Know Your Whole Grains
by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger
11 Sep 2007 06:59 PM
Adding more whole grains to your diet is a very good idea. But the packaging and labels can be hard to understand. What's the difference between "whole grain" and "100% wheat"? Here are some words and phrases to look for -- and some to avoid.
- WHOLE wheat: look for 100% whole wheat or whole grain. Then check the ingredients list. The first thing on the list should be a whole grain.
- Whole grain foods: more than half of each serving (51%) must contain whole grains. This doesn't necessarily mean high in fiber! Whole grain breads also contain a lot of water, so they may have a lower fiber content than whole grain cereals.
- Made with whole grains: there are grains in there, but they might be lower down on the ingredient list than you'd like. You might want to skip products like this in favor of something with whole grains closer to the top of the ingredient list.
- Multigrain: the product has more than one type of grain -- but not necessarily whole grains. Read the ingredients and look at the fiber content.
- An excellent source of fiber: you'll get five grams of fiber or more per serving.
- A good source of fiber: you'll get 2.5 grams of fiber or more per serving.
- Enriched: vitamins and nutrients have been added back after processing. Fiber usually isn't added back. Check that label!
- 100% wheat: if it doesn't say WHOLE wheat, you've got refined flour on your hands. That means fiber and many nutrients have been stripped away during processing.
Once slice of white bread may have less than a gram of fiber. A slice of whole wheat bread can have three grams of fiber or more! Making the switch to whole grains is an easy (and delicious) way to get the fiber you need in your diet.
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