I for one am not impressed with the term “whole grain”. Its meaning is quite ambiguous. Not everything marked “whole grain” is all that “whole” in my book!
The many faces of “whole grains”
Quinoa: a whole grain
Intact whole grain: If you planted this grain in the ground it will grow. Vital energy present. Now that’s a grain! This version is most concentrated in nutrients and phyto chemicals. Example: Quinoa
Pearled Barley
Pearled Outer hull of whole grain removed for ease of cooking. Example: pearled barley
Steel cut the intact grain is cut with steel blades Example: Irish steel cut oats
Bulghur: a cracked grain
Cracked Grain is steamed and split apart into small pieces Example: bulghur
Rolled Oats
Rolled Grain is steamed and flattened with a roller Example: rolled oats
Flakes: flour, not a whole grain!
Flaked Grain is pulverized into flour and shaped into flakes. Same properties as puffed. Example: corn flakes and many cereals
Puffed Pulverized grain, pressed thru high pressure, high heat. No real health benefits, may even be dangerous due to acrylamide content. High glycemic index. Example: puffed rice
Flour Ground into very fine powder. Its very high surface area makes for very high glycemic index. Example: bread, cakes, cookies
NOT Whole Grain! Pure hype!
Flakes, puffed “grains” and flour do not have the same benefit as those “whole grains” at the top of my list. It boils down to glycemic index: how fast your blood sugar shoots upward after eating these grains.
The easy way I explain this to kids is to liken the glycemic index to burning. If I take a piece of paper and light it on fire, it will burn fast and bright leaving nothing but an ash soon afterward. These “whole grain” cereals basically do the same thing in our bodies: a quick blood sugar spike that leaves us feeling pretty empty soon afterward.
Ounce for ounce, these overhyped, overprocessed, overpackaged boxes of cereal are pretty expensive and quite frankly useless! Hit the bulk aisle and get yourself some real grains and cook them up instead. Add some nuts, flaked coconut, raisins, cinnamon, a touch of syrup and some milk and you’ll be doing your body, your wallet and the planet a favor.
The bulk bin is your best bet. Save money, save unecessary packaging.
