around half that.
How can you identify whole grain products?
When it comes to bread and rolls, this is sometimes not that easy. A multi-grain roll, for example, looks hearty and wholesome, but it can be made of flour colored with malt or syrup and contain no whole grain at all. Conversely, a whole grain wheat roll with finely ground flour is very light in color and can easily be confused with a product without whole grain. If in doubt, ask the baker whether they really used wholemeal flour for baking. On packaged products in the supermarket, whole wheat flour, whole spelled flour, whole rye flour or a mixture of these types should appear in the list of ingredients. Incidentally, the law stipulates that 90 percent of the grain contained in baked goods called wholemeal bread must consist of wholemeal.
Gentle transition to whole grain products
Wholemeal cereals are not only found in savory baked goods, they can also be used to prepare wholemeal biscuits and other delicacies such as our wholemeal plum cake. If you want to increase the proportion of whole grain in your diet, you can also use whole grain pasta and whole grain rice. In order not to overwhelm your digestion, it is best to gradually incorporate whole grain foods into your diet. Because if you are not used to it or cannot tolerate it, the roughage can lead to symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, or flatulence. This is especially true if you drink too little.
