Many people prefer white bread.   However, we all know that white bread is not as good for us as whole grain bread.  There is no way around that.   This is because the endosperm of a kernel of grain – the bit that makes white flour – is only one of three parts. 

A kernel of grain has:

1.  the bran which among other things like protein and vitamins, provides fibre, important to maintain a healthy digestive system

 2.  the germ which is one of the only natural sources of the full compliment of B vitamins as well as essential fatty acids crucial to healthy brain functionality

 3.  the endosperm – the “white” bit – which has starches and carbohydrates as well as protein, iron, and B vitamins.

Fact – when you forego the bran and the germ you forgo important vitamins, minerals, fats, and fibre.  Aside, if you can break yourself of the whites (sugar & bread), you’ll be much better off:

Stone ground flour is better for you – for these reasons:

 1.  The stones in a stone mill stay cold whereas the metal rollers in an industrial mill get extremely hot.  The heat effectively “burns” out some important nutrients before the flour is bagged.

 2.  Stone mills produce whole grain flour and then process it (sieve it) to make white flour on demand.  Industrial mills produce white flour and then process it (add germ and bran back in again) to produce whole grain flour on demand.  In this process  there is no way to guarantee that whole grain flour is actually whole grain.

 3.  Because stone mills produce whole grain flour, the ground endosperm (the white bit) has the benefit of being ground along side the oily germ during the whole process.  The ground endosperm thus absorbs some of the oils and nutrients of the germ.  Because industrial mills begin removing the germ and the bran at the beginning of the process, the ground endosperm has less opportunity to mingle with the oily germ and, thus, absorbs little of the nutrients contained in it. 

Best suggestion – find a good bakery who cares about what they do. See who uses authentic practice in making their breads, and that includes a true understanding of the raw materials making-up their products.  With store-bought, first ingredient listed will often tell you what you need to know about the rest of the recipe.  If it has “Stone ground” listed, most likely the rest of that bread will be pretty darn good for you.