When you read the labels of breads and snacks and soups it lists fiber content. Most of us believe we are going out of our way to get the fiber we need but sadly very few of us are consuming the correct kinds of fiber. A study from General Mills reported that only five percent of Americans receive the recommended three daily servings of whole grains as recommended by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines.  What is even of more concern is that only 55 percent knew how to identify whole grains.

A whole grain contains the entire grain seed. Most of what we eat has been refined to remove this nutrient-rich bran and germ of the whole wheat. The easiest way to find a whole grain is to look for 100 percent of the grain listed on the ingredient list to be whole grain.  For instance, bulgur is 100 percent whole grain.

When whole grains are refined, only a fraction of the vitamins and minerals are available to you. The problems for many are whole grains are usually less convenient and you do need to cook them. They also may be more expensive and some people just don’t like the nutty taste.

However, many foods such as breads and crackers and cereals are made with a combination of whole and refined grain. That makes it more difficult to evaluate a product. There are a lot of fakes on the grocer shelves that contain only a small percentage of whole grains but are artificially colored to make us think they contain more. The fact is most of the grains we consume today are refined.

In order to get your three servings of whole grains every day think outside the box. Whole wheat bread and rolls are good but what about oatmeal for breakfast? Switch to brown rice or wild rice. Snack on popcorn. Make side dishes with quinoa and bulgur. Make your soups with barley.

Other grains that are available in stores, although you may have to ask in some, are teff, faro, kamut, and amaranth, and millet. Buckwheat, rye and wheat are usually available in flours. Cooking instructions for these whole grains are available at the web site of the Whole Grain Council.

I use our rice cooker a lot, especially during the winter. I recently found out that rice is a good addition to salads.

In my next post I’ll explain in more detail why whole grains are good for you.

In the mean time, explore the internet for more sites on whole grains and how to cook them.

To your health,

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health Writer & Business Writer
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