Are You Getting the Whole Grain Truth?

Just because it says ‘whole grain’ doesn’t make it healthy – here’s how to decode the label

By Dawn Klingensmith
CTW Features

Are you sure you know the “whole” story about dietary grains? You know whole grains are better for you than refined ones. But what exactly are whole grains, and how can you be certain the foods you buy contain them?

All types of grains, whole or otherwise, are rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as complex carbohydrates. But whole grains are better sources of fiber and other nutrients, such as selenium and magnesium. That’s why government dietary guidelines recommend that whole grains make up half of the grains you eat.

But finding good sources of whole grains can be tricky, especially in the bread aisle.

“Labels and ingredient lists can be very confusing and very deceiving,” says Susan Kasik-Miller, clinical dietitian, Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire, Wis. “A lot of times bread will say ‘wheat’ and it’s brown-looking, so you’re thinking, ‘OK, this must be whole wheat,’ but it’s not, necessarily.”

Color is not a reliable indicator. Added ingredients like caramel coloring or molasses can make refined breads brown. Labels can be misleading, as well. The terms “multigrain,” “seven-grain,” “100% wheat,” “cracked-wheat” and “stone-ground” commonly appear on products that are not whole-grain foods.

If the front of the package is confusing, flip it around. “One of the easiest ways to identify whole wheat bread is to look at the nutrition label. Whole wheat bread will have 3 to 5 grams of fiber,” Kasik-Miller says.

Whole grains have not had their bran and germ removed by milling, so they contain more fiber. Besides regulating blood sugar levels and possibly reducing the risk of heart disease, high-fiber foods make you feel full longer. Refined grains like white rice and white flour are milled, and though vitamins and minerals are added back after the bran and germ are removed, they’re still not as good for you, says New York-based registered dietitian Debi Silber.

Whole grains provide you with magnesium and selenium. The body uses magnesium to build bones and release energy from muscles, while selenium protects cells and supports a healthy immune system.

Common whole grains include brown rice, slow-cooked oatmeal and popcorn. You can also buy whole-wheat versions of pasta, tortillas, pita bread, rolls, bagels, crackers and pancake mix.

The government recommends six servings of grains each day. Three should be whole grains, Silber says. Generally, one slice of bread, one cup of cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta counts as a serving.

“If you think about it, if you start your day off with a bowl of cereal you’re getting one or one and a half servings. If you have a sandwich for lunch, that’s another two servings,” Kasik-Miller says. Serve pasta or rice as a side dish with dinner and snack on whole wheat crackers, and you’ve met the government’s guidelines.

Silber admits that certain whole wheat foods “take some getting used to.” And Kasik-Miller says moving toward whole grains as a society perhaps has required an attitudinal shift. “I think at one point there might have been a status issue — if you were rich, you could afford the extra step it took to refine the grains,” while peasants ate coarser brown breads, she says.

Now, we as a society know the “whole” story: When it comes to nutritional value, grains that have not been refined and bleached are the richer of the two options.

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