Food Rules #37: "The whiter the bread, the sooner you'll be dead"

Boy, what a title for a chapter, eh? The title, explains Pollan, comes from a cross-cultural bit of 'grandmotherly' advice, which suggests that other generations have been quite aware of the benefits of whole grains and the lack of nutrition white flour provides. Now I know plenty of people (myself included) who wax nostalgic about sandwiches from their childhood on soft, doughy white bread. Me? Cold meatloaf and ketchup sandwiches on squishy white bread. My husband talks about the fried bologna sandwiches on Wonder Bread he had as a kid. And what about Miracle Whip & Chipped Ham on white bread? Certain tastes/combinations can harken warm memories of being a kid...but I'm a little smarter now in terms of my food choices and I understand the lack of nutritional value that squishy bread has.

Bleached flour shows up in many grocery items as well. And most of us know and understand the benefits of eating whole grains: spelt (aka farro) is one of my favorite grains. Quinoa, wild rice, sorghum (we just brought in a sorghum syrup at PFW that is great on pancakes or biscuits)...ever had amaranth? Vella Cafe had amaranth pancakes that were to die for. There is a long list of whole grains and how you can prepare them. Using a homemade chicken or veggie stock adds another layer of flavor. We also carry red and black quinoa, which makes for a great presentation (and lots of protein!)

I've heard a lot of people complain about the lack of good bread in Chicago, too. There are a myriad of bakeries in the city, but many of them just carry the too-soft, slightly doughy style of baguettes that to me are devoid of flavor and good texture. They're also really cheap. You can definitely taste the difference when a good quality flour (and skill!) are used. And sure, some recipes work better with a bleached vs unbleached flour. But to circle back to Pollan's point, we should strive to include more whole grains in our diets than we do. Eating whole vs processed (i.e. bleached) foods is better for our overall health, decreasing our risk of certain diseases.

But I wouldn't turn down a cold meatloaf sandwich with Heinz ketchup on Wonder Bread right about now, though.