481836 Tue Jan 22 07:35:17 -0800 2008 82 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 3319927 I try to eat healthy, but i can't eat ww bread...it just turns pasty in my mouth and ruins whatever I'm eating--I don't like the texture or taste...is it me (ie:faulty saliva thingy), or is this the ww experience? Are some brands better than others? I need some CH help.... Tue Jan 22 07:35:17 -0800 2008 18755 howboy 1 3319954 howboy, It would be helpful if you provided the following: Brands you have tried Where you live(region of the country) Are you buying fresh bread daily, or sliced breads packaged Is this for morning toast or for sandwiches. There are many different types of whole wheat breads. Supermarkets do not offer the best....only the most shelf stable........Bakeries are better.....Italian whole what is another option. Tue Jan 22 07:43:38 -0800 2008 3319927 123497 fourunder 2 3320015 Live in NYC. Bread would be mostly toasted, but I'd like to have the option of untoasted. I've tried most of the ususal store brands. One probelm is I live by myself, and I don't eat THAT much bread...so it should last a week without spoiling. I don't mind freezing it and toasting it, or warming it in th toaster (mine has that option) Tue Jan 22 07:58:55 -0800 2008 3319954 18755 howboy 3 3320125 I'm not in the area, so I can't attest to the local bakeries, but does your supermarket carry Milton's bread? Their seven-grain bread is one of the more palatable ones out there. I generally do multi-grain versus whole wheat, because I find there's more flavor and a better texture to multi-grain breads. Tue Jan 22 08:30:10 -0800 2008 3320015 93901 geekyfoodie 4 3320327 I second the suggestion for Milton's. I buy it at Trader Joe's. I am more of a whole grain vs. whole wheat kind of girl myself. The Whole Grain Plus that Milton's makes is nice because it's a little larger, soft, and 90 calories, 5g fiber per slice. I try and keep the bread I eat under 100 calories a slice. My hubby was never a ww/wg bread fan but after eating it awhile he actually picks it out himself now. Tue Jan 22 09:23:44 -0800 2008 3320125 96678 Foodnerds 5 3321524 My favorite at TJ is their 9 grain. In the US midwest a similar bread is the Cathrine Clark Brown Berry bread (I think that is the proper name). paulj Tue Jan 22 13:52:18 -0800 2008 3320327 12139 paulj 5 3322424 oh dear, thats exactly what i thought of when i read the thread title. milton's whole grain is where it is at. there is no other whole wheat bread. Tue Jan 22 18:07:56 -0800 2008 3320327 52834 tinymango 6 3322739 i recently tried milton's, one of the markets here switched from oroweat (which I like) to miltons. I found miltons to be very very sweet, and have switched markets just to avoid it. Tue Jan 22 19:59:30 -0800 2008 3322424 57890 KaimukiMan 7 3322962 Milton's, Orowheat, Sarah Lee... no wonder people don't like Whole Wheat bread... those are all crap mass produced brands... I think if you have a fresh, quality hand made Whole Wheat loaf its hard not to think its superior to white bread (even good crusty white bread). Tue Jan 22 21:50:09 -0800 2008 3322739 42572 Eat_Nopal 8 3323011 Unless you think that using all WW flour produce a loaf with a too-sweet taste. It's unsuitable for a lot of sandwiches and other uses. Tue Jan 22 22:14:44 -0800 2008 3322962 32444 MakingSense 9 3323022 I am not so sure... I remember those mass produced loaves always having sugar, honey or molasses on the ingredients list... when I've had Euro peasant style loaves they have been nutty with the slightes hint of sweetness. Tue Jan 22 22:24:02 -0800 2008 3323011 42572 Eat_Nopal 10 3323045 I think there's a general confusion between WW and whole grain. Healthy bread can be more than just WW. At the bakery I buy from, those "Euro peasant style loaves" aren't made with all WW flour. They're made with a blend of flours, often with only a little or maybe no WW. Like this one: "Levain - An all-purpose country-style sourdough loaf, perfect for any occasion. Ingredients: organic white with a little whole wheat flour, sea salt." Or: "Swiss Farmer - A traditional Swiss country style bread with a slightly nutty taste with a fantastic crust. Perfect for sandwiches or fondue. Ingredients: organic