Home - Sweet Spot Nutrition (2024)

ByCherylSeptember 19, 2016April 24, 2023

If you’ve been to one of my talks, you know that “fake” whole grains are one of my pet peeves. I’m talking about “multi-grain” and other termsthat can trick well-intentioned shoppers into buying bread and crackers that are mostlywhite flour.We often do an activity where I have participants hunt around the room for “real” whole grains (see my “Whole Grain Pop Quiz” to try it yourself.) Inevitably, as people learn they’ve been fooled, someone will ask, cringingly, “What about COBS Bread?”

COBS came to Canada in 2003 after a successful startin Australia, and there are nowover 90 stores here, including tenin Calgary, with two more on the way.

Good news, folks. The tasty whole grain breads at COBS are the real deal, by which I mean that the first ingredient is whole grain whole wheat, so you’ll get more than of that than anything else. Additionally, COBS breads have no added sugar and they’re baked fresh daily.

Also, because I truly care about you, I’ve tried all of the breads I’m recommending below and can assure you that they’re delicious.

What is COBS’ healthiestbread?

Any of COBSwhole-grain breads are good choices, but for fun, I thought I’d compare nutrients like fibre, sodium, and healthy fats, to see if one stands out.

Comparing bread nutrition facts can be tricky, because serving sizes aren’t consistent. Some list the nutrition for one slice, some two. The size of a slice can vary greatly, from about 20 to 40 grams.Furthermore, most of COBS products come as buns, rounds, and other shapes, in addition to regular and mini-loaves. Cue my head exploding.

So, I made a spreadsheet adjustingthe nutrition information to a standard 35g-slicefor each oftheir whole-grain breads. I included severalof theirwhite breads and two Dempster’s whole-grain breads for comparison.

If you’re a data geek like me, you can click the image to see it, but here are myconclusions:

1. Any of these are a great choice:Cape Seed,Country Grain, Chia Whole Wheat, Chia Flax, and Sourdough Whole Wheat.
2. I’d give the gold medal to theCape Seedbread because those yummy seeds meansyou get more healthy fats, fibre, protein, iron and other nutrients per slice, along with less carbohydrates. Unless you’re an athlete in training, this is a good thing. As a bonus, its also the lowest in sodium. The only caveat: It’s higher in calories, so be mindful ofthe portion size.

   Cape Seed loaves and mini-loaves

3. Silver and bronze go toChia Flax and Chia Whole Wheatfor similar reasons, without the mouthful of seeds that some people don’t like. (Note: Chia and ground flax seeds give you heart-healthy soluble fibre and omega-3 fat. Not tons, but it can’t hurt. They’re in the Cape Seed bread too.)
4. Try the Sourdough Whole Wheat if you have diabetes and wanta lower glycemic index bread. (That basically means it makes your blood sugar rise more slowly, although portion size is the most important factor for that.)It’s also their lowest-calorie whole-grain bread.

Honourable Mentions

Other breads you might want to try from time to time:

1. The German Rye, which is about 60% rye flour and includes sourdough starter. That combination usually results in a lower glycemic index than regular whole-wheat. Unfortunately, none of COBS rye breads say they use whole rye flour, and the healthy-sounding Pumpernickel and Lekkerbrot breads have more (white) wheat in them than rye, which is disappointing. So, the whole-grain breads listed above are still your best bets, but if you’re a rye-lover, give it a try.
2. Honourable mention alsoto theChia Fruit bread, which is basically a whole grain raisin bread with a bit of chia. All good, except for the extra two teaspoons of sugar or so per slice.
3. Another interesting choiceis the mind-blowingly goodWhole Wheat Cheese Rolls, to which they will add tomatoes, mushrooms, and/or olives if requested. (You have to pre-order them, at my COBS at least.) Again, they’re mostly whole grain whole wheat flour, and give you about 10g of protein and 10-15% of your daily calcium. Sadly, the higher sodium (450mg) would keep me from making these delicious treats a daily staple. Still, better than pizza or regular cheese buns, and did I mentionthey taste amazing?

   Whole Wheat Cheese Rolls (two with olives)

4. The final honourable mention goes to the regularWhole Wheat bread. While it is a whole grain, theglycemic indexof whole-wheat is typically higher than mixed-grain breads, so I’d try one of those listed above first.
5. If you really, really don’t like any of the whole-grain breads, try theHigher Fibre (white) bread or the White Chia. Neither give you the goodnessof whole grains, but they’re better than regular white. (Note that the Higher Fibre bread still isn’t as high in fibre as theCountry Grain, Cape Seed, Chia Whole Wheat, orChia Flax. It’s just high when compared to the white bread.)

Other tips for shopping atCOBS

1. Even the healthiest bread is best eaten in moderation. Many people need just one slice at a time. Combine it with something that gives you protein (here are7 choices that aren’t processed meat)and a couple of servings of fruit and/or vegetables. Balance it out withhealthierwhole grains or starches the rest of the day: steel-cut oats, quinoa, sweet potato, barley, etc.
2. If you prefer two slices for a sandwich, you can askthemto slice your breadthinly.
3. Don’t stop at COBS when you’re hungry, or you’re liable to eata chocolate scone and defeat the purpose.
4. Cobs gives instructions here for freezing and thawing.

Most importantly, try them all until you find one you love. After all, you’re not eating in the Sweet Spot unless you truly enjoy the food.

What’s your favourite COBS Bread? Always happy to hearyour comments and questions via email or on the Sweet Spot Facebookcommunity.