Breadtime story

MANILA, Philippines - Low-calorie, non-fat or sugar-free bread doesn’t sound fun, does it? Kids would usually spit out a morsel of whole-wheat bread at first bite, and many people say it tastes like carton or rice bran.

But thanks to Walter Bread, eating healthy is now more fun and delicious with its line of totally healthy breads.

Diabetics, calorie-conscious weight watchers and those with restricted diets now have something to munch on for their breakfast and snacks without worrying about their sugar or cholesterol levels or putting on more pounds.

The Walter Sugar Free Wheat Bread, for example, is the best choice for diabetics, who need to control their sugar level. This bread is made of whole wheat, which is a rich source of fiber and phytochemicals — powerful antioxidants that help fight off cancer. Not only does it give you assorted health benefits, in fact and surprisingly, it also tastes quite good. The texture is fine, the bread is soft and moist, and with that subtle sweetness. It is also nearly fat-free because of its high dietary fiber and has low sodium content.

Walter Bread’s Double Fiber Wheat Bread with Heart Protect is a friendly pick for those with hypertension and other coronary-related ailments. This bread is customized with two all-natural fibers — insoluble fiber from wheat and soluble fiber from apples.

Insoluble fiber plays an important role in gastrointestinal and colon health, while soluble fiber contributes to heart health. Fiber from apples is a source of sweetness in the bread and also helps keep it moist. Unlike other wheat breads available on the market, the Double Fiber What Bread with Heart Protect is really soft and moist.

Walter Bread’s Sugar Free Wheat Bread matches the needs of diabetics who want to enjoy delicious and healthy slices of bread

This is because Walter Bread has undergone years of research and development for these particular products. “Before we came up with our whole wheat breads, consumers didn’t really appreciate the taste of wheat breads, and they found the texture really dry and rough,” says Walter Co, president of Creative Bakers Company, Inc.

Co adds, “That time, people thought whole wheat bread tasted like ‘darak’ (rice bran) so we thought we should come up with this product that has a delicious taste and high quality. So, we really conducted scientific studies to come up with all the right and healthy ingredients for a delicious whole wheat bread.”

He also explained that his whole-wheat breads have much less salt, compared to other brands using more salt to harden the structure of the bread, which doesn’t become moist like Walter Bread’s product. And of course, less salt means fewer risks of adding more pounds.

Real Deal On High-Fiber Bread

Equally delicious and healthy is Walter Bread’s Weight Control Bread with High Fiber. Figure-conscious men and women may now enjoy the benefits of eating this high-fiber white bread while they’re on their weight loss program. It is rich with oat and vegetable fibers that keep everyone feeling full longer.

The Weight Control Bread with High Fiber is perfect for those on a strict diet and exercise program because it is 98-percent fat-free and has 50-percent less sodium. Its tastiness is also very pleasing to the palates, unlike other high-fiber breads that lack taste.

“An ideally healthy bread has at least two grams of fiber per serving, less salt or no more than 200mg of it, less fat, zero cholesterol, zero transfat and high-protein and low-sugar content,” explains Nadine Tengco, a US-certified fitness nutritionist and weight loss coach.

She adds that one of the best things about Walter Bread is that it uses a combination of the insoluble and soluble fibers in their breads, unlike others which only use the cheaper kinds of fiber, particularly, psyllium fiber.

Sugar-Free Myth vs Walter Bread’s Sugar-Free Wheat Bread

Enjoy the sweet and yummy taste of this healthy Whole What Raisin Bread with its juicy raisins

Many people tend to consume more pieces of bread or pastries just because these have “sugar-free” labels. The fact is, not all these have “0% sugar” at all.

Tengco warns consumers to carefully check the nutritional facts of these breads, whether it’s really “sugar-free” or not. She notes, “How can a piece of bread be sugar-free when it’s made of flour? Flour itself is made of carbohydrates that easily transform into sugar.”

To make sure that everyone is getting the real sugar-free bread, they can try Walter Bread’s Sugar-free Wheat Bread. Instead of using sugar, it’s made of isomalt — a carbohydrate originally produced from sucrose.

Co says they spent one year formulating the right ingredients, which they’ve tested five times until the proper formulation was achieved. “It’s really difficult finding the perfectly formulated- sugar-free bread. We needed to keep adjusting the formulations to really make it sugar-free,” he said.

After a series of well-done research and experimentation of the product, they came up with that great-tasting Sugar-Free Wheat Bread. It is also high in fiber, which means it has low glycemic carbohydrate, making it weight-friendly.