white, whole wheat, rye, and spelt flours; butter, sea salt, water." Or: "Tuscan Grain - A wonderful bread featuring nutty tasting farro berries (a nutritious Italian grain loaded with fiber, magnesium, and vitamins A, B, C, and E), and sifted wheat. Ingredients: organic sifted wheat flour, whole grain farro berries, water, sea salt." Tue Jan 22 22:37:45 -0800 2008 3323022 32444 MakingSense 8 3329908 to each his own. personally, i love a grilled chicken pesto bacon cheddar sandwich grilled on miltons. so whatever. i cant imagine it on a "quality hand made Whole Wheat loaf" Thu Jan 24 17:45:33 -0800 2008 3322962 52834 tinymango 3 3328040 Howboy, try Fresh Direct's whole wheat pullman loaf. It's good untoasted, though I prefer toasted. But then, I prefer all sliced bread toasted. Anyhow, the stuff is awesome. It comes frozen and sliced and is absolutely delicious. And since it's frozen, no worry's about it going stale or bad. Thu Jan 24 10:09:14 -0800 2008 3320015 49433 rockykay 1 3320016 Have you been able to find any of the new whole grain white breads? They are supposed to be better than plain white bread... Tue Jan 22 07:59:28 -0800 2008 3319927 56308 drgnflychic 2 3320181 I've seen them but haven't tried them...are they actually a healthier alternative, or is it just a gimmick? Tue Jan 22 08:43:32 -0800 2008 3320016 18755 howboy 3 3325322 My understanding is that the "white whole wheat" breads and flour now available are actually made from a different variety of wheat that is lighter colored. The the whole wheat products made from it are lighter colored - with all the benefits of regular WW. I would conjecture that that may give it a milder flavor as well? Wed Jan 23 13:55:09 -0800 2008 3320181 49179 jennywinker 4 3350169 I have tried some 'whole grain' white breads, and they are generally softer and milder than what most have come to expect of whole grain breads. While I love good fresh bread from the bakery, it goes bad too fast sometimes. Wed Jan 30 17:10:39 -0800 2008 3325322 76025 mojoeater 5 3356496 A lot of the bakery bread is made by the direct method, which means yeast is mixed with the ingredients and it is allowed to rise and then baked off. Bread made that way stales fast, so one of the reasons sugar is often added to bread is to slow down the staling process. Bread that is made with a pre-ferment (biga, poolish) or with a sourdough or that is allowed to rise very slowly, like the no-knead recipes that are the rage, have a shelf life of a couple of days. So it isn't so much a question of the grain as to how the loaf was made. Fri Feb 01 12:44:01 -0800 2008 3350169 53369 Father Kitchen 5 3356792 We like to keep several kinds of bread on hand. They'd all go stale before we could finish them so we slice or chunk them and put them into the freezer in ziplock bags. Bread freezes great! Take out a couple of slices for a sandwich, leave them out for a few minutes and they're defrosted. No need to toast or put them in the oven. You can make sandwiches right on the frozen bread to take to work. With larger pieces to serve with soup or salad, I put them in the oven for a few minutes and they're good to go. Bread never goes bad in out house. Even slightly stale makes terrific bread crumbs, strata or bread pudding. Fri Feb 01 13:59:50 -0800 2008 3350169 32444 MakingSense 6 3356939 Exactly. And stale bread actually makes better croutons and French toast and bread pudding and panzanella. Fri Feb 01 14:48:20 -0800 2008 3356792 53369 Father Kitchen 2 3322295 I've tried the Sara Lee whole wheat white bread and found it to have an odd taste and it definitely has that sweetness from ww bread, though not quite as intense. Tue Jan 22 17:21:38 -0800 2008 3320016 112034 spellweaver16 1 3320023 yeah, plenty whole grain breads taste like cardboard to me. I like the sprouted multigrain (red wrapper) from Alvarado St. (sold frozen all over the USA, but not at all stores) I don't like any of their other breads -- back to cardboard for me. It's all best toasted, and you can take it from the freezer to the toaster directly. Trader Joe sells their house version of it (pretty sure it's from Alvarado, same color coding and name), not frozen. This is what it looks like http://www.alvaradostreetbakery.