Who says wholemeal bread is always rough & tough? These 6 loaves will prove you wrong.

As white bread’s healthier cousin, wholemeal bread has sometimes been (unfairly) characterised as an inferior option when it comes to taste.

Those who dislike wholemeal bread seem to think it is tasteless or has a rough texture.

When I first posed the question “Why do you like or dislike wholemeal bread?” to our Instagram followers, I wasn’t expecting many replies. After all, why would anyone feel so strongly about bread?

Clearly, I was wrong.

The response was overwhelming and divided.

How Singaporeans feel about wholemeal bread

In general, we have two camps of people.

On the one hand, you have people who highlight the taste and texture as reasons for their dislike of wholemeal bread even though some acknowledge its nutritional value.

Here are some examples:

On the other hand, there are those who adore wholemeal bread.

Just take a look at these comments:

Health benefits of wholemeal bread

We all know eating wholemeal bread is good for your health. But do we really know why and how it is a superior option to white bread?

Wholemeal bread contains whole grains, which boast a high amount of dietary fibre. Therefore, eating wholemeal bread can help you have an easier time on the toilet.

The soluble fibre present inside whole grains also helps reduce “bad” cholesterol levels and lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

In addition to that, eating whole grains can reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.

The Singapore Heart Foundation recommends a daily intake of two to three servings of whole-grain foods.

Two slices of wholemeal bread will form one such serving.

More than one type of wholemeal bread

For those who did not have a good experience with wholemeal bread, don’t be too quick to write it off.

Take a closer look at the supermarket shelves, you will find a variety of wholemeal bread that comes in different texture, taste and nutritional value.

It’s human nature to stick to things we are familiar with, so we may not have explored enough to find the wholemeal bread that best appeals to our taste buds.

Not gonna lie; if not for this article, I wouldn’t have tried the six types of wholemeal bread from Sunshine Bakeries.

Six different loaves of wholemeal bread

For those who say wholemeal bread is not as soft as white bread, I urge you to try these three types of wholemeal bread by Sunshine Bakeries.

Fine Softmeal(R) Wholemeal Bread

Here we have the Fine Softmeal wholemeal bread that contains wheat bran, oat fibre and whole grain. Yet it’s still soft and easy to eat.

Australian Oat Soft Grain

For a good combination of wholemeal and rolled oats bread, you can try the Australian Oat Soft Grain loaf, which has a milder flavour but retains a soft grainy oaty-like texture.

This loaf of wholemeal bread has a similar texture to the Fine Softmeal one but it is an option that’s low in sugar.

Did you know that oats have high fibre content that helps with digestion? You can recommend this loaf to that one friend who needs help with their bowel movements.

100% Whole Grains Ultra Fine

The other wholemeal bread that surprises me with its soft texture is the 100% Whole Grains Ultra Fine loaf.

How soft is it? You can feel the dent on the bread as you hold a slice of it with two fingers.

Again, you can’t really see the grains even though it contains all parts of the grain – bran, germ and endosperm – which makes it healthier than refined grains.

This is perhaps the closest you can get to a white bread.

Canadian Sprout Extra Fine

You probably cannot tell that this slice of bread from this Canadian Sprout Extra Fine loaf is wholemeal bread.

It truly is extra fine and the texture is close to a chiffon cake.

Each slice of bread is slightly thicker, which is a plus if you wish to make your own version of “Issac Toast” or “Eggstop” toasts at home.

The Canadian Sprout Extra Fine bread is made of whole wheat kernels that are gently roasted before they’re milled, giving the bread a distinct aroma from the sprouted grains.

For those who are on a mission to shed excess body fat, this is a loaf you can consider as it is low fat and high fibre. Furthermore, the sprouted grains help in digestion.

Love the grains? Try these two loaves of bread.

For those who enjoy the nutty crunch of wholemeal bread with low Glycemic Index(GI) , you will love the Smart-Carb Low GI 37 Low Sugar.

Smart-Carb Low GI 37 Low Sugar

The Smart-Carb Low GI 37 Low Sugar bread definitely made an impression with wheat grain and seeds. The loaf is also heavier than other loaves of wholemeal bread.

Every mouth you bite you get to enjoy the fragrance of the Canadian Whole Grains, rolled oats, flax seeds and rye which are considered superfoods. It also contains Beta Gluten which helps to moderate sugar spikes for diabetic persons.

If you're looking for a quick snack to sustain your energy through a workout, you can consider this bread in your fitness diet.

Premium Extra Grain

If you want to take a break from the jaw exercise that the chewy Smart-Carb bread gives you, alternate it with the Premium Extra Grain bread.

The Premium Extra Grain bread is slightly softer than the Smart-Carb Low GI 37 bread. It contains Premium Canadian wheat berries which add to the texture.

The nutty flavours from these two loaves will go well with a cup of coffee or chocolatey spreads. Yums.

Why choose wholemeal bread?

Sunshine bakeries’ wholemeal bread is available in all major supermarkets.

These loaves of wholemeal bread are endorsed by the Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF) and are recognised as a healthier choice of bread, as you can tell from the labels on the packaging.

According to the SHF chief executive, Vernon Kang, 19 people die from cardiovascular disease (heart diseases and stroke) every day in Singapore.

Diet is a critical lifestyle aspect that can be tweaked to lower people’s risk of cardiovascular disease, and choosing whole-grain choices is one example.

While studies have shown that more people in Singapore are choosing whole-grain food, it still falls short of the recommended daily intake, Kang added.

Kang urged consumers to look out for labels that indicate products with the Singapore Heart Foundation logo:

“To help consumers better identify products that are beneficial to heart health, consumers can look out for products with the Singapore Heart Foundation logo or Higher in Wholegrains Healthier Choice Symbol. We hope that our joint effort with Sunshine Bakeries will further encourage Singaporeans to choose whole-grains for their hearts.”

Stand a chance to attractive prizes from now till Jul. 31

From now till Jul. 31, you can stand a chance to win S$21,000 worth of instant prizes by buying a loaf of Sunshine wholemeal bread.

If you have not noticed, there is a banner on every loaf of Sunshine wholemeal bread.

The banner comes with a QR code which you can scan and enter the Hearty-Licious Spin and Instant Win Wheel to win prizes like OSIM Back Massager, Fit Bit watches, JBL wireless earbuds and retail/ sports vouchers.

There’s probably no better time to try Sunshine wholemeal bread than now.

The writer of this sponsored article by Sunshine Bakeries has become an accidental wholemeal bread expert in the office.

All images via Mothership