Whole Grain Versus Fiber--They're Not The Same

Monday, March 1, 2004

Whole Grain Versus Fiber—They’re Not The Same (NAPSA)—Quick—Can you namethree different whole grain foods? Did you name bran cereal or bran muffins? Believe it or not, those usually are not whole grain foods. Surprised? A whole grain kernel has three different parts: the endosperm, or inside, of the grain; the germ, a small section that stores nutrients for the grain; and the bran, or outer husk. Each part of the grain kernel contains a differMindy Hermann ent combination Whole Grain on the Label “Diets rich in whole-grain foods and other plant foods and lowin totalfat, saturated fat and cholesterol, may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.” @ Dr. Slavin suggests looking for food packages with a whole grain health claim on the food label. The claim appears on the front of the package. It can be used by low fat foods with whole grains making up more than half the weight of food product. Whole Grain Total qualifies for the whole grain health claim. Your goal should be to include at least three daily servings of whole grain foods. Most Americans are eating less than one serving a day. In addition to whole grain cereals such as Whole Grain Total, choose 100 percent whole wheat or whole grain bread and unrefined whole grains such as brown rice, wild rice, bulgur wheat and less common grains including millet and quinoa. Whole wheat pasta is a nice alter- “—— of nutrients that together pack a powerful punch. When grains are refined, the endosperm is ground into flour, similar to the flour used in baking, and the bran and germ are removed. Only a few of the nutrients that are removed during the milling process are added back. By choosing whole grains, you’re trading up—giving yourself the whole package of health benefits. “Don’t feel bad if you couldn’t name three whole grain foods,” says Joanne Slavin, a nutrition professor at the University of Minnesota. “Many people don’t know the difference native to regular pasta. between whole grain, high fiber Ask Mindy and refined grain foods.” Whole Q: Do all whole grain foods grain foods provide fiber and the have a health claim on the fiber content varies depending on label? the grain. For example, whole A: Not all foods that qualify for wheat has a higher fiber content this claim will declare it on the than whole grain brown rice. On package, so another wayto find the other hand, fiber-containing whole grain foods is to look at the foods are not always whole grain. ingredient list. Look for the words Sometimes they are refined grain “whole grain,” “whole wheat” or foods to which fiber has been “whole [name of grain]” at the added. beginningof the ingredientlist. woe-e eee eee eeeQe eo eee eee Note to Editors: This is Series IV—24 of 26.

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