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=10260&Category_Code=bread Good luck finding one you like. The textures and tastes really are quite varied . . . Tue Jan 22 08:02:41 -0800 2008 3319927 11989 pitu 2 3320182 I live across the street from the Manhattan TJs, so I'll check it out. thanks! Tue Jan 22 08:44:08 -0800 2008 3320023 18755 howboy 1 3320053 I love grains and such, but too dislike plain old whole wheat bread. Tue Jan 22 08:09:24 -0800 2008 3319927 123480 scuzzo 1 3320126 I have been on a bread hunt for the past year or so, and I run into the same issue: with just two people, we can't finish a whole loaf of bread in time before it goes stale (I do freeze the leftovers, of course, but as time goes by, they become less and less appealing). One alternative that has worked for us is the whole wheat baguette from Whole Foods (I'm still debating about the taste - it's definitely not my top choice): the quantity is just enough for 4 sandwiches, and the crusty part makes up for the not-so-glorious taste. Tue Jan 22 08:30:24 -0800 2008 3319927 95793 jeni1002 2 3320187 WF and Garden of Eden here in NYC have great artisinal breads...but they don't keep well...I need something I can use as a staple, and have in the house from shoping to shopping....I don't like to waste any food--moral issue-so throwing out bread bothers me. Tue Jan 22 08:46:04 -0800 2008 3320126 18755 howboy 3 3320255 I hear you (re: throwing out bread) and my freezer can attest to this :) Get your bread sliced if you can, (or slice it yourself) and then freeze it; defrost and toast only what you want to eat. Have you tried the sprouted breads (e.g., Ezekiel, etc.)? I find the sliced bread a little bit too dry, but the burger buns are good and hearty. My 'problem' is that a lot of whole wheat bread varieties have some kind of sugar/honey/molasses/etc. added - and I'm not a big fan of sweet bread..... Tue Jan 22 09:05:58 -0800 2008 3320187 95793 jeni1002 4 3320284 I don't mind the sweetness, as long as it isn't HFCS (which seems pervasive)....I realize that a large extent this has to do with my own personal taste; I'm open-minded and willing and try lots of brands, but I'm losing hope! Many brands sound appetizing when you read the ingredients, but they're better in theory than on the palate. Tue Jan 22 09:12:20 -0800 2008 3320255 18755 howboy 2 3320450 I must admit, I cannot get myself to like whole wheat baguette, i have tried, but a regular baguette is just so much better... sigh. I know it's healthier. I feel the same way about whole wheat pasta. Tue Jan 22 09:54:22 -0800 2008 3320126 89969 moh 3 3321688 I agree w/ ya on the baguette. I don't dig the ww baguette, it's just wrong. As for ww pasta... have you tried it lately? 'Cuz it seems to me it has improved. I used to despise it (too hard/rigid). But I picked up some at TJ's recently and we loved it. I've used it many several now and it really is very similiar to traditional pasta. It has flaxseed in it and I don't know if that makes a difference or not. Tue Jan 22 14:24:12 -0800 2008 3320450 71241 lynnlato 4 3322795 Well thanks Lynnlato, I will try it again. And flaxseed is also supposed to be quite healthy. This is very encouraging, as I am trying to eat healthier. Tue Jan 22 20:29:13 -0800 2008 3321688 89969 moh 4 3348936 I agree. I used to really avoid whole wheat pasta--thought it tasted like rubber bands. Because my husband is a healthy eater and really wanted whole grains, I started mixing my pasta: some regular, some whole wheat. Over time, I increased the amount of whole wheat, and now we eat only whole wheat. I really believe though that it's not because we eased into it, but because it has actually gotten better. Glad to hear someone else has observed the same thing..... Wed Jan 30 12:20:26 -0800 2008 3321688 97171 chocoannie 5 3350762 Your feelings are borne out by taste tests mounted by America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated. They too came to the conclusion that offerings have improved greatly over the last few years. They now heartily recommend several brands, whereas 5 years ago, the recommended none. Wed Jan 30 21:10:17 -0800 2008 3348936 47694 litchick 1 3320716 I don't like WW bread either. I tastes