The Ultimate Ranking Of Store-Bought Whole Grain Breads

"Whole grain" is a term that gets thrown around a lot these days. It's slapped on the sides of cereal boxes and bread bags, and while you probably know that whole grains are good for you, you might not know why or even what a whole grain is. 

Whole grains are the unrefined seeds of cereal crops like wheat, corn, and rice. Whole grains contain all three layers of the seed: bran, endosperm, and germ. In contrast, refined grains have had their bran and germ removed. Removing these layers eliminates some of the nutrition, so refined grains are simply not as good for you as whole grains. Whole grains provide important nutrients such as fiber, vitamins (especially B vitamins), minerals, protein, and antioxidants. 

You can consume whole grains by themselves, such as a bowl of brown rice or oatmeal. You can also consume whole grains in pasta, cereal, or bread. When you look at whole grain products, check the label to make sure that whole grains are the first ingredient. Whole grain bread is typically whole wheat-based, so whole wheat flour should be the first ingredient. Some varieties include other whole grains such as oatmeal, bulgur, millet, amaranth, and rice. Many whole grain breads also incorporate seeds, such as sunflower and flax seeds, and nuts. We tried all the varieties of whole grain bread we could find at our local grocery store and came up with this ultimate ranking of store-bought whole grain breads.

At the bottom of our list is Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Oatmeal bread. We tried a lot of whole wheat bread and found this one to be less sweet than others, which is good for a sandwich. We don't want the sweetness of the bread to compete with the other flavors when we make a sandwich. However, Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Oatmeal bread lacked flavor overall. While its flavor won't compete with sandwich fillings, it is not tasty enough to eat on its own. Its bland flavor is the reason we ranked it last out of all the bread varieties we sampled.

Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Oatmeal bread has a firm texture and a light color in comparison to some of the other varieties we tried. Its loaves have oatmeal sprinkled on top, which can be a detraction for some people, although we didn't really mind it. 

Nutrition-wise, one slice of Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Oatmeal bread has 110 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein. We found that most of the loaves we tested were either large or medium-sized, and this one is large.

When we were kids, Arnold Whole Grains Oatnut bread used to sit on the counter at grandma's house, and we always wondered: What is an oatnut? Now we know! There's no such thing — this bread gets its name because it includes both oatmeal and nuts. The oats are visible on the surface of the bread, but the nuts, which include hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds, are incorporated into the loaf. The nuts are the last ingredient on the list, and they do not really add much to the bread.

While Arnold Whole Grains Oatnut bread does contain whole grains, it is not a 100% whole grain product. The first ingredient is whole wheat flour, but enriched wheat flour is the second ingredient. If you are following a strict whole-grains diet, this bread is not the right choice for you. In addition, anyone with tree nut or sunflower seed allergies should avoid it because of its nuts and seeds.

Nutritionally, Arnold Whole Grains Oatnut bread clocks in at 120 calories per serving, which is one slice. One serving contains 2.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein. The slices are large. We ranked this toward the bottom of our list because of its bland flavor. The nuts added a slight crunch, but their flavor did not come through. It was lightly sweet and the texture was firm enough for a sandwich. We just didn't love it.

Pepperidge Farm was telling the truth — kind of — when it named this bread 15 Grain. The ingredients list includes whole wheat, oats, and wheat berries at the top of the list. It also includes corn grits, buckwheat, millet, pearled barley, brown rice, quinoa, sorghum, rye, triticale, amaranth, and spelt, but these ingredients all fall in the category of no more than 2%. Regardless, these whole grains can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cancer (per Healthline). Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain 15 Grain bread also contains flax seeds and sunflower seeds.

This bread has a hearty, firm texture with lots of oats on the outside and seeds incorporated into the bread. The loaves are large. Its lightly sweet flavor comes from sugar. Each slice of Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain 15 Grain bread contains 120 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

Arnold Whole Grains 12 Grains and Seeds is a nutritional powerhouse of whole grains and seeds, just like the name implies. In addition to whole wheat, it includes wheat, rye, corn, brown rice, barley, oats, triticale, millet, and buckwheat. As an added bonus, these whole grains were at the top of the ingredients list, unlike some other multi-grain breads we tested. This bread also contains sunflower, poppy, and flax seeds, as well as walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts. The nuts were literally last on the ingredients list, and we found that they did not add a lot of flavor. However, they can still trigger allergies.

