Dec 01 2008
Whole Grain Foods!
When you’re at the supermarket, the number of choices you have for grains is astounding, but would you be surprised to find out that a lot of these choices just aren’t good for you?
When you’re trying to lose weight and improve your health, it’s best to wear the hat of a “label detective”–a term you will hear from me again and again in future updates. What this means is that you should read the nutrition labels and make choices that are the best for your own well-being. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be giving up taste. Some of the best things for us are–surprise!–also delicious.
What this means in the case of grains is that you should be looking for two very specific words in the ingredients section of the nutrition label: Whole Grain. Ideally, this healthful little gem should be number 1 or 2 on the list. If the label mentions anything else before WHOLE GRAIN, such as white flour, wheat flour, or even enriched flour, put it back. White flours and enriched flours have been stripped of their beneficial nutrients, leaving only the carbohydrate-packed, unhealthful core of the grains from which they were processed.
Look also at the sugar and fiber content of the foods. You should try to find the product with the highest fiber content and the lowest sugar content.
For fiber, a good fiber content is anything over 6 grams of fiber per serving. You should be eating six servings of these products a day. If the fiber content is 16 grams per serving or more, you only need to eat 3 servings. Remember that fiber is your friend, aiding in digestion, holding water in the gut, and keeping your intestinal tract flowing smoothly.
For sugar, try to find products containing less that 2 grams per serving, or you’ll be packing in calories that don’t serve you in the long run.
Following these guidelines, you should be able to get all the fiber you need in a day, while enjoying the deliciousness of whole grain breads, pancakes, pastas, and cereals.
