Know your whole grains well
A whole grain contains all edible parts of the grain, including the bran, germ, and endosperm. The whole grain may be used intact or recombined, as long as all components are present in natural proportions. To recognise whole grains, keep this list handy when you go to the supermarket and choose any of the following grains:
* Wholegrain corn
* Whole oats/oatmeal
* Popcorn
* Brown rice
* Whole rye
* Wholegrain barley
* Wild rice
* Buckwheat
* Triticale
* Bulgur (cracked wheat)
* Millet
* Quinoa
* Sorghum
* 100% whole wheat flour
But what about when you're buying processed products, such as a loaf of bread? You probably know to avoid products made of "refined" wheat. But did you know that some manufacturers strip the outer layer of bran off the whole kernel of wheat, use the refined wheat flour, add in molasses to colour it brown, and call it '100% wheat' bread? That's true -- but it is not a whole grain.
That's why it's important to check the ingredients list for the word 'whole' preceding the grain (such as 'whole wheat flour'). Ideally, the whole grain will be the first ingredient in the list, indicating that the product contains more wholegrain than any other ingredient.
