Whole Grains

Among other things, September is Whole Grains Month and so I thought I’d share some information, recipes, and trivia.  We hear the term “whole grains” frequently.  But, do you know what it REALLY means?  Whole grain means all parts of the original grain, with nothing removed.  They contain bran and germ as well as the endosperm.

Consider the following information:

• grain is made up of 3 basic parts – bran, germ & endosperm
• contained within these parts is phytomutrients, antioxidants, fiber, minerals, vitamins & carbohydrates
• whole grain and fiber are not the same
• whole grain can come from barley, buckwheat, bulgur, corn, millet, rice, rye, oats, sorghum, wheat & wild rice

For recipes, you can find cookbooks by searching under Cooking (cereals) in the CADL catalog.  Titles include:

• Amazing grains : creating vegetarian main dishes with whole grains by Joanne Saltzman
• Bob’s Red Mill cookbook : whole & healthy grains for every meal of the day by Miriam Backes and the Bob’s Red Mill Family
• A cook’s guide to grains : delicious recipes, culinary advice and nutritional facts by Jenni Muir

Whole Grain Trivia, True or False? **

• Foods labeled with the words “multi-grain,” “stone-ground,” “100% wheat,” “cracked wheat,” “seven-grain,” or “bran” are usually not whole-grain products
• Color is not an indication of a whole grain. Bread can be brown because of molasses or other added ingredients
• The only real way to determine if a product is whole grain is if the phrase “whole grain” appears first in the ingredient section of the food label
• scientific evidence supports the health benefits of eating whole grains

**all of these statements are true!

NutritionData.com offers a great tool for checking the nutritional analysis of thousands of food items.  The information comes from the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and submissions by restaurants and food processors.  Simply enter the food you want to check and the return analysis provides full nutrition data, a glycemic index rating, inflammation rating and more.  You can search for specific foods in food groups (raspberries, eggplant, meat) or by restaurant/fast food name (Subway, McDonalds).

An excellent source of information is provided by the Whole Grains Council, ”…a nonprofit consumer advocacy group working to increase consumption of whole grains for better health. The WGC’s many initiatives encourage manufacturers to create delicious whole grain products, help consumers to find whole grain foods and understand their health benefits, and help the media to write accurate, compelling stories about whole grains.”  Maybe best of all is the Whole Grains Stamp program they initiated in 2005.  Companies join the program and certify that the products they label with the stamp meet all program requirements.  Look for this stamp the next time you shop.

-Eunice B., Reference Librarian