Whole Grains for the Whole Family
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Whole Grains for the Whole Family
| Sat, 12-29-2007 - 4:06pm |
Whole Grains for the Whole Family
Whole grains are a whole lot better for the health of your family, because they are richer in fiber, protein, minerals, and vitamins than their refined counterparts. Whole grains are made of three layers: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm, while refined grains retain only the endosperm. Vitamins and minerals, primarily contained within the bran and the germ, are lost when those layers are stripped away.
But the trick is to know how to read food labels to distinguish between whole grain products and their imposters. Here are some tips:
Whole grains are a whole lot better for the health of your family, because they are richer in fiber, protein, minerals, and vitamins than their refined counterparts. Whole grains are made of three layers: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm, while refined grains retain only the endosperm. Vitamins and minerals, primarily contained within the bran and the germ, are lost when those layers are stripped away.
But the trick is to know how to read food labels to distinguish between whole grain products and their imposters. Here are some tips:
- Choose grain products whose labels read "whole wheat" or "whole grain" as the first ingredient.
- Avoid products containing "enriched flour", "unbleached flour", or "white flour".
- "Wheat" doesn't mean whole wheat.
- Brown bread isn't necessarily whole grain bread. It could be colored to look the part.


