A Healthy You: Go for the Whole Grains

Did you know that only 8 percent of the population meets the recommendation by health authorities to consume three or more servings of whole grain per day?Whole grains may help lower risk for certain cancers, coronary heart disease and stroke and help with weight management. There are many reasons to choose whole-wheat products over their refined white flour counterparts:-Whole wheat flour contains 227 percent more nutrients by volume than refined white flour-Whole wheat flour contains 11 more grams of fiber per cup than white flour-Whole wheat flour contains 23 percent fewer calories per cup than white flour.White flour and products do not contain any of the bran or germ from the wheat kernel. They only contain the white starchy part called the endosperm. The bran layer contains most of the vitamins, B vitamins, protein and minerals. The germ contains Vitamin E, Vitamin B, Fiber , iron and phytochemicals.So how do I know how to buy whole grains? Look for the package to say 100 percent whole wheat, the package should contain at least 2 grams of fiber and the first ingredient should be whole grain such as whole wheat, oats or brown rice. Some examples of whole grains are: brown rice, corn, millet, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, whole wheat pasta.Also it’s a great time to be a good role model. School lunch regulations are changing. Currently the requirement is that whole grains are just encouraged. The proposed requirement is to have at least half of the grains be whole grain rich, with all grains whole grain rich two years after implementation.