Give us this day, our healthy bread

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. But a double dose of wheat and apple fiber promises to keep fat and other ailments at bay. This is what the newest health foods in town – Walter double fiber wheat bread and sugar free wheat pandesal – offer to people who are perennially looking for healthy eats.

Now, before you cringe and say, "Not fiber again!" we’d like to emphasize that this isn’t like any of those rough, dry and carton-tasting wheat bread that we’ve all gotten used to. During a press lunch to introduce the breads, slices of the double fiber wheat bread were distributed for an impromptu taste test. To everyone’s surprise and delight, the bread was soft and tasty (not much different from what our grandparents called "Tasty" white bread), moist and had a lingering apple flavor. Why, an ordinary wheat bread would taste like a piece of handmade paper next to this flavorsome treat.

"The Walter double fiber wheat bread is different from other ordinary wheat breads in that it has fruit fibers, which adds a delightful dimension to the nutrition and taste equation," says Walter Bread president and CEO Walter Co.

In fact, Co adds, the double fiber wheat bread has 33 percent more fiber than other leading brands, is cholesterol-free and rich in vitamins and minerals. It has four grams of fiber per serving of two slices as compared to only three grams of other brands. And no, there’s no bromate used in this bread either.

Nutritionists and health buffs have time and again lauded the good that fiber does to the body. A type of complex carbohydrates, dietary fibers are found in plant-derived foods including vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes.

"Ideally, we need 25 grams of dietary fiber per day," says UP College of Home Economics dean Demetria Bongga. According to Bongga, there are two kinds of fiber – insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water and comes from plants’ cell walls, or what is commonly referred to as roughage. This kind of fiber acts as a broom that sweeps off waste materials in the colon and cleanses the digestive system. Imagine little fibrous critters lining up in the intestinal wall and holding up signs that say, "Hazardous waste keep out!" With the right amount of insoluble fiber, constipation will be a thing of the past. It’s also believed to prevent colon cancer. But don’t overdo it for a massive dose of insoluble fiber – say, cereals for breakfast, bowls upon bowls of coleslaw for lunch, and platesful of adobong kangkong for dinner – would have you rushing to the toilet at high-speed intervals. Bongga adds that it’s also good for diabetics as insoluble fiber delays the absorption of glucose in the body.

Soluble fiber, meanwhile, dissolves in water and forms into gel form when mixed with liquid. Apart from benefiting diabetics, it’s also said to lower blood cholesterol, which is welcome news for those at risk for heart diseases. And of course, it regulates the bowel movement. This fiber is best sourced from apples, oranges, bananas, broccoli, carrots and oats, to name some. Like the insoluble fiber, it also aids in weight control and helps lick different types of cancer.

This wonder twins of nutrition, this dynamic duo of fibers are the body’s best bet in zapping up those bodily toxins. With this in mind, Co has found the right combination of wheat and apple fiber and come up with what is now the double fiber wheat bread.

"It took us a year to perfect this bread. There was one time when we put in a large quantity of apple fiber. The result was a dark brown bread, which almost didn’t rise. But we finally found the right combination and we’re very satisfied with it," says Co, whose company, Creative Bakers Company Inc., is now on its 20th year. Co’s Walter Bread pioneered Health Nutrition, a unique array of bread products that champion nutritional value, quality and taste.

Co’s other innovation is the sugar free wheat pandesal, a breakthrough product he experimented with five to six times. "Unlike other brands that have ‘no sugar added’ tags, our pandesal has zero sugar content," says Co. Instead, Co says the product contains sugar replacers that the body doesn’t absorb. "We’re actually using isomalt, which has a fiber-like effect, is low calorie and has almost no sodium. It’s also safe for kids six months and older."

Co adds that other brands can’t claim they are sugar-free because their products still have 0.6 to 1.4 grams of sugar. According to Co, to qualify as sugar-free, the sugar serving of a product must be less than 0.5 grams. Diabetics and those with cardiovascular problems now have a healthier option as far as eating these breakfast favorite is concerned.

Consistent with its fiber-rich products, the sugar free wheat pandesal also contains two grams of beneficial fiber. "This promotes good digestion and regularization of blood sugar levels. It is also rich in vitamins and is cholesterol-free," adds Co. Just a word of caution: the health benefits of this pandesal will be nullified if you carelessly slather the bread with cholesterol- and fat-laden spreads, and sugar-saturated sweets. If you start having dizzy spells and heart palpitations, don’t blame it on the bread, but on your death wish.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Co assures Pinoys that his company will continue to come up with nutritious bread products in the months to come. In the meantime, bread lovers can feast on these two products now available in supermarkets nationwide. It’s like eating white bread – sans the guilt.