We have already established that the whole grains in this bread are good for you, but so are the nuts and seeds. According to the Cleveland Clinic, nuts and seeds are part of a heart-healthy diet. The fiber found in nuts and seeds can reduce cholesterol, control blood sugar, maintain bowel movement, and help with weight management.

We found that Arnold Whole Grains 12 Grains Nuts and Seeds had a sweet flavor and a texture that was not quite as firm as we would have liked. The seeds were incorporated throughout the bread and oatmeal was generously sprinkled on top. The slices are large, and each slice of Arnold Whole Grains 12 Grains and Seeds provides 110 calories, 3 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

Pepperidge Farms Light Style 100% Whole Wheat bread touts itself as a "light" product, with the label prominently proclaiming that it has just 45 calories per slice and half the fat as whole wheat bread. We thought it tasted pretty good for a light product, which is why we placed it toward the middle of the pack. One reason we did not rank it higher is that it is light on calories and fat because it is light in substance and size.

The loaf of Pepperidge Farms Light Style 100% Whole Wheat bread is literally half the size of some of the other loaves we tried, and it was smaller than all of them, making each bread slice pretty small. In addition, the texture was flimsy, making it hard to spread peanut butter or even mayonnaise without tearing it. If you want to make a hearty sandwich, this bread will not work.

The flavor, on the other hand, was just fine. It relies on sugar, honey, and molasses for sweetness, but was not too sweet. Each slice provides just 45 calories, 2 grams of fiber, no fat, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. If you are trying to reduce your fat intake and don't mind taking the time to gently prepare your sandwich, this bread is a good choice.

Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat bread is the first bread in our ranking that falls into the medium-sized category. The bread from medium-sized loaves has fewer calories, in part just because the loaves are smaller. Each slice of Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat bread has just 60 calories, 1 gram of fat, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

Consuming fewer calories is critical to losing weight, and choosing a smaller-sized bread like Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat bread is a great way to do that. Two slices of this bread clock in at roughly the same number of calories as one slice of most of the large-sized breads we tested. That means you save calories, but still eat an entire sandwich.

Sugar sweetens Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat bread, which has a slightly sweet flavor, but we thought it was less sweet than Pepperidge Farms Light Style 100% Whole Wheat bread. It has a soft texture, but not so soft that it will not hold up in a sandwich.

Nature's Own 100% Whole Grain bread is another of the medium-sized loaves that we tested, and it is a good option for people watching their caloric intake. Each slice of this bread contains just 50 calories, 1 gram of fat, 1 gram of fiber, no sugar, and 4 grams of protein. Its makers are certainly marketing this bread as a healthy option; the bag claims it is "sugar free" and "not a reduced calorie food," although it is lower in calories than most brands of bread available at the grocery store.

Unlike pretty much every other brand we tested, Nature's Own 100% Whole Grain bread contains no sugar. It is not very sweet, but what sweetness it has comes from maltitol. Maltitol is a sugar alcohol that is commonly used as an alternative to sugar in baked goods because it has half the calories of sugar and helps prevent browning.

The slices of Nature's Own 100% bread are small, but not as small as the slices of Pepperidge Farms Light Style 100% Whole Wheat bread. This bread is a little bit salty, not sweet, and has a slightly tough texture. The savory flavor makes it perfect for sandwiches.

Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat bread actually tasted a lot like Nature's Own 100% Whole Grain bread. We ranked it higher because its texture was not quite as tough. Like its whole-grain cousin, this bread was a little bit salty and not very sweet, although it does not contain maltitol. The minimal sweetness this bread has comes from brown sugar.

Even with the brown sugar, this whole wheat bread still has low sugar content. However, even small amounts of sugar consumed throughout the day can add up, so be mindful of your total sugar consumption, particularly when you consume it as an added sugar like the sugar in this bread. Added sugars can contribute to high blood pressure, inflammation, increased weight, fatty liver disease, and diabetes (per Harvard Medical School). These symptoms, in turn, may increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.

