Demystifying Whole Grains!
Whole grains are all the rage these days. So what exactly are they? And could they really be hiding in that box of Froot Loops? Whats the difference between whole grain, and products made with whole grain? Here’s how to cut through all the confusing marketing jargon so you can make an informed choice about grains.
Imagine planting a row each of wheat, Wheaties, and pasta. The whole wheat, with it’s germ and hull intact, will grow and flourish. Why? Because grains are seeds! Inside each whole grain are all the things necessary to create new plant life. But once that grain is flaked, rolled, puffed, or milled into flour, it’s no longer viable. It won’t grow because it’s lost all of it’s vital, life giving energy. It’s the bran, and the germ that contain so much of the vital nutrients in the grain. White breads and flours remove these completely, and then add back in some of the vitamins & minerals stripped away in processing.
So even though breakfast cereals - from Froot Loops to Kashi - breads and pastas are marketed as “whole grains”, they really processed grain products. These products are made with grains that at one time were whole, but after processesing, or ‘extruding’ as is the case with most breakfast cereals, they are nutritionally a shadow of their former selves.
Moving towards healthier ways of eating means including more actual whole grains in our diets. We need to look past rice, especially white, and explore the wide variety of whole grains out there. Whole grains, in addition to being loaded with fiber, B vitamins, folic acid, magnesium and vitamin E, are also an important component of maintaining even blood sugar and energy levels.
Whole grains are worth exploring not only for their healthy benefits, but for their flavor and versatility as well. Some of my favorite whole grains are:
Quinoa
Steel Cut Oats
Millet
Amranth
Spelt
Each one has it’s own unique flavor and texture, but all of them are easy to cook, and make wonderful additions to both sweet and savory meals.