sicky sweet and ruins any sandwich you can possibly use it for. I think Americans accept it because the national sweet tooth just leans that way and they've been told to add whole grains to their diets at absolutely every opportunity. Other whole grain breads weren't as acceptable to a nation used to soft white spongy breads, so everyone has just gotten used to sweet WW bread. Now they're trying to like WW pasta. I buy wonderful breads, mostly from https://www.firehook.com/e-com/index.cfm and all of their breads are wonderful but their WW has the same too-sweet flavor. They use WW flour in other breads as you can see from the descriptions, so it's not the WW flour, it's the style of bread. WW pasta adds the same sweet flavor that ruins otherwise good meals. Nothing wrong with wheat, farro, semolina, durum, all sorts of uses that aren't sweet. It's just WW bread. It's too sweet. But that's why people like it. Tue Jan 22 10:52:23 -0800 2008 3319927 32444 MakingSense 2 3320761 Are you talking about the kind you would buy at a Safeway or some such? Because the whole wheat that I buy at natural stores is not overly sweet. Also whole wheat is sooo much better for you. But not if you're buying that bleached reconstituted stuff that they sell at most stores. Tue Jan 22 11:03:31 -0800 2008 3320716 13011 Missmoo 3 3321599 Absolutely not. The same excellent bakery that I patronize makes a WW loaf for the folks that have to have that sweet taste. It is all organic yada yada and the same high quality. It's just sweet and boring compared to the other products. Even the loaf you buy is not "overly sweet" by your description - but doesn't that mean it's still sweet? Why is bread sweet? Whole grain, not necessarily wheat, is probably better for you. Whole wheat flour can be a component of that, but also rye flour, spelt flour, corn meal and corn flour, oats and oat bran, cracked wheat, wheat germ, wheat bran, barley, millet, seeds of various sorts, and even good quality white flour which is used in excellent European breads. Any of the above can be combined to make interesting and delicious breads that aren't sweet. Consumers grab the WW because they think it's good for them and never go beyond to the pumpernickels and ryes, hearty mill breads, olive and herb breads because those are more expensive and they aren't sweet. They still want that cheap loaf to replace the Wonder Bread and they'll accept WW because it's sweet. Tue Jan 22 14:07:41 -0800 2008 3320761 32444 MakingSense 4 3324896 A little sweetener (and I mean a little) produces a more tender crumb and a richly-colored crust. Wed Jan 23 12:24:53 -0800 2008 3321599 11995 pikawicca 5 3325030 It's not necessary. I gave the link for the bakery I buy from because they list ingredients for about 10 or 12 breads they produce. Almost none uses any sugar or honey. And they have great texture and crusts. Americans are just used to sweet because we're so atuned to it since virtually everything has added sugar/corn syrup/HFCS. Kids grow up on fruit juice and sweetened yogurt. Now even water is flavored. Wed Jan 23 12:56:35 -0800 2008 3324896 32444 MakingSense 6 3325387 My taste for whole grain breads developed many years ago when I was living in Germany. Most of the breads from my favorite bakery had a tiny amount of some kind of sweetener. None of them tasted sweet. Nothing containing HFCS has entered my house in years. Wed Jan 23 14:10:05 -0800 2008 3325030 11995 pikawicca 7 3325472 We always just called them "real bread." Once you spend any time in Europe or if you grow up eating "real bread," junk bread just doesn't satisfy you. So many people jumped out of the frying pan into the fire by substituting mass-market WW breads loaded with various sugars like molasses and colored with caramel for the standard supermarket breads that had been the norm in America. We had lost bakeries. Fortunately, we're getting them back. Even the in-store bakeries are better than nothing and some of the par-baked breads at some chains are pretty good. It will take some time but there's hope. That sweet tooth is a problem however. Wed Jan 23 14:33:04 -0800 2008 3325387 32444 MakingSense 4 3349060 Firehook is good bread, but I haven't tried their whole wheat. Check the