Question
I’ve been really good about choosing foods that are made with whole wheat rather than enriched wheat, but recently I found a flour tortilla that was made with enriched flour but had twice the fiber that the whole wheat tortillas had. How is this possible? I thought fiber and whole wheat went hand in hand. Is this an ok enriched flour to eat?
Answer
There is a very simple explanation for this.
Flour that has been processed has had the bran and other whole wheat (“good for you”) parts removed in the processing. In order to make the flour higher in fibre, this is added at the end of the processing to increase the processed flour’s fibre content – this is how “enriched” flour is created.
The important thing to note is that because the “enriched” flour has been processed, this removes a lot of the essential nutrients and of course the fibre, which needs to be re-added for flour that has been “enriched” in some way.
If you must eat processed flour products, “enriched” flour is the best option, as it has had extra fibre added, but it is still missing (or is much lower in) a lot of the other vitamins and minerals that exist in whole wheat flour.
You are doing the right thing for your health by eating whole wheat (or whole grain) foods, as these have the grain and all of its nutritional value kept intact. Whole wheat is an essential part of a healthy diet and you should congratulate yourself for ensuring you eat foods that have a high whole grain content.
Please note that the information provided is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Consult with your medical physician regarding appropriateness of using supplements in your healing process.
