Whole Grains?

myplate

Apr 30

Usually you think of whole grains as brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole wheat noodles, oatmeal, whole wheat pita and maybe whole wheat couscous if you are adventurous.But did you know that you can now buy whole wheat versions of: Goldfish crackers, Chocolate Lucky Charms, Krispy Kreme donuts, Triscuits, Wheat Thins, Mini Bagels and Chocolate Chip Cookies?We received a call from a subscriber to our newsletter, Communicating Food for Health, who was trying to make sense out of all of this for a presentation she was giving. Well, we have done quite a few educational materials on whole grains - posters, powerpoint shows, newsletter articles and more. But her question was so right - how does the average consumer know what to buy anymore? Can a Krispy Kreme Donut count as a whole grain serving?We ended up turning the answer for her question into an entire new powerpoint show. And having a lot of fun along the way. No, we didn't buy the Krispy Kreme donuts, but we did buy the other things and everyone here had quite a bit of fun indulging. The puppies got ahold of the goldfish crackers and devoured all of them, even the crumbs. Ah, the pleasures of not-refined refined carbohydrates!Here is the loot:Okay - so we had to come up with 3 new rules on how to buy whole grains:1) Is it really a whole grain? You have to read the ingredient list to find out. If it starts with a whole grain ingredient, it is most likely a whole grain. Package claims might include 100% whole grain, Excellent Source of Whole Grain or Made with Whole Grain.2) Is it heart healthy? Some of the crackers and breads do not meet this guideline - they are too high in fat, saturated fat, trans fat and sodium. 5% of less of the daily value is optimal for saturated fat and sodium and 0 is the goal for trans fat.3) Is it not too calorie dense? Foods with added sugar and fat are often very calorie dense. So, the cookies, sweetened cereal and donuts won't get past this question.One of our favorites? The old fashioned oatmeal!A bowl of oatmeal is so easy to make - just 3 minutes in the microwave:1/2 cup oats + 1 cup water and some raisins3 minutes on 80% power and voila - you have one of the lowest calorie, wholesome grain dishes that is great for breakfast or a snack.No sodium, heart-healthy fat and plenty of fiber:Compare that to the packaged stuff!

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

Whole Grains?

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