label. If you want to avoid sweetness, make sure that all the bread contains is wheat, salt, water, and yeast or sourdough leaven. However, you should be aware that any dough that has been given a long rise to develop flavors will contain more sugar than one made quickly, because amylase will have cracked the the broken starch chains into sugar. IF you are extremely sensitive to it, you may be picking up that. Wed Jan 30 12:45:17 -0800 2008 3321599 53369 Father Kitchen 1 3320992 The Cracked Wheat Sourdough Bread at Trader Joe's is stunningly good... better than most white breads and cheap ($1.69 / lb loaf).... compared to the local artisan breads that sell for $5 a loaf. Tue Jan 22 12:00:35 -0800 2008 3319927 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 3321078 I'll check it out....is it wrapped in plastic, or one of those paper sleeves like a baguette? Is it the TJ brand? Tue Jan 22 12:17:02 -0800 2008 3320992 18755 howboy 3 3321248 Plastic wrapped.... freezes well. Make sure its Cracked Weight because they also have an almost identical looking plain Sourdough version. Tue Jan 22 12:58:17 -0800 2008 3321078 42572 Eat_Nopal 2 3321175 Thanks, Eat_Nopal - will definitely try it as well. Tue Jan 22 12:41:43 -0800 2008 3320992 95793 jeni1002 2 3321264 The cracked wheat sourdough isn't whole wheat, though. Tue Jan 22 13:02:39 -0800 2008 3320992 10832 Humbucker 3 3321477 Not its better... its actually healthier (there is quite a bit of debate in the Nutritional Sciences world about what happens to whole grains once they are obliterated into a powder)... and allows for enough Gluten to make a great tasting, great texture bread. Although... I personally love well made Whole Wheat breads, and realize there are numerous ways to make it appetizing... I don't know what the secret is but the Whole Wheat pumpkin empanadas you get at Mexican panaderias are always nice & soft. Tue Jan 22 13:42:28 -0800 2008 3321264 42572 Eat_Nopal 4 3321629 I try to stick with whole wheat breads that have whole wheat flour as the primary ingredient and are relatively high in fiber (5g or more per slice). The TJ's cracked wheat sourdough has regular enriched flour in it and only 2g of fiber per slice. Also, if I recall correctly, cracked wheat is listed near the end of the ingredients, so there probably isn't very much of it. I could be wrong though, because I don't have the package on hand and I've never actually bought the stuff for the aforementioned reasons. Tue Jan 22 14:12:44 -0800 2008 3321477 10832 Humbucker 5 3321742 http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/item/111653.html 2 Grams of Fiber in 131 Calories is a pretty damn good ratio. Besides... what I was hinting at... are research studies that show a gram of fiber from a wheat berry or bran pieces etc., is worth 3 grams of a whole wheat ground flour. The reason is that once it is mechanically ground to the fineness of a commercial flour... it actually becomes digestible... and those no longer really fiber. However it is complex to calculate & label... so the ADA / FDA haven't tackled that one yet. These studies are back by correlations that show many European communities that regularly consume peasant breads (with cracked grains added to them) experience greater benefits than expected (based on the linear quantity of fiber). In other words... Whole Wheat Flour (when it is ground fine enough for commercial use) isn't really as healthy as people think. And no I am not making stuff up.... my wife has a Master's in Nutritional Sciences and is always sharing Research abstracts with me.... and this one was from a featured article in the Journal of the ADA just a few months back. Tue Jan 22 14:33:18 -0800 2008 3321629 42572 Eat_Nopal 6 3321841 Good information. Some of this really does merit a closer look. Compare that "pretty damned good ratio" above to Whole Grain Wonder Bread and the Wonder Bread looks pretty damned good too - the same 2 grams of dietary fiber but only 80 calories. Not bad! http://www.thedailyplate.com/nutrition-calories/food/wonder-bread/10025-whole-grain-bread It does make sense that the less processed the grain is the more good the fiber would do. I hope when you have more information on that article and study, EN, that