The darker the bread, the healthier?
Wrong, says the independent Dutch consumer council "Consumentenbond". They tested multiple grain bread this May from a variety of shops and retail stores. Turns out that the fanciest looking bread (with the best names like Pain de Boulogne) have the smallest amount of fibers from al the tested multiple-grain breads.
Also, you cannot judge a bread by the colour and the number of seeds on the crust. It is what's inside that counts, and the outside of a bread might give you the wrong impression (I feel a metaphor coming up here..). There might be a lot less seeds inside then what is suggested by the outside. Also, the bread is made darker by adding roasted barley.
The 'best' bread to buy (best meaning optimal fibers and lowest salt) is a 1 euro (1,30 USD) bread from a retail store. The list a whole set of ingredients in a standard bread, additives: glucose (for better rise and darker crust), Beanflower, sojaflower, etc.
Of course, you knew this already, that's why you are baking your own bread!
Happy baking (waiting for my second batch to come out of the oven)
Cheers,
Jw.