- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
Nutrition basics (24)
- Multigrain vs. whole grain: Which is healthier?
- Healthy chocolate — Dream or reality?
- Yerba mate: Is it safe to drink?
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Healthy diets (9)
- Water after meals: Does it disturb digestion?
- Diverticulitis diet: Should I avoid nuts and seeds?
- Diverticulitis diet: Can certain foods trigger an attack?
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Healthy cooking (8)
- E. coli: How can I tell if food is contaminated?
- Canned pumpkin: Better than fresh?
- Food poisoning: How long can you safely keep leftovers?
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Healthy menus and shopping strategies (7)
- Calories in sushi: What are the low-cal options?
- Vegetable juice: As good as whole vegetables?
- Buying beef? A guide to choosing the leanest cuts
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Nutritional supplements (14)
- Vitamin C: Can too much be harmful?
- Chocolate: Does it impair calcium absorption?
- Percent Daily Value: What does it mean?
- see all in Nutritional supplements
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Question
White whole-wheat bread: Is it nutritious?
At the grocery store, I saw a type of bread labeled "white whole wheat." How can bread be both white and whole wheat?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
White whole-wheat bread looks and tastes like white bread but has the nutritional benefits of whole-wheat bread — such as increased fiber and nutrients. If you don't like the taste or texture of regular whole-wheat bread, white whole-wheat bread may make it easier to add whole grains to your diet.
Regular white bread is made with refined grains, which go through a process that strips out certain parts of the grain. But white whole-wheat bread — like regular whole-wheat bread — is made with the whole grain.
The difference between white whole-wheat bread and regular whole-wheat bread is in the type of wheat used. Regular whole-wheat bread is made with red wheat, which is dark in color and has a slightly bitter taste. White whole-wheat bread is made with an albino variety of wheat, which is lighter in color and has a sweeter, milder flavor.
When you're selecting bread, read product labels to make sure you know what you're buying. Look for breads that list the "whole" grain as the first ingredient, such as whole wheat, white whole wheat or whole oats. If the label doesn't say "whole" first, it isn't a whole-grain product.
Next questionSea salt vs. table salt: Which is healthier?
- Whole white wheat FAQ. Whole Grains Council. http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/whole-white-wheat-faq. Accessed Oct. 15, 2008.
- Identifying whole grain products. Whole Grains Council. http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/identifying-whole-grain-products. Accessed Oct. 15, 2008.
- Eating healthier and feeling better using the Nutrition Facts Label. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~acrobat/nutfacts.pdf. Accessed Oct. 15, 2008.