you'll post more on the details. Tue Jan 22 14:55:44 -0800 2008 3321742 32444 MakingSense 7 3322061 I will look for the magazine when I get home...that Wonder Bread is technically a very good ratio... its almost evil how soft it can be. Tue Jan 22 16:06:54 -0800 2008 3321841 42572 Eat_Nopal 8 3322304 Scary, isn't it? My kids pointed that out to me - with great glee - several years ago when I refused to let them buy "junk" bread. The crappy Wonder Bread had as much dietary fiber as the "good" stuff. I still wouldn't buy it. I applauded their research efforts however and one grew up to be a really good lawyer. Tue Jan 22 17:24:45 -0800 2008 3322061 32444 MakingSense 1 3321963 I agree, though I toughed it out for several years following indoctrination in college. These days I think french style baguettes and dinner rolls are the ultimate breads. Tue Jan 22 15:37:44 -0800 2008 3319927 18264 steinpilz 1 3322566 Whaddya mean "is this me"? You have the right not to like something, even if everybody else says you're "supposed to." I don't like it either. Tue Jan 22 18:53:34 -0800 2008 3319927 14479 wayne keyser 1 3323311 You probably don't like the red wheat that is typically used for whole wheat breads, which has tannins that many people find both bitter (taste-wise) and astringent (texture-wise). White winter wheat doesn't have that problem, and is sold by millers (like King Arthur Flour, the first to mass-market it as I recall) for people like you. It's whole wheat, but off-white rather than ruddy brown. You should seek out whole wheat breads made with that type of wheat. Wed Jan 23 05:25:14 -0800 2008 3319927 13819 Karl S 2 3324668 And, while you're at it, make a loaf! All the whole grain recipes in King Arthur's newest book- Whole Grain Baking- rock. The ticket is the WHITE whole wheat flour... I've made all the breads and muffins from the book and they are all are soft, light and tender. If you're not the baking type, Pepperridge Farm makes a white whole wheat bread... Wed Jan 23 11:27:44 -0800 2008 3323311 140744 Bunnyfood 1 3324594 Just found this link which I think is pretty darn interesting....Wonder Bread Redux? http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/E/35320/35327/443278.html?d=dmtHMSContent Wed Jan 23 11:13:05 -0800 2008 3319927 18755 howboy 1 3324798 I am not a whole wheat lover either. I do find some of the whole grain/nut breads to be less dry and boring. The nuts/whole grains give the bread some crunch to it and that seems to help the taste. I just stopped eating bread for the most part... once in a while I can't resist a nice crunchy loaf of artisian bread with some olive oil and freshly grated romano reggiano- HEAVENLY! Wed Jan 23 12:00:06 -0800 2008 3319927 12606 MeffaBabe 2 3324823 gotcha. But I'm still looking for a loaf to keep in the kitchen for that last minute sandwich....it's out there somewhere Wed Jan 23 12:06:59 -0800 2008 3324798 18755 howboy 3 3324873 I find that the multi-grain breads that I mentioned earlier (TJ 9 grain, Brownberry) keep very well in the fridge. Sure they get stale, but a brief trip through the toaster takes care of that. I buy the crusty white breads for immediate use, and keep a loaf of 9grain the fridge for sandwiches in between times. paulj Wed Jan 23 12:20:24 -0800 2008 3324823 12139 paulj 4 3325266 Whole wheat breads can be as varied as white breads, and as different as a Wonder Bread loaf to a Lionel Poilane loaf. In general, however, I tend to agree that a 100% whole wheat loaf is less palatable than a high extraction wheat loaf. Furthermore, whole wheat is not necessarily more nutritious--too much bran and it goes through your system too fast for you did get all the nutritional benefit. So when I mill my wheat, I sift out some of the bran and still get the benefit of the germ. But some bran is nice. Also the kind of wheat makes a difference. A wheat with strong tannins in the bran (many of the spring red wheats) will have a stronger taste than a white wheat. And since the bran cuts the gluten strands, lean whole wheat breads will rise less than their "white" equivalents. Still, the addition of other proteins, like cottage cheese or milk or eggs, has been used successfully to make very light 100% whole wheat