Eat NZ Hui + Eat NZ Grains 2022
The 2022 theme is #LotsofLittle; the resilience of small and diverse solutions in such uncertain…
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Flour, whether white or wholemeal, supplies a large proportion of the nutrients required by our bodies to ensure growth and health.
Flour is used as the basis for many cereal food products including bread, biscuits, pasta, pastries and cakes. The nutrients it contains are continually supplied throughout an average person’s day. Our breakfast, lunch and evening meals usually contain products either based on flour, or thickened with flour.
Flour is an excellent source of protein, vitamins, fibre and complex carbohydrates. It is also low in fat and cholesterol.
Nutritional analyses have been carried out on flour samples from New Zealand flourmills. Samples ranged from flours used in making biscuits through to those used in bread. As flour is the basis of many frequently eaten foods such as bread and pasta, we are easily able to take advantage of its varied nutrients.
Did you know that all bread is nutritious?
All breads are nutritious and the differences between them in nutritional value are not significant if we eat a balanced diet.
White bread has approximately the same carbohydrate and protein content as wholemeal bread, contains soluble and insoluble dietary fibre, and a good percentage of the whole wheat nutrients. It is made from unbleached flour made from the inner 78% of the wheat grain. If you prefer white bread to wholegrain breads, you can get your extra fibre from other foods such as wholegrain cereals.
In New Zealand wholemeal bread is made from at least 90% wholemeal flour. White flour may be added to wholemeal flour to make wheatmeal products. Due to it gluten protein content, white bread is often added to improve the baking quality of breads made with wholemeal flour.
Wheatmeal breads are not subject to food regulations and so the quantity of wholemeal flour used may vary. Nutritional comparisons are therefore difficult to make.
Including bread in your everyday eating
Substitution of bread for fats maintains the energy we need to get from our diet by providing carbohydrates rather than fats for energy production. Worldwide, nutritionists and dieticians support this recommendation, and advise that the following plan for good eating is used:
- Eat a wide variety of foods to get a good balance of vitamins and minerals.
- Eat mostly cereals, vegetables and fruit.
- Eat more complex carbohydrates and dietary fibre.
- Eat less fats, refined sugar, salt and alcohol.
When its composition is considered along with its relatively low cost, bread is an ideal food to complement the nutritious fillings we may choose to balance our diet.
Four to six slices of bread daily is the intake recommended for adults.
Always remember though, that overall we are encouraged to eat a variety of foods and that these foods should include breads
breads – (4-6 slices of wholemeal and/or white per day),
pasta, fruit(5 portions),
vegetables (6 portions),
fish, chicken, legumes, nuts, dried peas/beans, dairy produce including trim milk, cheeses and yoghurts (preferably low fat), eggs and meats.