What Makes Whole Grain…Whole?

With the growing awareness of the benefits of whole grains to a healthy diet, companies are touting their “whole grain” breads, pastas, cereals, and other products to attract consumers. Despite the advertising claims, many of these products may contain as little as 1% of whole grains. How can you tell what is a predominately whole grain product and what is just misleading advertising? First, let’s understand what is a whole grain.

A whole grain kernel (such as wheat, oat, barley, etc) has four main parts. The germ is the nutrient-rich and fat-dense inner part of the whole grain. The Endosperm is the soft, white inside portion of the kernel that contains starch, protein, and provides energy. The Bran is the fibrous protective covering of a whole grain kernel that is the source of fiber, B Vitamins, and trace minerals. The husk (also known as chaff) is the outer, inedible covering of a grain. To create the products that we see in our grocery shelves, this kernel is processed in various ways: Refined, Enriched, or maintained as a whole grain.

The refining process strips away the chaff, bran and germ, leaving only the endosperm to create a whiter, smoother-textured flour in which to make refined breads, pastas, rice, cereals and other products. These refined products have been found to be high in calories, but low in nutrients.

The enriching process adds the B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and the mineral iron back to the refined grains, though levels may not match the original whole grain. Enriched flours are healthier than the refined varieties, but still lack many of the nutrients of a whole grain. Fiber, Magnesium, and Zinc are some nutrients that are not added back during the enriching process.

A whole grain is a grain that is milled in its entirety, except for the inedible husk, to maintain the naturally occurring nutrients of the entire kernel. The following is a list of some common whole grain products:

· brown rice

· oatmeal

· popcorn

· whole wheat cereal

· muesli

· whole wheat bread

· whole wheat crackers

· whole wheat pasta

· whole wheat tortillas

· wild rice

· quinoa

Why are Whole Grains Important?

Studies show that diets rich in whole grains help to reduce the risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses. It also helps with weight loss and weight maintenance by helping you feel fuller faster and longer. It is a nutrient dense food that is usually low in calories and fat, giving you more bang for your “caloric” buck.

How do I Identify a Whole Grain Product

The Whole Grains Council recommends at least 3 servings of whole grains per day. A serving equals 16 grams of whole grains. To help consumers weed through the misleading advertising, the council has developed a stamp that allows you to easily identify whole grain products. There is a basic stamp and a 100% stamp. The basic whole grain stamp is displayed on foods that have at least 8 grams of whole grains per serving size of the product. The 100% whole grain stamp (show below) has at least 16 grams of whole grains per serving size of the product. To get your daily allowance of whole grains, eat at least three products that have the 100% stamp or six that have the basic stamp.

If the product does not have a stamp, but advertise whole grains on the label, then check the ingredients list. If the first ingredient listed contains the word “whole”, such as whole wheat or whole oats, then most likely the product is mostly whole grains. If the next ingredient listed is “wheat flour” or “enriched wheat flour”, then the product can be up to 49% non “whole grains”.

If the word “whole” is not first, but second on the list of ingredients, then the product can contain as much as 49% or as little as 1% of whole grains. To be sure, always look for the word “whole” as the first ingredient on your whole grains product.

Be aware of multi-grain products. They may describe several whole grains or several refined grains, or a mixture of both. Again, look at the ingredients list and look for the word “whole” as the first ingredient.

Be aware as well that wheat bread or wheat pasta is NOT the same is whole wheat bread or whole wheat pasta. Usually this means enriched if the word “whole” is not listed in the ingredients list.