The converted
Whenever I was told, growing up, that I should eat whole wheat bread because it's better for me, I argued that it didn't taste good with my favourite cheese (cheddar), unless toasted or melted. I took only white bread in my school lunches unless it was a peanut butter sandwich! However, I liked to have a variety of white bread, though I would refuse even now to stoop to the Wonderbread type of sliced white bread. I rarely had anything quite that fluffy. It's probably my European blood that dictates to a certain extent my preference for drier, heavier breads... but it must have been the cheese that determined my bread choice.
This spring I moved in with my boyfriend, who picked up some cheap 100% whole wheat bread. We made sandwiches with it for a road trip. I assure you, even a McDonald's cheeseburger is almost heaven when you're hungry/bored on the road. (I boycott them otherwise.) The sandwiches had mayonnaise on them, I'm sure, plus honey ham, cheese, and lettuce. The bread was soft and almost melted in my mouth. I fell in love. Since then, I've discovered that even when I'm not bored or starving, whole wheat bread tastes GREAT with cheddar cheese.
I also realised why my lunch in high school often left me unsatisfied: white bread isn't a whole lot of anything. Whole wheat bread has much more substance to it, in addition to the nutrition.
It seems I needed to discover the taste before I could give in to the health benefits. This project has really drilled those into me, after what I've read and experienced. The other thing is that we rarely have any quality white bread, since there is little selection at supermarkets. My favourite ones are the organic breads from SuperValu. I think it's the Mediterranean Bakery or something. We don't have SuperValu out here so I don't get it often anymore.
I don't bother with enriched breads, but I do like heavier multigrain. What I don't like is Orowheat's extra packaging: they put it in a second, thin plastic bag inside the main one! That's upsetting because a) that's extra waste and b) it makes it really awkward and messy to get bread out. I don't find it keeps it any fresher, longer. Oh, speaking of which... white bread goes mouldy so much faster.
Some favourites growing up include Tilsit/Havarti cheese on pumpernickel bread; salami + tomato on pumpernickel; cheddar or cream cheese on Finn Crisp thin rye bread (cream cheese + chocolate Quik powder is good too) which you can get in Vancouver.
