Less Processed, Less Nonsense

Hippocrates once said “If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.” Easier said than done for most of us, right? I am not trying to convince you to stop eating processed foods, just to distinguish between refined grains vs. whole grains, so you can make informed decisions.

Where Do We Start?

Grains can be whole or refined. I mentioned in my previous post, A History Of Refined Grains, that grains have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ (the most nutrient packed part of the grain located in its core). This is done to give grains a finer texture, but it also removes dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins. Whole grains are going to be healthier because they contain the entire grain kernel and have more protein and fiber. Let’s continue by identifying whole grains vs. refined grains.

Here are some examples of whole grains:

• Bread and pasta made with whole-wheat flour or other grains

• Bulgur (cracked wheat), amaranth, couscous, quinoa

• Oatmeal

• Popcorn

• Brown rice

Here are some examples of refined grains:

• White flour (ex: cookies, donuts, flour tortillas, pancakes, waffles)

• De-germed cornmeal

• White bread

• White rice

Look for whole grain or whole wheat as the first ingredient to make sure you are getting a whole grain product. Products with added bran, such as oat bran or bran cereal, are a good source of fiber, but they may not be whole-grain products. When you do buy refined grains, make sure it is enriched so you get some of those nutrients I’ve mentioned are added after processing. You can also read the nutrition label to see if there are added fibers. Sometimes manufacturers will add isolated or synthetic fibers extracted from starches or sugars. These dietary fibers can be seen on the ingredient list as “polydextrose” and “soluble fiber dextrin.” Eating processed foods with added fibers may help boost your fiber intake but may likely be high in sugar or sodium.

It May Be Challenging At First

Shifting from tasty comfort foods like sugary cereal, white pasta and white rice is not easy. Especially if it's something you're not use to. However, it doesn't hurt to try more whole, natural foods like oatmeal and whole wheat bread. For instance, when I told my mom to start making her Spanish rice with brown rice, you should have seen the look she gave me! I knew educating her was going to be my first step, hoping she could understand that my intentions were good. She still cooks with white rice most of the time, but she makes an effort to use brown rice sometimes.

Experiment with whole grains and see what you like or don’t like. Stick to the whole grains that you do like if convenient and affordable.

So Why Eat Less Processed Grains?

We want to choose foods that will nourish our bodies and keep us healthy longer. We want to limit processed foods like donuts and cookies because they are considered empty calories with no fiber. Empty calories are foods that are low in healthy nutrients and high in sugar, fat, and calories. Focus on choosing foods with whole grains like oatmeal for breakfast with chopped apple and cinnamon. It is also a great low-cost option. It can also be a relief not to have to read the ingredient list of processed foods because they may contain ingredients we don’t understand or want to consume.

In conclusion, you want to focus on whole foods in general like fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains because they have a mix of naturally occurring dietary fiber. I think it’s time we get real about fiber and learn all there is to know about it. In my next post you will learn about what fiber is, why we need it, what foods have fiber and how much you need a day!

References:

All about the Grains Group. Choose MyPlate. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/grains. Published July 18, 2019. Accessed August 12, 2019.

Ferguson L. 10 Things You Need to Know About Fiber. Tufts Nutrition | 10 Things You Need to Know About Fiber. https://sites.tufts.edu/nutrition/winter-2019/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-fiber/. Accessed August 13, 2019.

Managing your weight with healthy eating : MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000330.htm. Accessed August 13, 2019.

Seth A. Exercise prescription: what does it mean for primary care? The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3876165/. Published January 2014. Accessed August 13, 2019.