Dear David,

Even the savviest of shoppers can be fooled by some of the products on the market today. Food labels can be confusing. Did you know that when a claim appears on a food item stating, for example, that whole grains reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers, only 51 percent of its grain contents needs to be whole grain?

So, what exactly is a whole grain? A grain that has all parts of the original kernel intact, meaning it contains the fiber-rich bran, the nutrient rich germ, and the starchy endosperm, is considered "whole." When a grain is refined, the bran and germ are removed, and the flour is made from the endosperm. Most of the fiber, protein, and a number of vitamins and minerals are removed, too. In addition, numerous phytochemicals are tossed out with the bran and germ. These plant chemical nutrients play important roles in our health. The endosperm does contain some nutrients, but not as much as the original kernel.

By law in the United States, refined grains are required to be enriched, meaning that some of the lost nutrients — thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, iron, and folic acid — must be added back in. Nutrients that are not replaced are vitamins E, K, and B-6, pantothenic acid, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, protein, and fiber.

It's easy to be tricked into thinking a food is a whole grain when it's not. Just because a grain product is dark doesn't necessarily mean it is a whole grain. Sometimes molasses or caramel coloring is added to breads, darkening them. Coarseness may be due to added fiber — which doesn't necessarily add nutrients. Crustiness has more to do with the baking method than with the whole grain content. When an ingredient is listed as unbleached wheat flour, it is still refined flour and not a whole grain.

The only real way to determine if a product is whole grain is if the phrase "whole grain" appears as the first ingredient in the ingredient section of the food label. Many of the "light" (lower calorie) breads are refined; often they contain added processed fiber. While the fiber is beneficial, the bread is missing many of the antioxidants, plant chemicals, and other nutrients originally present in the grain.

Corn is a whole grain — on the cob, from the can, frozen, or as popcorn. Cornflakes aren't a whole grain, just as other foods made from cornmeal aren't, such as corn muffins and tortillas.

So, to answer your question, here's a list of grain products to help you decipher whole grains from the refined.

Hope this clears up some of the confusion,

Alice

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