Whole Grains My Family Will Eat

by Elissa

I've been making more of an effort to reduce the amount of white flour and refined carbohydrates my family eats. Some changes have been easy: subbing brown rice for white rice just requires a little extra cooking time and I now actually prefer brown rice. And I've found that I can sub white whole wheat flour for at least half of the white flour in most baking recipes.

But bread and pasta have proven a bit tricky. I like most whole wheat breads okay, but my husband does not feel the same way. He grew up eating super-soft white sandwich bread, and all my efforts to convert him have failed, mostly on texture grounds. But then I found Martin's Whole Wheat Potato Bread.

It's made with all whole wheat flour and has 4g of fiber per slice, but it has the squishy texture that my husband requires. And while I like crusty artisan breads, when I'm making a peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese sandwich, the classic squishy bread really is the best option. I'm not sure how widely available it is, but I know Martin's is sold in the mid-Atlantic states. They also make whole wheat hamburger and hot dog buns.

Until now, I haven't been able to find a whole wheat pasta that I really like. They all taste kind of gritty and bitter to me, and my husband absolutely hates every whole wheat pasta I've ever served him. But I decided to try the Barilla Plus line of pastas a couple of weeks ago, and they were a big hit.

Although it's not 100% whole grain, the nutrition is significantly better than plain white pasta, and it tastes better than whole wheat pasta.

So tell me, have you found any products that get your family to eat a little healthier?

Comments

[Katherine]

I like oatmeal bread for whole grains that don't taste too "healthy." Pepperidge Farm is my go-to brand.

I made the switch over to whole wheat pasta about a year ago, and although I wasn't happy about it at first, now I barely notice. I think what got me over the hump was very assertively-flavored sauces. Anything with olives did the trick for me.