A recent study commissioned by Oregon-based Dave’s Killer Bread shows that a large majority –approximately 75 percent of Americans – underestimate the USDA’s daily recommended amount of 48 grams of whole grains. Whole grains are healthy foods packed with nutrients, including protein, fiber, B vitamins, antioxidants and trace minerals iron, zinc, copper and magnesium. An added health benefit is that a diet rich in whole grains has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer.
The good news? Meeting the daily whole grain requirement can be as simple as eating one sandwich made with whole grain bread per day – a seemingly easy feat, because 66 million Americans report eating bread every day, according to the study.
“There are numerous benefits associated with eating whole grains,” said Toby Amidor, M.S., R.D., C.D.N. “In addition to getting plenty of fiber, whole grains have been shown to help control blood sugar, lower LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol and reduce the risk of colon cancer. Eating whole grains can also help keep your weight in check, as the fiber helps keep you satisfied. One of the easiest ways to add whole grains to your diet is by eating whole grain bread – even a PB&J can be a healthy meal on the go!”
According to Amidor, the key is to choose nutrient rich, whole grain breads like Dave’s Killer Bread, which have 10 to 22 whole grains per slice. “Some bread may appear to be whole grain because of its brown color, which can be due to added molasses or brown sugar. The package may also include descriptive words such as stone-ground, cracked wheat and multigrain. Always read the ingredient list carefully to be sure the words whole grains are included.”
On behalf of Dave’s Killer Bread, Kelton Global polled 1,020 nationally representative Americans ages 18 or older in March 2016 to identify Americans’ perceptions about whole grain bread and bread consumption in general.