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Whole Truth About Grains: Enriched Doesn't Mean It's Healthier

Posted on: Wednesday, 12 April 2006, 03:00 CDT

By Karen Herzog

Buying food made with whole grain is like buying a deluxe, new car.

Let's say before you drove that new car off the lot, the dealer wanted to "improve" it taking off one of the four wheels. He also suggested removing 17 parts, then replacing only five of them -- each placed in a different location on the car.

"Would you be happy? Would you buy this new car?" asked Cynthia Harriman, director of food and nutrition strategies for the Whole Grains Council and Oldways Preservation Trust in Boston.

Harriman says buying food made with refined grain is no different from buying a car that's been taken apart and reassembled incompletely.

Refining whole wheat into white flour removes 24% of the protein and 17 known nutrients, she says.

Five of the 17 nutrients are added back during the enrichment process, but in different amounts than originally existed.

Refinement is intended to increase product shelf life and "lighten" the product.

To refine wheat, however, both the fiber-rich bran (outer layer) and nutrient-rich germ (inner part) must be removed, leaving only the endosperm (middle part), which is a source of starch, protein and a small amount of vitamins and minerals.

While few would disagree that whole grains "are good for you," whole grains still are a confusing part of the nutrition picture, especially in the wake of the low-carb diet craze, which depicted whole grains rich in carbs as "bad" for your health.

Whole grains haven't enjoyed a full-fledged mainstream status.

They were embraced the counterculture, back-to-the-earth movement of the '60s and '70s. Their healthful qualities were not disputed, but they made baked goods heavier and the earthy flavor wasn't universally appreciated.

A recent push the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2005 Dietary Guidelines, calling for three daily servings of whole grains, is starting to boost the status of whole grain.

Many food manufacturers, such as General Mills and Kellogg's, have either developed new products or reformulated existing products to hop on the whole-grain bandwagon.

"We feel vindicated now and hopeful that whole grains will catch on like the Atkins diet did," said Rod Hall, owner of the Great Harvest Bread Co. franchise in Whitefish Bay. "The Atkins diet was very hard on business from early 2003 until late 2005. We took a substantial hit -- a 20 to 25 percent loss in sales."

Whole grains aren't as easy to understand as carbohydrates, Hall said.

"People will see 'whole-wheat' bread that's made with wheat flour, and think it's made with whole grain. If you can look at a label and the first ingredient has the word, 'whole' in it, then it is whole-grain. But 'wheat flour' isn't 'whole grain.'"

Great Harvest Bread Co., based in Montana, was the first company to adopt the Whole Grain Stamp offered the Whole Grains Council -- a postage stamp that indicates three different levels of whole-grain content, from at least a half serving to a whole serving with all whole grain. Almost 600 food products now carry the stamp, which was developed last year.

Reading food product labels can be time consuming, and some labels can be "misleading," nutrition experts say.

Milwaukee dietitian Colleen Kristbaum, of JCK Consultants, LLC, offered this example:

Wheatables snack crackers advertises "made with whole grain" on the package. But the first ingredient listed is "enriched flour" and the second ingredient is "stone-ground whole-wheat flour."

The dietary fiber provided per serving (19 crackers) is only 1 gram (in 23 grams of total carbohydrates and 140 calories).

Then there's Kavli all-natural Five-Grain Crispbread, which does not market itself as a whole-grain or high-fiber product, Kristbaum said.

One serving of this product offers 2 grams of fiber (in 9 grams of total carbohydrate and 40 calories). The first ingredient is "whole rye flour," and the second ingredient is "wheat bran."

"It pays to know what to look for," said Kristbaum, who also is spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Dietetic Association.

The first ingredient in Wheatables is "enriched," while the first ingredient in the Kavli is "whole." Also, a whole-grain product will contain at least 2 grams of dietary fiber per serving.

Hall said he began appreciating whole grains as a pre-med student concerned about proper nutrition. But he became "hooked" on whole grains because of their flavor.

"I don't believe whole grains have gotten better," Hall said. "People have just learned better ways to use whole grains."

