Is Wheat Bran Good for You?

You’ve most likely heard of wheat bran as a common ingredient in cereals. As it turns out, there are many more ways to enjoy it than just the typical wheat bran cereal! But what is wheat bran and is it actually good for you?

Let’s take a closer look at this health ingredient powerhouse, from its nutritional breakdown to wheat bran recipes, and find out how to integrate it into our daily diet.

So, What Is Wheat Bran?

Technically speaking, the wheat kernel has three distinct parts: the germ, the bran and the endosperm. The hard exterior of the kernel is known as the wheat bran, and it is often separated from the other parts of the wheat kernel during the milling process. It’s a source of plant-based nutrients and minerals, and it has both a sweet and nutty flavor. However, wheat bran is perhaps best known as being an amazing source of fiber. A quarter of a cup provides 6 grams of dietary fiber, which is 24% of the recommended Daily Value.

The nutritional breakdown of a ¼-cup serving is:

Calories: 50

Fat: 0.5 grams

Protein: 2 grams

Carbohydrates: 10 grams

Dietary fiber: 6 grams

Thiamin: 5% DV

Riboflavin: 5% DV

Niacin: 10% DV

Iron: 8% DV

A Few Main Health Benefits of Wheat Bran

From easing digestion to preventing disease, here are a few of the main health benefits of integrating wheat bran into your diet.

Promotes Digestive Health

Because it’s a great source of insoluble fiber, wheat bran helps keep you regular and promotes digestive health. It’s also been shown to reduce symptoms of bloating and discomfort and increase healthy bacteria in the gut, as it’s rich in prebiotics (which are the food for the beneficial probiotic bacteria).

Maintains Healthy Weight

The potential correlation between fiber and weight management indicates that fiber may help keep you feeling full and satisfied! Because wheat bran is so high in fiber, it’s an excellent option for breakfast when you’re looking to get fueled up for the day ahead.

Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Bran

To make our Bob's Red Mill Unprocessed Miller's Wheat Bran, we gently separate the protective outer layer of the wheat berry from the endosperm and oil-rich germ. It’s unprocessed bran that offers a great source of fiber and full-bodied texture. It can be added to baked goods, sprinkled over soups or incorporated into fresh salads. It can also be used to replace a portion of the regular flour used in cookies, muffins and breads. To preserve the freshness of our the wheat bran, make sure to store it in the fridge in a vacuum sealed container.

Creative Ways to Eat Wheat Bran

• Sprinkle it on top of warm oatmeal or cold cereal
• Add it to soups, stews and casseroles
• Top your yogurt or smoothies with wheat bran
• Bread your fish with a mixture of wheat bran and bread crumbs
• Use wheat bran to pancakes and waffles
• Add wheat bran to dinner rolls and breads

Wheat Bran Recipes

Ready to get cooking and baking with a newfound knowledge of all things wheat bran? Let’s dive into breads and muffins to explore recipes with wheat bran.

High Fiber 7 Grain and Bran Bread

This High Fiber 7 Grain and Bran Bread is made with Whole Wheat Flour or Organic Whole Wheat Flour, Active Dry Yeast, sea salt, warm water, Wheat Bran, Wheat Germ, 7 Grain Hot Cereal, vegetable oil, Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour, honey and orange zest. It’s perfect when toasted and eaten warm for breakfast (or an afternoon snack) with a spread of coconut oil and a drizzle of extra honey. It’s also yummy served sliced and placed under the broiler with a piece of good cheese, an excellent accompaniment to a bowl of hearty soup in the wintertime or chilled soup in the summer.

The Best Whole Wheat Bran Muffins

Image by: Life Made Simple

These Best Whole Wheat Bran Muffins from Life Made Simple taste incredible! Plus, they look beautiful when placed in the center of the table for a midweek breakfast or special occasion. They’re made with Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Bran, whole wheat flour, low-fat  “buttermilk,” Greek yogurt, coconut oil and fresh fruit. You can get creative with raspberries, blueberries, apples, and peaches—or do as baker Natalie does and add in some coconut and chopped pecans. These muffins are a wonderful way to integrate wheat bran into your family-friendly food routine! Kids will love them with a dollop of almond butter on top and slices of banana.

Whole Grain Fruit Muffins

These Whole Grain Fruit Muffins are packed with fiber and flavor. They’re a great way to feature seasonal fruit that may be abounding from your trees (like peaches or apples). They’re created with Quick Cooking Rolled Oats, Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour, packed brown sugar, Wheat Bran, 7 Grain Hot Cereal, baking powder, cinnamon, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, honey and apples or peaches. Serve them warmed in the oven with a spread of butter and homemade jam (and a mug of tea).

Oat Bran Muffins

Photo by: This Week for Dinner

This recipe for Oat Bran Muffins comes to us from Jane of This Week For Dinner. She picked up a  bag of Bob’s Red Mill Oat Bran Hot Cereal and followed the recipe on the back for oat bran muffins. Like our wheat bran, our Oat Bran Cereal is packed with fiber and nutrition. We love that Jane’s recipe can incorporate a few tablespoons of wheat bran into the batter, too, for a healthy muffin on the go. The mix of mashed banana, vanilla and yogurt makes for a moist and fantastic treat any time of day.

Raisin Bran Muffins

These Raisin Bran Muffins are high in fiber and protein, and they’re super tasty! Ingredients include Thick Rolled Oats, Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, Wheat Bran, Whey Protein Powder, cinnamon, Flaxseed Meal and soy milk. They’re made sweet with the addition of honey, molasses and vanilla and hazelnut extracts. Although they’re delicious any time of year, something about the combination of vanilla and hazelnut seems to call for an autumn baking session. If you’d like an extra taste of fall, add a bit of pumpkin spice to the batter and serve alongside a hot pumpkin spice latte. If you’re not eating all the muffins right away (which certainly requires some self control), make sure to store them in an airtight container so that they don’t dry out. If they do dry out, simply rewarm them with a spread of coconut oil on top and they’ll moisten right up.

Brown Sugar Apple Oatmeal Bread

This recipe for Brown Sugar Apple Oatmeal Bread is all the best flavors combined into two small (or one large) loaves. This bread is made with a combination of lukewarm apple juice, egg, Organic Regular Rolled Oats, Organic Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour, Wheat Bran, unsalted butter, brown sugar, Granny Smith apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and Organic Whole Wheat Flour. After the loaves have cooled, they’re rubbed with a tablespoon of brown sugar for a bit of extra sweetness. To make them into a “dessert loaf” you can drizzle them with a simple apple glaze (apple juice, powdered sugar, a hint of vanilla extract) and serve them alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Bob’s High Fiber Bran Muffins

This recipe for Bob’s High Fiber Bran Muffins can be found on the back of our bags of Wheat Bran. They’re high fiber, low cal, low fat and delicious! Plus, they’re super easy to create.

All you need is Wheat Bran, Whole Wheat Flour, raisins, milk, molasses (or honey), oil and one beaten egg. To make the muffins, stir together the bran, flour, baking soda and baking powder. Stir in raisins and set aside. Blend milk, molasses, oil and egg, add your dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. From there, you’ll bake your muffins at 400°F for 15 minutes. If you love this recipe and are looking for a variation, try adding 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/4 cup of chopped nuts.

Whether you’re sprinkling wheat bran in your soup or adding it to your muffin batter, we hope this article has inspired you to find creative ways to enjoy this nutritious ingredient.

Have any tasty ways you like to eat wheat bran? Feel free to share them with us in the comments below!

Sources

• https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-867/wheat-bran
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/probiotics-and-prebiotics