Kernels of Wisdom about Whole Grains
Kernels of Wisdom - UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, October 2006
Why care about whole grains? Because they have more fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals than refined grains. Studies have linked them to a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and obesity. The latest government Dietary Guidelines recommend that at least half the grains we eat should be whole grain—at least three servings a day for most people.
But despite increased interest in whole grains, the bread aisle remains one of the most confusing sections of the supermarket. Here’s help in how to distinguish whole-grain products—which also include cereals, pastas, crackers, and other baked goods—from all the wannabees, and how to choose the healthiest ones.
Whole in one. Whole-grain products retain all the components of the kernel: the outer shell (bran), the seed (germ), and the soft endosperm. The bran and germ contain most of the fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc, and other nutrients, plus phytochemicals. In contrast, the refining of grains removes the bran and germ, and thus much of the nutrients and fiber. “Enriched” flour has some—but far from all—of the nutrients (and none of the fiber) added back.
Get out your glasses. Read the fine print on labels. “Whole” is the key word; “wheat” by itself means nothing. The first ingredient on the list should be a “whole” grain such as “whole wheat,” “whole rye,” and so on. “Wheat” and “enriched wheat” are simply refined (white) flour, so if they are present the food isn’t 100% whole grain. Other whole grains: amaranth, barley (not pearled), buckwheat, bulgur, oats (rolled, quick, and other), quinoa, shredded wheat, wheat berries, brown rice, wild rice, and corn (including popcorn, but not degerminated cornmeal, typically used in corn bread).
The name game. Don’t count on healthful-sounding descriptions or names. “Made with whole grains” means just that—that some whole grains are present—but often not a lot. “Multigrain” means only that the food contains several different grains—not that any are necessarily whole grain. “Oat bread” usually has little oats in it. And products with healthy-sounding names (like Harvest Wheat, Crunchy Oat, or Honey Wheatberry bread) often contain little or no whole grain. Similarly, fresh-baked “whole-grain” breads and bagels at bakeries and delis may just have a sprinkling of whole grains.
Sizing up a serving. The Dietary Guidelines recommend at least three servings of whole grains a day (a total of 48 grams or more). A “serving” is anything that supplies 16 grams of whole grains—one slice of bread, one cup of flaked cereal, a half cup of cooked pasta, rice, or oatmeal, or three cups of popcorn.
Stamp on it. Look for the gold-and-black Whole Grain Stamp from the Whole Grains Council, a trade group. It states how many grams of whole grain a food has, so you can compare products and track your intake. The Council is phasing out its descriptions of foods as “good” or “excellent” sources of whole grains because the FDA has not defined what that means, though food packages often make such declarations. Of course, there are many whole-grain foods that do not use the stamp.
Don’t confuse fiber with whole grains. The number of grams of fiber, listed in the Nutrition Facts panel, is different from the number of grams of whole grains, which manufacturers may declare on the front of packages. Though whole grains tend to be higher in fiber than refined grains, fiber is just part of what makes whole grains healthful. Some refined grain products have added fiber (from bran, inulin, or guar gum, for instance), but they still lack the range of nutrients that comes with whole grains.
The “other” white bread. Hard white wheat is a new variety of wheat that can be finely milled—bran and germ included—to produce a whole-wheat flour that retains its fiber and nutrients but has the taste and texture of white flour (which, incidentally comes from red wheat). Breads made with it are soft and mild like white bread. It’s in some new Wonder breads and Sara Lee’s Soft & Smooth breads—but most of these products are still only 30% or less whole wheat. Some companies sell white whole-wheat flour that you can use in pancake batters, breads, and baked goods.
Whole-grain junk food? White whole-wheat and other whole grains are also turning up in cookies (Chips Ahoy and Fig Newtons, for example) and Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers, as well as in some cake mixes, croutons, and pizzas. They are improvements over their originals, but still not the best way to get your whole grains, since these foods are typically high in fat, sodium, and/or sugar. Besides, more often than not, they contain only small amounts of whole grain.
A stone unturned? “Stone-ground” does not necessarily mean whole grain. Because there is no FDA definition, it can mean practically anything. The slow, labor-intensive practice of grinding wheat on a stone mill is not widely used anymore. And even if it is real stone-ground flour, there’s no evidence that it is more nutritious than standard-milled whole-wheat flour.
Words to the wise: New products that contain at least some whole grains offer an advantage over their all-white counterparts. But the best whole grain is still a 100% whole-grain food.
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