The whole (grain) truth
Fitness Magazine
Stop! Before you put that healthy-looking loaf of bread in your shopping cart, be sure you know what you're getting. Read the label carefully-and check the fiber content. In bread, for instance, look for at least three grams of fiber per serving. Choose cereal with a minimum of two grams per 100 calories. Other label buzzwords to watch for:
• "Whole," as in "100 percent whole-wheat" or "whole-grain oats." Ideally, the first ingredient listed should be a whole grain.
• "Excellent source of fiber" This means you're getting at least 5 grams of fiber in every serving, while "good source" means that one serving contains at least 2.5 grams of fiber.
• "Graham flour" A type of whole-wheat flour. So, yes, it's whole grain. But check the fiber content.
• "Whole-grain food" Each serving must contain at least 51 percent whole grains. But, depending on the product, the amount of fiber may still be low. For instance, breads contain more water than cereals do, so even when they're whole-grain, they won't necessarily contain much fiber. Always check the label.
• "Made with whole grains" If the grains in question appear far down on the ingredients list, put the product back on the shelf.
• "Multigrain" The food is made with more than one type of grain, but not necessarily whole grains. Check the ingredients list and the fiber content.
• "100 percent wheat" If it doesn't say "whole," it's refined flour, which means all the fiber and nutrients were stripped away in processing.
• "Enriched" This term indicates that some of the vitamins have been added back after processing-but the fiber hasn't. Skip it.
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