loaves--like Laurel Robertson's recipe for "Featherpuff Bread" in the Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book. The freshness of a flour makes a huge difference as the oil in the germ of the whole wheat can oxidise and give the flour a bitter, rancid taste and that causes nutritional problems as well. So shop around. Or, better still, make it yourself. There are several very good new books on the market that are written for baking specifically with whole grains. And you may find that just as you were about to give up on it, you find a whole wheat loaf that has a nutty flavor and a texture that you begin to crave. My favorite, however, is the wheat blended with oats. Wed Jan 23 13:44:32 -0800 2008 3324873 53369 Father Kitchen 3 3325486 When I first read that you live in NYC, and you're complaining about bread, I tried to kill you telepathically. Apparently that failed, and I now realize you are looking for a brand of what we call "crap bread" at my house. The pre-sliced grocery store loaf bread full of chemicals that makes it have a three week shelf life...so if you have a peanut butter emergency, there's something around...right? In that case, I buy a 100% whole wheat brand called Nature's Own. It is inoffensive. Otherwise...go to D&D or Balthazar or the like , for god's sake , get good bread and be grateful for where you live!! ;-) Wed Jan 23 14:37:05 -0800 2008 3324823 10471 danna 1 3325495 Gosh I love whole wheat bread - I admit if you get it plain or made by a generic brand such as Wonderbread it can taste really stale. But I think if you get wheat with 12-grain it can be really tasty and filling! Wed Jan 23 14:40:01 -0800 2008 3319927 137717 Zucumber84 1 3326150 Hm, this may be going in a direction totally divergent from what you want, but I promise it won't be pasty or sweet. Have you ever tried Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain bread? It's *very* hearty, but it may not be what you're after. It's carried by TJ's -- I love it, but I like very nutty, whole-grain heavy things. MrLit, on the other hand, says it looks like "toenail loaf." Not a ringing endorsement, but what does he know! ;) Wed Jan 23 17:36:22 -0800 2008 3319927 47694 litchick 2 3326708 I gave Ezekiel several chances... I think I would prefer to eat cardboard... similar fiber level... but the cardboard has a better flavor. Wed Jan 23 21:26:04 -0800 2008 3326150 42572 Eat_Nopal 3 3326721 and it doesnt cost $4 a loaf! nice... ;) Wed Jan 23 21:34:09 -0800 2008 3326708 14086 kare_raisu 4 3331892 well, to each his own. I quite like it. Fri Jan 25 09:38:15 -0800 2008 3326721 47694 litchick 2 3332270 I love their cereals... really really good. Fri Jan 25 10:58:54 -0800 2008 3326150 12606 MeffaBabe 2 3332455 I actually like their hamburger buns - they are not as dry as the sliced bread and they're quite hearty. Fri Jan 25 11:43:39 -0800 2008 3326150 95793 jeni1002 1 3328294 We're supposed to be avoiding simple carbs very strictly; though we both prefer good handmade white bread to any of the WW-flour kinds, we've discovered Trader Joe's Flourless Sprouted Wheat - not only perfect from our dietary viewpoint, but pretty darned good for sandwiches and brilliant for toast. We've gone from too many eggs and white toast for breakfast to either a scrambled mixture of one egg and some Egg Product plus the wholegrain toast and some fruit, or just toast and peanut butter plus fruit, and while it sure ain't bacon and eggs and grits it's not bad. Thu Jan 24 10:57:02 -0800 2008 3319927 11478 Will Owen 2 3328384 I went to TJs last nite and saw the bread your talking about there....I went to pickup another of the breads that was recommended here, but got sidetracked when I spotted their White WW bread ($1.69 /loaf), which is certainly not white. Made great toast, but nothing special. The search continues. Thu Jan 24 11:14:31 -0800 2008 3328294 18755 howboy 3 3328949 Try the pane integrale at Sullivan Street Bakery in Hell's Kitchen. Thu Jan 24 13:20:51 -0800 2008 3328384 53369 Father Kitchen 3 3329931 You might have to get over the idea of paying only $1.69 for bread. What's that about? You can't get a decent cup of coffee for that anymore!!! The coffee only lasts 15 minutes and you'll get lots of meals