whole meal
Noun (also commonly used as an adjective modifying "bread" or "flour"):
- Unrefined flour or bread: "whole meal" refers to flour that contains the entire grain kernel, including the bran and germ, or bread made from such flour. It is coarser and more nutritious than white flour.
- She prefers whole meal bread for its higher fiber content. (Bread made with unrefined flour that retains the grain's natural components.)
- (Loaves made from unrefined flour.)
- (Pasta made from unrefined flour.)
- (Flour that includes the entire grain.)
"whole meal" as a compound adjective: It can modify other food items to indicate they are made with unrefined grain.
- The restaurant offers a whole meal pizza crust option. (A crust made from whole meal flour.)
"whole meal" vs. "whole wheat": In some regions, "whole meal" is synonymous with "whole wheat," though "whole wheat" is more common in American English, while "whole meal" is preferred in British English.
- In the UK, a whole meal biscuit is a common snack. (A biscuit made from unrefined wheat flour.)
Whole meal bread (noun phrase): bread made from whole meal flour.
- Whole meal bread is denser than white bread. (Bread containing the entire grain.)
Whole meal flour (noun phrase): flour that has not been sifted to remove the bran and germ.
- Whole meal flour gives baked goods a hearty texture. (Unrefined flour.)
- Whole wheat: a term often used interchangeably, especially in American English, for flour or bread made from the entire grain.
- Brown bread: sometimes used as a synonym, though it may also refer to bread colored with molasses or caramel.
- "to go whole meal": an informal expression meaning to adopt a diet or lifestyle that emphasizes unrefined grains.
- After her doctor's advice, she decided to go whole meal for her morning toast. (She switched to whole meal bread.)
- "Whole meal" is primarily a British English term. In American English, "whole wheat" is more common. In both dialects, it is used as a noun or as an adjective before a noun (e.g., "whole meal bread"). It should not be confused with "wholemeal" (sometimes written as one word in British English), which has the same meaning.