Whole Wheat Or Whole Grain?
When I go to the supermarket, I usually read carefully the labels of any product I buy.
Lately, I have been confronted with a very interesting dilemma.
What is the best choice – whole wheat or whole grain?
Let us see first if there is any difference between the two.
If the product is labeled as “whole wheat” it means that it is made from the entire wheat kernel. The most common whole wheat-derived product is the brown bread. The term of “whole grain” stands for foods made of any whole-grain kernel.
Both are good choices. The word “whole” is what you want to look for on the label. It means the bread was made using the entire kernel, which offers the most nutritional value. Whole oats, whole-grain corn, brown rice, whole rye, wild rice, buckwheat, triticale, millet and quinoa, all these are considered whole grain cereals.
Though most breads wear the label of “wheat” or “multigrain”, these words alone without the word “whole” can misled you. In other words, if you don’t see the word “whole” on the package this means that the product you intend to buy is not made from the entire kernel.
Benefits of multi grain foods
People who want to lose weight should definitely stick to weight loss programs that include whole-grain breads and cereals. Studies show that people who did this have lost more body fat from the abdominal area than those who ate only refined grains like white bread and rice. Furthermore, researchers point out that incorporating whole grains into weight loss plans may reduce the risk of heart disease.
How to choose whole grain products
Make sure that you learn to select the whole grain products from the array available in supermarkets. Foods labeled with the words “multi-grain,” “stone-ground,” “100% wheat,” “cracked wheat,” “seven-grain,” or “bran” are usually not whole-grain products.
Neither is color an indication of a whole grain. For instance, the color of the bread can be brown but not because of its whole grain content. Usually, molasses is added in order to make people believe this. So, read carefully the ingredient list to see if it is a whole grain.
RSS Trackback URL 23. July 2012 (15:26)
Filed under: Nutrition by Edith Moony
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