It also comes in pandesal form, which makes breakfast more enjoyable and healthy.

Best of all, the zero-sugar content of the Sugar-free Wheat Bread is highly beneficial for those suffering with diabetes who want to enjoy the taste of a healthy bread.

To make sweet breads more satisfying and healthy, Walter Bread also has its Whole What Raisin Bread. This is the best choice for those with a sweet tooth but don’t want to grow flabs and love handles. This bread is certified healthy and yummy, and can be enjoyed even without sandwich spread because it already has a naturally fruity and sweet taste because of its juicy raisins.

Aside from its tastiness, its high-fiber content is also effective for digestive health and weight control. Whether it’s toasted or not, cold or hot, the Whole What Raisin Bread will surely tease those taste buds.

Keeping It Healthy And Yummy

After more than 28 years of bringing quality and delightful breads, Walter Bread continues its commitment of providing Filipinos with healthy products, especially now that a healthy lifestyle has been part of the demands of many people.

Co recalls, “Five years ago, nobody intended to produce healthy types of bread. We hardly ever saw whole wheat and high-fiber breads on the market except for the imported ones, which were also very rare.”

Because of that, Co became even more determined to produce a healthy kind of bread. He didn’t mind how much it would cost to experiment with expensive materials in formulating a perfectly healthy bread.

“Making money is not a priority when it comes to producing these healthy breads. It’s alarming to learn that our country now has one of the highest rates of diabetes in Asia. And because of that, we realized the need to produce a bread that is not only healthy but also tastes good,” says Co.

To make sure that his breads are perfectly healthy, he put in a lot of money for research and development. “Before we come out with a product, we make sure that it is better than the existing ones. It has to pass not only my own standards, I even have to ask friends and other people for their feedback on the products we produce,” he adds.

Tengco, who shares her expertise on nutritional facts, is very impressed with the healthy bread line of Walter Bread. “These products are exceptional! The science and intention was there. And what amazes me if that it’s simply tasty and delicious!”

When Healthy Bread Also Means Fun For Kids

Most kids feel like they’re being punished or as if they’re in a boot camp when they’re being fed with veggies or other healthy foods. Moms would even beg them or even chase them just to have them take a spoonful of carrots, green beans, and other vegetable meals.

For the young ones, the friendlier eats are those fried goodies like nuggets, hotdogs, fried chicken and other preserved meals. Or, they’d rather have peanut better jelly, caramel, or chocolate spread on their sandwich instead of cream cheese and pesto or hummus dip. This leaves parents and nannies struggling for the best options to have their kids eat healthy.

Since kids typically remove lettuces, tomatoes, pickles, and all other veggies from their sandwiches and burgers, parents should be more creative in serving them fun, yet healthy sandwiches and bread servings for their little ones.

Here are some smart guides to make bread more enjoyable for kids:

• To make hamburgers and sandwiches healthy and yummy for kids, the best trick is to mash or puree veggies together with the meat since kids easily shy away from the greens in their food, according to US-certified fitness nutritionist and weight loss coach Nadine Tengco. She suggests, “Bring out the flavors in veggies. Mix them with processed mushrooms, a bit of mayonnaise or other dressings with shredded chicken or ground meat.” Moms could also make it healthier by choosing whole-wheat or high-fiber white bread for their kids.

• Healthier options are always available to make a yummy sandwich. Instead of the traditional cheddar cheese, parents can get blue cheese or kesong puti (native cheese). This type of cheese has fewer preservatives, lower calorie content, and is also a rich source of calcium and protein. To make it even healthier and tastier, moms can spread a bit of pesto on a high-fiber bread.

• Kids surely like it sweet, but parents should also make sure that their kids get just enough of sweet foods to spare them from toothaches and weight problems. Instead of too much strawberry jam or peanut butter on their sandwiches, a slice of whole wheat raisin bread will simply give them a delicious snack or breakfast. If they like it fruitier, parents can also try adding banana slices with a small amount of honey or whipped cream to add some taste. Or, they can try diced apples and with cinnamon flavor.

• For their baon, parents can make them egg or tuna sandwich instead of the usual ham or hotdog sandwiches they buy at cafeterias. Using high-fiber bread makes it even more nutritious for kids. By trying these alternatives, feeding kids won’t be as difficult. It will also help parents spend less and more importantly, they’re sure to keep their kids stuffed with healthy goodies.

For inquiries, visit www.walterbread.com.