In terms of dietary health, variety seems to indeed be the spice of life, and that’s true of flavor as well. With its 15 different grains, this Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain 15 Grain Bread not only offers a wide variety of grains for a diverse nutritional profile, but it is unusually hearty and filling for a bread, and stays with me until supper time when I eat it as part of my lunch. The bag claims that it’s made with fresh ingredients and fresh-baked, and it extolls the virtues of eating whole grains. The benefits of consuming whole grains and fiber, it says, in addition to limiting saturated fats and cholesterol in the diet, are reduced risks of heart disease and certain types of cancer, Plus, it’s easier to maintain good digestive health if you incorporate good sources of fiber (like whole grains) into the diet. This product, in just two slices, makes all of that easy to factor into one’s daily diet. I like it.
Benefits and Features
- Manufactured by a reputable bread company (Pepperidge Farm), and the high quality of this whole grain bread product attests to the company’s long-acquired expertise at baking healthful and delicious breads.
- Double bagging is done to maximize the bread’s freshness when it reaches your grocery cart.
- It’s excellent yet mild wheat flavor does not clash with anything you’d care to put on sandwiches made from slices of this bread.
- Stores in the freezer for up to a year, or more.
- No bleached flour or high fructose corn syrup herein.
- The slices are rather big, at almost five inches long, and about four inches wide, though they’re also rather thin, at just under a half inch thick.
- Transparent wrapping is provided for easy inspection of the bread without opening the bag or inner wrap.
- The bread itself has a medium brown shade that’s notably darker than that of white bread, but significantly lighter than pumpernickel. Nonetheless, it’s light enough that it’s easy to judge done ness during toasting, simply by observing the color of the slices.
- Features a smattering of whole grains sprinkled on the top of the loaf. These remain affixed to the slices pretty well so that you’ll drop very few crumbs on your floor while eating.
- Easy to find this product at many supermarkets.
Disadvantages
- The loaf is too small, at just six inches in length. So, relatively few servings per package are realized, as compared to the average-sized white bread loaves. I wish they’d double the size of the loaf here.
- Contains added wheat gluten.
- Expensive, at over $4 per 16-ounce loaf at my local stores.
- Abolish the double wrapping to save some expense.
- Excess moisture can build up in the bag when the bread is stored at room temperature for very long, and this can create mold buildup on the slices.
- I’d like to have both ends (crusts) in my bread loaves, thank you. You only get one bread crust in this product.
Ingredients
Whole wheat flour, water, sugar, wheat gluten, yeast, wheat berries, sunflower seeds, sugarcane fiber. Contains 2 percent or less of soybean oil, honey, oats pearled barley, rye, triticale, millet, degermed yellow corn grits, flaxseed, lower sodium natural sea salt, calcium propionate and sorbic acid to retard spoilage, salt, wheat flour, mono and diglycerides, datem (dough conditioner), amaranth flour, brown rice meal, buckwheat flour, flaxseed meal, millet flour, whole quinoa flour, whole sorghum flour, whole spelt flour, nonfat milk*, chicory root fiber, soy lecithin, and enzymes.
* Adds a trivial amount of cholesterol.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving size: 1 slice (43 grams, 1.5 ounce). Servings per container: 16.
- Calories per serving: 100. Calories from fat: 20.
- Total fat: 2 grams, 3% DV.
- Saturated fat: 0.5 grams, 2% DV.
- Trans fat: 0 grams.
- Polyunsaturated fat: 1 gram.
- Monounsaturated fat: 0.5 grams.
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams, 0% DV.
- Sodium: 115 milligrams, 5% DV.
- Total carbohydrate: 20 grams, 7% DV.
- Dietary fiber: 4 grams, 16% DV.
- Sugars: 3 grams.
- Protein: 5 grams.
- Vitamin A: 0% DV.
- Calcium: 4% DV.
- Thiamin: 6% DV.
- Niacin: 8% DV.
- Vitamin C: 0% DV.
- Iron: 6% DV.
- Riboflavon: 4% DV.
- Folate: 2% DV.
Product Rating
Each slice of this whole wheat bread is almost half again as heavy as the Pepperidge Farm rye and pumpernickel breads, and contains significantly more fiber, is stronger (for piling sandwich fixings upon), and seems to be, accordingly, more filling. Also, you get a couple more servings in this product, and a fair size bigger loaf besides, for roughly the same price. It tastes like a hearty wheat bread should taste, and works well as the pillar ingredient in sandwiches, butter bread, and toast. So I’d rate this whole grain bread at 95 out of 100.
Where to Buy Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain 15 Grain Bread
Find this product at lots of bigger markets and grocery stores. Look for it in the purple, red, and white labeled transparent plastic bag.