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Dawn Jackson Blatner, Responds:
Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, LD, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, responds: Whole grains are more than just fiber. To be whole grain, all parts of the grain must be present in the food. Whole grains are important sources of B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), minerals (iron, magnesium, and selenium), and fiber. And since the amount of fiber varies from grain to grain (see listing below), it'll vary in whole grains, too—but they are all healthy choices.
The MyPyramid Food Guidance System (www.mypyramid.gov) recommends that we eat at least three or four servings of whole grains daily. Eating whole grains as part of a healthy diet may help to reduce the risk of chronic disease, may lessen constipation, and may assist with weight management. Whole Grain/ Fiber (grams per 1 oz. dry) Amaranth/ 2.6 Barley/ 4.9 Buckwheat/ 2.8 Bulgur/ 5.2 Brown rice/ 1.0 Millet/ 2.4 Oats/ 3.0 Quinoa/ 1.7 Rye/ 4.2 Whole wheat/ 3.5 REMEMBER: Looking at fiber grams alone on a label is not a good gauge of whether a product is truly whole grain. In order to determine if a food is whole grain, one of the first few ingredients should contain the word "whole."
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Dawn Jackson Blatner
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