This is a question that I’ve been asking myself quite a bit recently so I decided to do a little research and see what I could find. I’ve always been told that it is better to eat whole grain breads and pastas than it is to eat the types of bread and pasta that have processed flour but I never understood why.
The first thing you might be wondering is what qualifies as a whole grain. Most of us know about wheat but there are so many other great types of grains available. Some of those include cracked wheat, corn, cornmeal, popcorn, brown and colored rice, oatmeal and whole oats, quinoa, spelt, and whole rye. I’ll bet you didn’t think that when you are eating popcorn you are eating a whole grain food! Just don’t put too much butter on it!
Now, why are whole grains so important? The entire part of the grain seed includes special vitamins and minerals that you don’t necessarily get when you eat grains that have already been fully processed. Some of these include B Vitamins, antioxidants, healthy fats, and proteins. When grains have been highly processed you won’t be able to enjoy all of these great benefits of whole grains.
I know you might be thinking that whole grains sound great but with how many processed products you buy at the store it will be hard to add the whole grains to your diet. There are many simple ways to make this adjustment though. One is just to use a whole grain bread for your sandwich at lunch. For breakfast try eating oatmeal or whole grain waffles or pancakes instead of over processed sugar cereals.
Try eating corn tortillas instead of flour, or eat a whole grain bagel instead of a plain bagel. You can easily add cooked grains to soups and salads and it won’t make a huge difference. You might even be surprised that you like the new addition even more.
When you are looking for a good snack keep your whole grain goal in mind. Instead of reaching for candy or other treats that don’t have whole grains, turn to multigrain chips or crackers or even air-popped popcorn. You will have a better snack if your popcorn is air-popped instead of microwaved because it isn’t drenched in fat and salt.
Make sure that when you are in the store that you are keeping track of what products are actually whole grain. There are only a few products in relation to the many that you find at the store that are truly whole grains. Make sure you read the ingredients before you make the decision to purchase the product.