The low carb era has ended and breads and cereals are once again taking their rightful position in Americans diets. Grains, particularly whole grains, have gone from being “bad for you” to taking center stage in nearly every recent article on nutrition. This change is due largely to the recent release of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the determination of nutritionists and doctors to clarify what a healthy diet really is. The Dietary Guidelines state that whole grains should make up half of the grains we eat each day. For most of us that means eating at least 3 servings of whole grain foods. The whole grain kernel is made up of three main components, the bran, germ and endosperm. In refined grains, such as all purpose flour, the bran and germ are removed, taking away many of the grains nutritional properties. In the United States white flour is enriched with several B vitamins and iron, but many more vitamins and minerals are removed during processing and are not replenished. Fiber, along with certain vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals are much more abundant in whole grains. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines also recommend that we increase our intake of several nutrients such as fiber, potassium, magnesium and calcium. These nutrients are found in abundance in whole wheat flour and oats, two of the most easily accessible whole grains. In addition, according to the FDA, whole grains may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers. Continuing research is also pointing to the benefits of whole grains in lowering the risk of developing type II diabetes.
Eating whole grains is a great way to get many of the nutrients we need from food instead of turning to a supplement. When shopping for whole grain products look at the list of ingredients. The first ingredient in a bread, roll, tortilla or bun should be whole wheat flour. If enriched wheat flour (remember, with the bran and germ removed) is included in the list of ingredients at all, it should be further down the ingredients statement. The less enriched white flour there is the higher the whole grain content of the food. Other whole grain ingredients to look for include: oats, barley, amaranth, triticale, brown rice and bulgur. Once you have examined the ingredient statement check out the nutrition panel. Since whole grains contain more fiber than refined grains, the fiber content should be higher if the food has a decent amount of whole grains. For the average slice of bread, fiber should be at least at 2-3 grams, and about 10% of the Daily Value. Sugars should be less than 6 grams and calories will usually range from 100 to 140 calories depending on the size or weight of the slice.
