Where's the wheat?????

[Guest guest]

The label might say " whole wheat " but that doesn't mean it contains

whole grains. (ABCNEWS.com) Where's the Wheat?

Half-Truths About Whole Grains Hurt Our Diets

N E W Y O R K, Aug. 16 — Think you're getting whole grains out of

the turkey on wheat sandwich you had for lunch? Think again.

Doctors and nutrition experts say you should still load up on whole

grain foods, but warn that many items that appear to be chock full of

whole grains may not be, if you read the fine print on the food

labels.

Whole grain foods tend to be high in fiber, which can reduce blood

cholesterol levels and cut down on the production of substances in

the body that appear to act as carcinogens and cause cancer, Good

Morning America's foods contributor Sara Moulton said. Whole grain

also helps keep the digestive system regular, warding off

gastrointestinal tract troubles.

The USDA recommends eating a minimum of three servings of whole wheat

each day, but a University of Minnesota study that appeared in the

July issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found

that Americans average a paltry one serving of whole grain foods per

day. So how do we get enough?

" You've got to read the labels, not just the packaging, " Moulton

said. " It's confusing because you see wheat or whole wheat in the

title on the packaging of the food product and you assume it has

whole grains. "

But it may not. The key is making sure that the word " whole " is the

first ingredient in the food item. Food label ingredients are listed

in descending order by weight. Look for " whole-wheat flour, " " whole

wheat, " " whole grain wheat, " " whole oat flour, " " whole grain oats, "

or " 100 percent wheat flour " as the first ingredient.

Confusing Labels

On a package of Arnold's Honey Wheat Berry bread, whole wheat is the

fourth ingredient listed for the bread, which means it has very

little whole wheat in it, and it is not a whole grain food. But

Arnold's Whole Wheat bread has whole wheat flour as the first

ingredient, meaning it is a whole grain food, because it is the

dominant ingredient in the product.

There are other products that appear to be made of whole grain, even

though they aren't.

For example, in Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Whole Wheat Waffles, whole

wheat is the third ingredient listed. In Wheatsworth's Stone Ground

Wheat Crackers, whole wheat is the fourth ingredient. And beware of

tags like " multi-grain, " " seven-grain " and " nutri-grain, " because

without whole grain as the top ingredient, they don't cut it as whole

grain foods, Moulton said.

Even though the labels are tricky, the companies are in the clear in

terms of the claims they make. If the product makes a health claim on

the front of the package, as many do now for heart disease or cancer

prevention, it needs be only 51 percent whole grain by weight.

" As long as the package doesn't say '100 percent whole grain' or '100

percent whole wheat' in the title, they are not making any false

claims, " Moulton said. " They can just be confusing for the consumer.

And it's not bad for you but if you're looking for whole grain you've

got to know what to look for. "

Getting Three a Day

It's easy to get three servings of whole grain a day, in breakfast,

lunch or snacks. Here are Moulton's tips:

Bread: Look for " whole " as the first ingredient, or " 100 percent

whole grain " in the title. If you do not like crusty bread, choose

soft whole grain bread like Wonder. The crusty texture is because of

the way it is baked, and is not because of the grain used.

Cereals: Cereal is also an excellent way to get whole grains into

your diet. But be careful — some aren't as good as others. For

example, Post Raisin Bran is a whole grain food, with whole grain as

its first ingredient, but Kellogg's Raisin Bran contains no whole

grains, though it does contain vitamins, minerals and bran. Other

whole grain cereals include: Cheerios, Kellogg's Mini-Wheats, Quaker

Toasted Oatmeal Squares and General Mills Wheat Chex. Oatmeal is

another whole grain cereal, though the other hot cereals may not be.

Crackers: Triscuits is one brand that has whole wheat as its first

ingredient.

Soups and Bars: Barley soups, Health Valley Breakfast Bars, and

Power Bar Harvest Whole Grain Energy Bar are good sources of whole

grain.

Snacks: Air-popped popcorn or microwave popcorn are made from

whole grain (of corn).

Pasta and Rice: Substitute whole wheat pasta and brown rice for

the other varieties.

Wheat Foods Council

American Heart Association: Reading Labels

USDA Dietary Guidelines

What's So Great About Whole Grain?

Aug. 16 — Whole grain foods are not just high in fiber, compared to

their refined grain counterparts. They also have more nutrients, such

as vitamin E, vitamin B6, the B vitamin pantothenic acid, magnesium,

manganese, zinc, potassium, chromium, copper and protein.

The whole grain has three parts: fiber- and nutrient-rich bran,

nutrient-rich germ and starchy endosperm. A refined grain has only

the endosperm, with the bran and the germ processed out, although

some of the vitamins that are removed get added back in.

Some other whole grains you may find in the grocery store are brown

rice, bulgur, barley, buckwheat (also called kasha), millet and

quinoa. All can be substituted for potatoes or white rice.

—ABCNEWS.com