The Iconic Brand Behind Our Favorite Whole Grain Sandwich Bread

Whole grains are pretty amazing, and although most of us are familiar with the idea of reaching for some whole wheat bread, there are a variety of whole grains that you may not even know exist. For the moment, though, let's talk about sandwiches. Your favorites — especially those sandwiches that are so good they're meant for the dinner table — can be taken to the next level by choosing some truly top-notch bread. The good news is that you don't have to live down the street from an artisan bakery to get some amazing whole wheat bread.

In Daily Meal's ranking of store-bought whole grain bread, there was a clear winner: Pepperidge Farm's Farmhouse 100% Whole Wheat. Why? For a number of reasons, starting with the fact that it's just simple, straightforward goodness, with none of the additions that can turn whole grain wheat from something delicious into something dry that gets stuck in your teeth.

There are all kinds of health benefits to adding whole grains to your diet. Not only are they high in fiber, valuable nutrients, and antioxidants, but studies have linked whole grains to lowering your risk of heart disease and stroke, along with supporting a healthy digestive system and reducing chronic inflammation. That's all great news, and the better news is that adding whole grains is easy when you have delicious options like Pepperidge Farm's wheat bread.

When Daily Meal did a ranking of store-bought whole grain breads, we found many options just didn't hold up well enough to a hearty sandwich, were incredibly bland, or were so full of nuts, seeds, and grains that it took away from the bread. Pepperidge Farm's Farmhouse 100% Whole Wheat bread had none of those aforementioned nuts and seeds, and was heavy enough to comfortably hold any sandwich ingredients you'd care to use, while not being unpleasantly tough and too firm to eat easily. 

It's perfect for a classic roast chicken sandwich, a trendy balsamic, mushroom, and onion grilled Brie cheese, or anything in between. And that was Pepperidge Farm's goal all along. In 1929, the Rudkin family found themselves faced with a challenge: Due to severe allergies, their son was unable to eat many commercial products that were widely available. So, Margaret Rudkin set to making all-natural bread that was healthy, delicious, and safe for her son.

Rudkin later said, "My first loaf should have been sent to the Smithsonian Institution as a sample of Stone Age bread," but this was the start of their business (via Pepperidge Farms). Their Farmhouse 100% Whole Wheat is a great example of holding onto those ideals: The ingredient list is fairly small and straightforward, includes things like whole wheat flour, sugar, wheat gluten, soybean oil, and yeast first and foremost, and is a downright tasty slice of bread.