Getting the Grain Right

Whole Wheat. Whole Grain. Multi-grain. Whole Wheat flour. Refined Flour. What in the world is the difference and how do you know how to tell things apart? Food manufacturers place claims on their products, and then there are the ingredient lists. Which do you read first? Most likely the big bolded claims on the front of the package because you see it first and trust in the company. Or do you take the time to look to the ingredients lists? I know you’ll find more there.

Unfortunately product claims can be of many sorts this day in age. And if a product says “made with whole grains”, it could mean part of the whole grain, or “whole grain” can be the last ingredient on the list, which means it’s really made with a lot of other ingredients and whole grains are just slid in there to help sell the product and make the consumer believe in the product. So let me make sure you are consumer savvy while shopping the aisles to avoid further confusion.

“Whole” refers to exactly that – the “whole grain”. How it is grown, containing all three parts of the grain – bran (fibre and essential fatty acids), germ (polyunsaturated fats), and endosperm (oils and protein). These are the three ingredients you will want to look out for when you peek at the ingredient list of a whole grain bread, for instance, indicating: “Whole grain (including the bran, germ and endosperm)” – and preferably as the first ingredient. As a rule of thumb, when it comes to breads or other grain (starch) products, you are best to choose 100% Whole Grain. Multi-grain essentially means “multiple parts of multiple grains”. Translated, that can sometimes indicate that multiple grains have been refined and stripped down to their individual parts and only parts of the grains have been added back into the final product. Essentially the parts of the grain (germ and endosperm), which hold a plethora of nutrients, contain essential fats, which decrease the shelf life of a product (doesn’t stay fresh as long), and therefore are sometimes removed during processing. Purchasing a 100% Whole Grain bread product from the freezer area (ie. Silver Hills Breads or Ezekiel Breads in Canada), and having to keep the bread in your own freezer at home may indicate that very few preservatives are added to the breads, and therefore they cannot stay on the shelves for long periods of time to avoid mould growth.

100% whole grain whole wheat flour is made by grinding the whole grain into a powdery substance. In Canada you don’t often see “100% whole grain whole wheat” but rather, “100% Whole wheat”. This is because, in Canada, to manufacture a whole wheat flour, up to 5% of the whole grain kernel can be removed meaning the whole grain is not essentially used to make the product. Now, there are many ways you can add in your own additional nutrition while making a product using 100% whole wheat flour, such as adding in ground flaxseed, wheat germ or wheat bran which are sold separately in stores, but you’ll want to pay close attention to ensure you refrain from drying up your batter too much (*hint: add a little extra liquid – milk, oil, yogurt, applesauce, sour cream).

There is also a growing interest in “ancient grains”. Including quinoa, barley, bulgur, spelt, kamut, amaranth, buckwheat, millet, and teff. These grains are exactly as their name describes – ancient, meaning they were discovered thousands of years ago, hold a plethora or nutrition and are outstanding alternatives to most of the present-day grains which are more refined. You still need to be mindful choosing these grains. For instance whole grain barley is your number one. Pot and pearl barley are other alternatives found on store shelves but have undergone some processing, removing some of their nutrition.

And what about where to find these grains on store shelves? Do you search near the rice? Pasta? Breads? Flours? While all stores are set up differently, I have noticed that in stores where there is a “specialty food” area, you’ll find most grains in small bags here. Barley is most often found amongst the dried beans, lentils and split peas.

Whether you choose to cook up one of these grains like you would rice and vegetables, add it to a minestrone or soup, or hey, make stuffed peppers with it, there is an abundance of ideas to get creative with here!

It seems that the food system is making our nutrition world more difficult today, primarily by feeding off of “claims” and using the fads of today to upsell their products. Be more aware so that you can make the best choices for your health each day.

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/c.r.c.,_c._870/page-138.html