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Information for Your Wellness

  Tips to help you eat more

Whole Grains

On this page:

+ "Did you know" interesting facts on whole grains

+ Tips from U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

+ Transitioning Tips > Whole Grains

Did you know....

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD has 4 x the FIBER as white, enriched bread.  And WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR has 9 x the FIBER as white, enriched flour!

Over-processed flour products — which remove the bran and germ from the wheat kernel — are lacking in B-Vitamins, Vitamin E, Chromium, Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, Molybdenum, Selenium, Zinc, and Iron.  In addition, many enzymes are DESTROYED in overprocessed white-flour products.  Often, manufacturers add back a few of the lost vitamins, but these "added-back" vitamins are almost always  synthetic and inferior in quality as compared to the God-given natural, living vitamins in whole grains.  

It is much better to eat whole-grain products, the way God created the grain with the wide spectrum of nutrients naturally occurring.   Health benefits such as the reduction in the risk of diverticulosis, diabetes, constipation, and obesity have been shown to occur with the incorporation of more high-fiber foods in the diet, such as whole-grain products. 

Here are some tips we hope you and your family will find helpful as you explore ways to make whole grains a steady part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.  To your precious health!

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Tips from U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

(With editor's remarks from the Tada family)

* To eat more whole grains, substitute a whole-grain product for a refined product – such as eating whole-wheat bread instead of white bread, or choose brown rice instead of white rice.  It’s important to substitute the whole-grain product for the refined one, rather than simply adding the whole-grain product.   [Editor's note:  If you like crackers, try whole-wheat ones; these generally have a fuller, better flavor than crackers made with white-flour.]

* For a change, try brown rice or whole-wheat pasta. Try brown rice stuffing in baked green peppers or tomatoes.   Try whole-wheat noodles in spaghetti recipes.  [Editor's note:  Once we prepared spaghetti for a young neighborhood boy who was very fussy about what he ate; we didn't tell him we served him spaghetti made with whole-wheat noodles until after he had eaten it.  He remarked later that the whole-wheat spaghetti actually tasted better than the white, over-processed noodles he was used to eating!  — Tada family]

* Use whole grains in mixed dishes, such as barley in vegetable soup or stews and bulgur wheat in casserole or stir-fries. 

* Create a whole grain pilaf with a mixture of barley, wild rice, brown rice, broth and spices. For a special touch, stir in lightly-toasted nuts or chopped dried fruit.  [Editor's note:  Make sure the dried fruit is not treated with sulfur dioxide, a preservative commonly used to treat dried fruits and may cause loss of sense of smell, nausea, headaches and dizziness with repeat exposure (according to the New Jersey Dept. of Health and Senior Services)]. 

* Experiment by substituting whole wheat or oat flour for up to half [or even 100%] of the flour in pancake, waffle, muffin or other flour-based recipes. They may need a bit more leavening.  [Editor's note:  In place of leavening, try substituting organic apple sauce as a healthier, low-fat alternative.  We learned this tip from our friend and chef, George McKinney.  — Tada family]

* Use whole-grain bread or cracker crumbs in meatloaf. 

* Try rolled oats or a crushed, unsweetened whole grain cereal as breading for baked chicken, fish, or eggplant parmesan. 

* Use unsweetened, whole grain ready-to-eat cereal as croutons in salad or in place of crackers with soup. 

* Freeze leftover cooked brown rice, bulgur, or barley.  Heat and serve it later as a quick side dish. 

Snacks: 

* Snack on ready-to-eat, whole grain cereals in place of empty-calorie refined flour products and candies. 

* Add whole-grain flour or oatmeal when making cookies or other baked treats. 

* Popcorn, a whole grain, can be a healthy snack with little or no added salt and butter.   [Editor's note:  Use a hot-air popper for low-fat benefits.]

What to Look for on the Food Label: 

* Choose foods that name one of the following whole-grain ingredients first on the label’s ingredient list: “brown rice”, “oatmeal”, “whole-grain corn”, “whole oats”, “whole rye”, “whole wheat”, “wild rice”. 

* Foods labeled with the words “multi-grain,” “stone-ground,” “100% wheat,” “cracked wheat,” “seven-grain,” or “bran” are usually not whole-grain products.  [Editor's note:  Any flour ingredient with the word "unbleached" is also an indication that this ingredient is NOT whole-grain.]

* Color is not an indication of a whole grain.  Bread can be made to look "brown" because of molasses or other added ingredients. Read the ingredient list to see if it is truly a whole grain. 

* Use the Nutrition Facts label and choose products with a higher % Daily Value (%DV) for fiber – the %DV for fiber is a good clue to the amount of whole grain in the product. 

* Read the food label’s ingredient list.  Look for terms that indicate added sugars (sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, and molasses) and oils (partially hydrogenated vegetable oils) that add extra calories.  Choose foods with fewer added sugars, fats, and/or oils. 

* Most sodium in the food supply comes from packaged foods. Similar packaged foods can vary widely in sodium content, including breads. Use the Nutrition Facts label to choose foods with a lower amount of sodium.  Foods with less than 140 mg sodium per serving can be labeled as low sodium foods.  Claims such as “low in sodium” or “very low in sodium” on the front of the food label can help you identify foods that contain less salt (or sodium). 

Whole Grain Tips for Children: 

* Set a good example for children by eating whole grains with meals or as snacks. 

* Let children select and help prepare a whole grain side dish. 

* Teach older children to read the ingredient list on cereals or snack food packages and choose those with whole grains at the top of the list. 

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Editor's note:  For examples and descriptions of whole grains and whole-grain breads, please see the SHOPPING LIST  and the RECIPES 2  pages on this website.

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Transitioning Tips to Whole Grains

Try the following tips, in conjunction with those above, to introduce whole grains into yours and your family's diet:

SANDWICHES:

Both slices white bread

To 

One slice WHOLE WHEAT bread and one slice white bread

To 

BOTH slices WHOLE WHEAT bread

RICE:

White rice

To 

Half BROWN RICE and half white rice

To 

All BROWN RICE

CEREAL:

Dry Cereal:

Sugar, processed breakfast cereal

To 

Half WHOLE-GRAIN cereal flakes or puffed grains

To 

All WHOLE-GRAIN cereal

Hot Cereal:

Processed cereal

To 

Half WHOLE-GRAIN cereal and half processed cereal

To 

All WHOLE-GRAIN cereal

(For cooking tips for Whole-Grain Cereals and Brown Rice, 

please see the  "Recipes 2"  page.) 

BAKING:

All white-flour (and/or "unbleached" flour)

To 

Part WHOLE WHEAT flour

To 

All WHOLE WHEAT flour

(Tip: Add a small amount of extra liquid when using whole-wheat flour in recipes.  This is because the bran in the whole wheat flour absorbs more moisture.)