Wonder(ful) Bread!

Recently, a product that had been absent from our family’s diet for over 14 years made a resurgence. Wonder Bread, a part of the Weston family brand, has now taken up an exalted position in our kitchen’s product line next to the brown rice, Teff and chick pea flours. Recent commercials brought its new formulation to my attention. A trip to the grocery store verified my disbelief. Wonder Bread was now devoid of the additives, preservatives and especially the high fructose corn syrup, the worst. Other brands with a “similar recipe” still hold on to the age old formula that, I guess, helps their bottom line, somehow. For us, the naive consumer, our bottom line always was, and continues to be about health.

 We buy food to thrive and survive. Without it we die. To paraphrase Michael Pollen, today’s grocery stores sell food- like substances, referring to the myriad of preservatives and chemicals found in foods that are processed. That statement was as unsettling to me when I first heard it as it is today. Could Wonder Bread be the starting point for bringing back healthier food into grocery stores? Could its reformulation sound the death knell for products made the ‘old’ way. It remains to be seen. The consumer is supposed to be king! Let us reclaim that power.

Wonder Bread was a feature of our lives in the fall of 1998. Our then 12 year old Yellow Retriever was 99 pounds and losing weight. He was dying. His blood had a Hemocrat level of 9, (it should have been closer to 15-21). He was taken to the small animal clinic, at the University of Guelph, for assessment. The doctors there were shocked that he was alive, never mind walking. Wonder Bread became the symbol of his longevity, and our treatment choice for our wonder boy. It was critical that he gain weight. At his stage of life, few options existed as protein was off limits to him. Other medical issues hampered an easy solution.  Actually, because of his age, size (125 pounds in his youth) and medical history he should have died long ago.

‘Chush’ began his daily morning ritual of 4 slices of Wonder toast, slathered with heart healthy Becel margarine, cut into thin strips. For 7 months, he thrived and had gained 15 pounds. Then, the moment we dreaded arrived and the smell of Wonder Bread “cooking” in the toaster no longer thrilled him. We said our good-byes.  Fourteen years later, Wonder Bread is back and hopefully a mainstay of our diet next to the rye breads, and homemade food. Its texture and taste makes for killer egg, chicken, turkey, ham, tuna and salmon salad sandwiches - bread crumbs and stuffing galore a by-product. Fancy sandwiches of a bygone era now take centre stage - crusts removed. Of course, the famous peanut butter and jam sandwich makes its own statement when made with WONDER bread.

For a brief moment in 1998, I simply did not care what our “Chush” ate, as long as it made him happy and fulfilled the doctor’s treatment mandate for him to gain precious weight. His wants and needs were paramount to our family. (He had outlived his prognosis anyway.) Now, it seems Wonder Bread does care. Is the elimination of the chemicals from its bread line history in the making? It is an excellent first step. Don’t stop there, Wonder bread. You must banish all chemicals, additives from another basic food we all buy: hot dog and hamburger buns. Your target audience, children, deserve it. We will all be watching.

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