Multigrain bread is bread made with multiple grains such as oats, cracked wheat, buckwheat, barley, millet and flax. Some multigrain bread is also whole grain bread. Yet all multigrain breads are not necessarily whole grain breads and you should read bread labels carefully so that you know what nutrition you're getting.

If the words enriched wheat flour can be found near the top of the list of ingredients on a loaf of multigrain bread, then the product is not made of whole grains. Whole grains include the whole seed which is the germ, the bran and the endosperm sections. Refined grains, such as enriched wheat flour, have had parts of the whole grain removed. Whole wheat flour on the other hand is a whole grain as none of the parts of the grain have been refined, or removed.

Other than whole wheat flour, you may find whole grain flours such as graham and buckwheat in multigrain breads. Again, the key for maximum fiber and nutrients is to look for whole grains rather than enriched or refined grains. This can be confusing for many multigrain bread shoppers as the word enriched may sound nutritious. In actuality, enriched means that only a little of the many nutrients lost in the refining process was put back in the grain making it far less nutritious than whole grain multigrain bread.

Multigrain bread may have three to five different grains or it may have up to twelve different grains. Some multigrain breads are very hearty and have raisins and/or nuts added. You can usually find different types of multigrain breads in either regular loaf shapes or in round loaves that are sometimes sold as Rustic Bread or Peasant Bread. Multigrain bread recipes are available for bread makers and for the traditional oven method of baking bread.

Multigrain bread can add interest, flavor and texture to sandwiches and multigrain sandwich rolls are also sometimes available. Multigrain bread that is also whole grain bread has a firm texture that makes it great for packed lunches. Toasted slices of multigrain bread can be cut into large cubes to top salads and soups.