March 24, 2008 | Food & drink, Shopping
Walking the grocery aisles can be very overwhelming when you are trying to make healthy eating choices. There are twenty different varieties of the same thing and that can make you want to fall to the floor and scream “I just wanted some bread!”.
Being something most of us consume everyday, bread is a great way to get your daily recommended amount of whole grains. Last year the USDA recommended that Americans get at least three daily servings of whole grains - that’s three plus ounces. But, back to our grocery shopping dilemma. How do you know which one is the best of the best and which one is just “pretending” to be good for you? Let’s take a look at what “makes up” the breads we eat.
What is Whole Grain?
Whole grain is literally grain that is whole. It must contain all three parts of the grain - the bran, the germ and the endosperm. The bran is the tough outer layer that contributes the fiber, the germ is the core of the grain and loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber and the endosperm is the middle layer that provides a lot of carbohydrates. The latter being often the only part of processed, refined white breads.
How Do Whole Grains and Refined Grains Differ?
Refined Grains and the products made with them have had the bran and the germ removed to give it a finer texture. Examples of these fine grains are white flour and white rice. This is often what white breads, crackers and baked goods are made of.
Enriched Grains are refined grains that are enriched, which means some B vitamins and iron are added back after processing.
Why Go Whole Grain?
Whole Grains not only provide nutrients, antioxidants and fiber, they are also absorbed more slowly in our bodies. This slower absorption can help prevent spikes in sugar and insulin, which in turn may decrease the risk for diabetes and heart disease.
How do You Really Know if a Product is Whole Grain?
Check your food labels! If a product is truly whole grain the first ingredient on the list should start with the word “Whole” or “Oat”. Words like “stoned wheat,” “cracked wheat” and “wheat flour” don’t guarantee the presence of whole grain.
Consumers can also trust the eye-catching black and gold “Whole Grain Stamp” that often appears on a food product’s packaging. This stamp has been allowed to appear by the Whole Grain Council and guarantees that a product has at least a half serving of whole grains per portion.
Whole grains can be found in more than just your sandwich bread! To help you get your daily recommended amount of whole grain try traditional oatmeal (not the instant kind), whole grain english muffins, whole grain waffles, brown rice and whole wheat pasta!
Looking for something to cure that sweet tooth? Try a whole grain fig cookie or even a whole grain chocolate chip cookie! These can be found at almost any grocery store. Don’t be fooled though. Just because a cookie contains whole grains it does NOT make it good for you. Keep them around for a once in a while treat!
One more tip that works for me:
If your family is new to whole grains try introducing them slowly. When I make pizza crust for my family I use half white flour and half wheat flour. The taste is not that much different and I know I’m getting some of the better grains in our meal. Also try using whole wheat pasta in your spaghetti. Once you add the sauce it’s hard to tell a whole grain noodle from an enriched one.
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Karen (Pediascribe) says:
Nicely summarized.
March 24th, 2008 at 1:34 pmBe careful though. Just because it says “Whole Grain” doesn’t mean there isn’t stuff in there that is bad for you. Take for example my shopping trip the other day. I grabbed “Whole Grain” bread. I checked the ingredient list. It contained not only hydrogenated fats, but also high fructose corn syrup. As I’m trying to avoid both of those things, I put it back. I ended up forgoing the bread until I could get to Whole Foods because NONE of their items have those things in there.
Jeana says:
Thank you Karen. That is something I also look for but wanted to keep this posting simply speaking of whole grains. Hydrogenated fats and high fructose corn syrups are a completely different, lengthy topic.
There are a few good options for you though. Kroger has a great organic (and JUNK free) whole wheat bread and so does Natures Own (not all of their products make the cut though so read the label) which can be found at MOST supermarkets. I find the Kroger store brand, I believe it’s Private Selection or Naturally Preffered, to be the best bargin because you can find it on sale quite often!
March 25th, 2008 at 11:23 amLorrie says:
The brand of bread I’ve been buying is Arnold’s 100% Natural Whole Wheat Bread. It’s a Brownberry product. I don’t think it’s organic, but as far as I can tell from reading the label, it’s a good choice. No preservatives, HFCS, etc. Arnold’s also has other bread products, but haven’t read all the labels. So, as Jeana suggests, make sure to compare labels. I haven’t really done any cost comparison with other brands. Since people have different tastes and needs in foods, another choice might serve you better. I don’t like doughy bread, and don’t like bread that’s too dense, so this one works for me.
March 25th, 2008 at 4:25 pmJeana says:
Thanks Lorrie!
I’m with you, not too doughy and not too dense! Somehwere in the middle!
March 26th, 2008 at 12:08 pm