out of a loaf of good bread, so start upping your thinking on the value. The cost of quality ingredients, the skill, time and equipment to produce an excellent product? It's worth a lot more that that. Maybe $4 to $5. Heck, that's what a cup of designer coffee or a craft beer runs. Thu Jan 24 17:52:49 -0800 2008 3328384 32444 MakingSense 1 3332610 I used to hate whole wheat bread too, but recently discovered Vermont Bread Company Soft Whole Wheat, which is totally delicious. No HFCS and 3 grams of fiber per slice. Make sure you get the Soft kind though -- the slices of the regular whole wheat kind are denser and smaller. Both Whole Foods and Garden of Eden carry this bread and so do some of the bodegas in NYC. Fri Jan 25 12:19:53 -0800 2008 3319927 17392 JennS 1 3333738 Costco Kirkland Multigrain 100% Whole Grain. In a 53g slice, 4g sugars, 5g fiber. No white flour or HFCS. Somewhat sweet, but great toasted with PB&J. Definitely not a 4 ingredient bread (I counted 5 different sugar sources) plus other additives). Very soft. Fri Jan 25 17:00:30 -0800 2008 3319927 43747 Leucadian 2 3350114 I've just discovered this bread - it is totally amazing! The softness reminds me of the 'old' Lucky store brand (Wheat Nut?) that Albertsons discontinued after the merger. Miltons is a similar 'soft' whole grain bread that I like. Me liking both is surprising since I don't like sweeteners in bread on principle (see Oroweat/Bimbo for multiple examples of unnecessary HFCS). FWIW I also like La Brea Whole Wheat with its substantial crust *and* moistness. Hard to find both in the same loaf - most TJ's wheat breads are too dry and don't excite me. Wed Jan 30 16:54:50 -0800 2008 3333738 23712 DiveFan 1 3348902 What are looking for an alternative bread to taste like? If you're stuck on white bread then by all means you should stay with it. I was raised on Wonder bread and Safeway bread, but now I couldn't fathom the thought of eating that horrid stuff. There are excellent suggestions in this thread. In Northern Virginia there are some awesome selections at Wegmans in Farifax, and Dulles. If you like white bread you might consider their Marco Polo bread, or their Ciabatta bread. The only thing is it's not pre sliced and you need to freeze it or keep it wrapped after 1-2 days. I am not a big fan of mass produced breads be it wheat or white. Not really much difference between them IMO. But Whole grain artisan breads now thats a different story. Wed Jan 30 12:11:28 -0800 2008 3319927 74713 keithlb1 1 3356266 When I am too lazy to make my own whole wheat bread I rely on a "le petit francais" whole wheat baguettes. Two baguettes per package. Pure ingredients of whole wheat flour, spring water, wheat bran, yeast and sea salt. Freezer to table in less than 27 minutes. I find them very good, but then again I can only imagine that you can find better baguettes from a NYC bakery. Fri Feb 01 11:44:07 -0800 2008 3319927 16128 Windsor 1 3356303 I just have to say I really love multi-grain bread. Especially when you use it to make a grilled cheese. The grains get all toasty and sweet smelling. I don't know how anyone can't like that :) Fri Feb 01 11:56:07 -0800 2008 3319927 94635 adventuresinbaking 1 3357117 I have to say I really like Oroweat Whole Grain and Flax bread. The flax seed adds a little extra health benefit. I know Oroweat is a mass market brand, but for what it is, it is very good. I don't find it bitter or "grainy" at all. Fri Feb 01 15:54:59 -0800 2008 3319927 16852 jim1126 2 5150385 May I ask in what area of the country you are? I have tried to find Oroweat's Whole Grain and Flax bread in the Houston TX area, Memphis TN area, Little Rock AR area, and the Shreveport LA area, all without success. Any suggestions? Reply to mikey011754@hotmail.com miguel0110 Mon Nov 02 15:39:42 -0800 2009 3357117 1121207 miguel0110 1 5150975 I used to work near a Great Harvest Bread Company franchise and regularly bought their whole wheat sandwich loaf. Though it is preservative-freee, I would keep it in a Rubbermaid container at room temp for over 2 weeks and it would still be tender and delicious, with no trace of mold. Apparently some of the franchises will ship. Mon Nov 02 19:44:52 -0800 2009 3319927 159317 greygarious