Invasion of the Bread Snatchers

Okay, is this bad?  My husband really likes his Wonder White Bread, just the basic "Classic" bread.  In the past I have given him different brands of white bread with added fiber and he has told me he does not like them.  He has said they made his stomach hurt.  This could be attributed to an increase in fiber which normally should be added to your diet slowly to avoid this type of situation.  Anyways, I recently bought him 2 loaves of Wonder "Classic" white bread and I secretly bought an additional loaf of the Wonder "Smart" white.  For 2 days last week I switched the bread in his lunch and he did not notice.  I asked him if he liked his lunch and he said yes.  Now at home when he is making food for himself he uses the "Classic" white.  One of my co-workers suggested saving the bag of the "Classic" white and putting it on the "Smart" white.  I am going to try this next week as soon as he finishes the loaf of "Classic" white.  Although the packaging looks so similar I may be able to just eventually buy the "Smart" white and I don't think he would notice.

There are some key differences between these two types of bread.  The most noticeable is the price.  At my local grocery store the "Classic" white was $2.44 and the "Smart" white was $2.78.  A .34 cent difference.  In my opinion it is worth the extra money.  Looking deeper into the food label it is evident that the ingredients used to make the "Smart" white are superior.  The third ingredient in the "Classic" white is a sugar known as high fructose corn syrup.  The "Smart" white also has sugar however it is the fifth ingredient on the list.

Wonder "Smart"

Wonder "Classic"

Turning to the Nutrition Facts Panel you can also see some differences between the two.  The "Smart" has less calories, less fat, more fiber and also less carbohydrates which is something to note for people with diabetes who are counting carbs.  What is similar is the sodium between the two - about 100 mg per slice.

Wonder "Smart"

Wonder "Classic"

Wonder "Smart"

Wonder "Classic"

While whole grain bread is the best choice (because the manufacturing process for "whole grain" bread maintains the vitamins, minerals, and cancer fighting properties found in the whole grain), I look at "Smart" white as a stepping stone because it does have added fiber.  The average adult should consume about 25-35 grams of fiber per day.  Dietary fiber is indigestible. Fiber is necessary to move food through the intestine quickly so that we have limited exposure to any harmful substances that may be in food. Fiber also aids in helping the body to remove cholesterol therby lowering levels.  As a dietitian I always tell my clients that if you don't like something, don't eat it just because you think it is a healthy choice.  Food should be enjoyed.  If you eat that healthy option and weren't satisfied you will just end up eating what you wanted to in the first place and then you have consumed extra calories.