The loaves of this bread are medium-sized, and the smaller size helps keep the calorie count down. Each slice of Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat bread has 60 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

Panera Bread Whole Grain Multi-Grain with Sunflower Seeds and Flax is the Goldilocks of the breads we sampled — larger in size than Nature's Own or Sara Lee, but smaller than Arnold or Pepperidge Farms. It had a firmer texture than Sara Lee and Nature's Own, but was not quite as firm as the varieties from Arnold or Pepperidge Farms. And the results are just right.

This bread has a golden color and nice flavor with a hint of sweetness (which comes from brown sugar and molasses) without being too sweet. It has a light sprinkling of oatmeal on top, and oatmeal is incorporated into the bread along with oat fiber, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and millet. These additions give Panera Bread Whole Grain Multi-Grain with Sunflower Seeds and Flax a nice crunch without adding too much texture. It makes great toast and would also hold up in a sandwich.

One drawback to this bread is that it is not a completely whole-grain product. Whole wheat flour is the first ingredient, but it also includes fermented wheat flour. Still, one slice of Panera Bread Whole Grain Multi-Grain with Sunflower Seeds and Flax provides 2 grams of fiber, which is about on par with the other loaves we tried. It also provides 100 calories, 2 grams of fat, 2 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

We loved the flavor and texture of Arnold Whole Grains Healthy Multi-Grain bread. It was firm enough to stand up to sandwich toppings and tasty enough to enjoy on its own. This bread has a light sweetness that comes from a combination of honey and molasses. Its texture comes from a variety of seeds and whole grains mixed throughout the loaf. This bread includes the whole grain oats, brown rice, and bulgur wheat, as well as brown and golden flaxseed and sunflower seeds. People with a sunflower seed allergy should avoid Arnold Whole Grains Healthy Multi-Grain bread.

This loaf has a rich, dark color and the outside of the loaf is covered with oatmeal and seeds. In our opinion, it looks like what a loaf of whole-grain bread should look like. Each slice of Arnold Whole Grains Healthy Multi-Grain bread provides 110 calories, 2 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

Fighting for a spot at the top of our list is Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain 100% Whole Wheat bread. This bread has a firm, hearty texture, and a lightly sweet flavor. The exterior of the bread has a light dusting of oatmeal, but not as heavy of a dusting as some of the other loaves we tried. It added a nice texture without overwhelming the bread.

Most Americans do not eat enough fiber (per the American Society for Nutrition); only 5% of men and 9% of women meet the recommended daily value for fiber consumption. Women should aim to eat 25 grams of fiber each day and men should aim to eat 38 grams. One slice of Pepperidge Farms Whole Grain 100% Whole Wheat bread provides 3 grams of fiber, so just eating one sandwich a day provides 6 grams of fiber. Adding lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, and onions increases the fiber content even more.

Each slice of Pepperidge Farms Whole Grain 100% Whole Wheat bread provides 120 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein. The sweetness here comes from sugar.

We had a tough time ranking the varieties of bread that were closest to the top because they were all so good and were also pretty similar. We ranked Arnold Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat bread as our second favorite because of its great flavor and firm texture. It is firm but not tough and has a nice rustic flavor, just slightly sweet and not salty at all.

The outside of this bread is covered in oatmeal, which is not for everyone. This texture can be too much for some people, which is why we ranked Arnold Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat bread number 2 and not number 1. But for the oatmeal lovers out there, this bread is for you!

Each slice of Arnold Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat Bread contains 110 calories, 2 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein. It relies on sugar for sweetness and is just sweet enough without overpowering the whole wheat flavor.

Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse 100% Whole Wheat bread tops our list because it is, simply put, just the perfect version of classic whole wheat bread. There is nothing gimmicky about it, no seeds, no oatmeal, just whole grain goodness from whole wheat flour.

This bread is slightly darker than some of the other bread varieties we tried, perhaps because it uses molasses (along with sugar) for sweetness. This combination gives it a lightly sweet flavor without being too sweet. It has a nice flavor that is good enough to enjoy on its own, but also pairs well with cheese, deli meat, or peanut butter and jelly.

One slice of Pepperidge Farms Farmhouse 100% Whole Wheat Bread contains 130 calories, 2 grams of fat, 4 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Its texture is firm, so it can hold up to a good smear of peanut butter without tearing, but it is not tough like some whole wheat bread. This bread is perfect for a sandwich, toast, or straight from the bag.