If you are used to eating white bread, white rice, and white pasta, you might be wondering if you should make the switch to whole grains. Is it really worthwhile to eat whole grains? What benefits will whole grains offer? Are processed grains such as white bread really bad for you?
How is whole wheat flour made?
Wheat grains are made up of 3 parts: bran, germ, and endosperm. To make whole wheat flour, the whole grain is ground to a powdery substance. This whole wheat flour can then be used for baking. The wheat’s bran and germ contain a number of nutrients, including fiber, protein, iron, calcium, and other minerals.
How is white flour made?
While the whole grain is used to make whole wheat flour, only the inner part of the grain, the endosperm, is used to make white flour. To make white flour, the wheat is heated so that the germ and the bran fall off. After the germ and bran fall off, the starch, the white part, is left. But the primary nutrients in the grain are located inside the germ and bran, so nutrients must be added back to white flour so that it has some nutritional value. The process of refining the flour robs it of the important nutrients in the grain.
How do you know if food has whole grains?
If you see “refined” in the list of ingredients, the food is not whole grain. Also, some foods contain some whole wheat but also contain refined flour. In Canada, manufacturers can remove up to 70% of the germ and still advertise the product as being whole wheat. You can verify that a food is whole wheat by checking that the label states that it is 100% whole wheat.
Below are a few examples of products made from whole grains:
- Whole wheat bread
- Whole wheat pasta
- Rolled oats
- Popcorn
- Whole grain cereals such as Cheerios, Total, Raisin Bran, Kashi, and Shredded wheat
Below are a few examples of products made from refined grains:
- Regular pasta
- White flour
- White rice
- White bread
- Cake mixes
- Crackers (not whole wheat)
What are the health benefits of whole grains?
Refined grains are rapidly absorbed in the blood, causing a rapid increase in blood sugar. This rapid increase in blood sugar is associated with an increased risk for Type II diabetes and obesity. If you want to lose weight, whole grains offer many benefits over refined grains:
- Are absorbed more slowly, preventing a rapid spike in blood sugar
- Decreased risk factors for heart disease
- Reduction of LDL and triglyceride levels
- Reduced risk for obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure
Switch to whole grains today!
If you haven’t yet switched to whole grains, now is a good time to purge your pantry of the foods that contain refined flour (don’t forget the hidden refined grains in food like cake mixes, crackers, cereals high in sugar, and cookies). Whole grains taste great, and they are an important part of a healthy lifestyle.