Making the switch from white to whole grain is one of the best nutrition decisions you can make.
Whole grain pasta, bread and rice have flavour, is healthier and has more protein than its white counterpart.
Whole grain is well...The whole grain. It includes the wheat germ, bran and endosperm. White foods are stripped out of these nutrients by processing. White carbs are filled with empty calories. You might as well be eating sugar!
Here are some benefits to whole grain carbohydrates
- Protein
- Fiber
- B vitamins
- Antioxidants
- Vitamin E
- Trace Minerals (zinc, magnesium, iron, copper)
- Reduces Risk of Heart Disease
- Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
- Reduces Risk of some Cancers
- Improves and helps to maintain bowel health
Be aware that food packaging can be extremely misleading. Just because something is brown, has fiber or is called "100% wheat bread" doesn't make it a whole grain. Some manufacturers strip the outer layer of bran off the whole kernel of wheat, use refined wheat flour and then use molasses to colour it brown. Read food packaging carefully and look in the ingredients for "whole" (ideally first, meaning there is more whole grains than any other ingredient) beside one of these grains:
- Whole Grain Corn
- Whole oats/oatmeal
- Popcorn
- Brown Rice
- Whole Rye
- Whole Grain Barely
- Wild Rice
- Buckwheat
- Bulgur (Cracked Wheat)
- Millet
- Quinoa
Whole grains keep you fuller after a meal, and for longer. They definitely work to your advantage if you have fitness goals you are trying to reach. Make the switch from white to whole grain everything from cereal, crackers and breads. You will see and feel the difference!
