Confused by Deceptive Wording? The Truth about Grains

Multigrain, wholegrain, fiber, wheat....very deceptive wording. Pay attention to what you are buying at the grocery store! Here is a great guide from Fitness Magazine:

"Research shows that filling up onfoods with fiber can boost your health, keep you fromovereating, and help you lose weight. The average American woman consumes about10 to 15 grams of fiber a day, about half of what's needed to meet the basicrecommendation of 25 grams. And experts say that more is even better -- about30 to 40 grams a day, according to David L. Katz, MD, MPH, an associateprofessor adjunct of public health and director of the Prevention ResearchCenter at Yale University School of Medicine.

But before you put that healthy-looking loaf ofbread in your shopping cart, be sure you know what you're getting, advisesFITNESS advisory board member Kathy McManus, RD, director of nutrition atBrigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Read the labelcarefully -- and check the fiber content. In bread, forinstance, look for at least 3 grams of fiber per serving (one brand we like:Nature's Own 12 Grain). Choose cereal with a minimum of 2 grams per 100calories. Other label buzzwords to watch for:

"Whole," as in "100 percent wholewheat" or "whole-grain oats" Ideally, the firstingredient listed should be a whole grain.

"Excellent source of fiber" Thismeans you're getting at least 5 grams of fiber in every serving, while"good source" means that one serving contains at least 2.5 gramsof fiber.

"Graham flour" A typeof whole wheat flour. So, yes, it's whole grain. But check the fiber content.

"Whole-grain food" Eachserving must contain at least 51 percent whole grains. But, depending on theproduct, the amount of fiber may still be low. For instance, breads containmore water than cereals do, so even when they're whole-grain, they won'tnecessarily contain much fiber. Always check the label.

"Made with whole grains" If thegrains in question appear far down on the ingredients list, put the productback on the shelf.

"Multigrain" The foodis made with more than one type of grain, but not necessarily whole grains.Check the ingredients list and the fiber content.

"100 percent wheat" If itdoesn't say "whole," it's refined flour, which means all the fiberand nutrients were stripped away in processing.

"Enriched" Thisterm indicates that some of the vitamins have been added back after processing-- but the fiber hasn't. Skip it."


Sources: Fitness Magazine, Shine