Hall said he intentionally distanced himself from the "intensely classic hippie, organic" movement when he got into the bread business because he wanted whole grains to be accepted as mainstream.

He and his former wife, Jill, bought the Whitefish Bay Great Harvest Bread Co., in 1990, after being devoted customers of Great Harvest Bread in Minneapolis, where they had lived.

"We buy the very best wheat in the world from northwestern Montana -- it's kind of expensive -- but we grind our own flour fresh and use it within two days," Hall said.

If you consider whole grains in their historical context, appreciating their nutritional value is like going back 100 years.

That was before technology allowed refinement for the purpose of extending shelf life and making bread "rise" easier with a lighter flour, noted Harriman, of the Whole Grains Council and Oldways Preservation Trust.

"The 'fad' really has been the last 100 years, when we've eaten refined grains," he said. "Now we're getting back to whole grains because in the last couple of decades, a wealth of research has shown the benefits of whole grains, and manufacturers have gotten much better at making tasty whole-grain products."

Whole grains absorb moisture at a different rate than refined grains, so recipes can be adjusted for that, Harriman said.

"For consumers, the bottom line is always taste," she said. "The 'hold your nose and eat it because it's good for you' appeal just doesn't work."

Lunch and dinner are a "vast wasteland" of whole-grain products, Harriman said.

The average consumer gets 70% of his or her daily whole-grain intake from breakfast and snack foods, she said.

So the Whole Grains Council has been working with food companies to incorporate more whole-grain pasta, brown rice and other whole grains into lunch and dinner entrees and sides.

"If we get lunch and dinner taken care of, in addition to breakfast, that's three daily servings," Harriman said.

The Whole Grains Council has existed for only three years. It was formed Oldways, a Boston non-profit think tank that promotes better eating, to counteract the low-carb diet backlash against whole grains.

For more information, visit www.wholegrainscouncil.org.

Recipes

Here's a recipe from www.epicurious.com and Gourmet magazine for a breakfast dose of whole grains:

Blueberry Whole-Wheat Pancakes

2 cups buttermilk

3 large eggs

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus additional for brushing griddle

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup whole-wheat flour

¼ cup wheat germ

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

3 tablespoons sugar

2 cups picked-over blueberries

Maple syrup or blueberry syrup (see recipe) (optional)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

In bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and 6 tablespoons of butter.

In large bowl, whisk together the flours, wheat germ, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar, then add buttermilk mixture and whisk batter until it is just combined.

Heat a griddle over medium-high heat until it is hot enough to make drops of water scatter over its surface, and brush it with some of the additional melted butter.

Working in batches, pour batter onto griddle 1/3-cup measures, and sprinkle each pancake with about 2 tablespoons of the blueberries. Cook pancakes 2 minutes on each side, or until golden. Transfer pancakes as they are cooked to a heatproof platter and keep them warm in a preheated oven. Serve pancakes with maple or blueberry syrup. Makes about 18 (5-inch) pancakes.

Blueberry syrup:

6 cups picked-over blueberries

4½ cups water (divided)

3 cups sugar

Zest of 1 lemon, removed in strips with vegetable peeler

¼ cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste

In large saucepan, combine blueberries and 1½ cups water, bring mixture to a boil and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.

Puree mixture in batches in blender or food processor and force it through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding solids.

Clean saucepan. Add sugar, zest and remaining 3 cups water to pan and bring mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and boil it, uncovered, until a candy thermometer registers 200 degrees. Discard zest, add blueberry mixture, and boil syrup, stirring, 1 minute.

Let syrup cool, skim off any froth, and stir in lemon juice.

Pour syrup into glass jars with tight-fitting lids. Syrup keeps, covered and chilled, 3 months. Serve syrup warm over pancakes or ice cream. Makes about 6 cups.

Note: Recipe can be cut in half.

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Brown Rice Risotto with Asparagus and Porcini Mushrooms

1 large shallot, minced

¼ cup dried porcini mushroom pieces soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, drained and chopped, or ½ cup chopped fresh Portobello mushroom (1 medium-sized Portobello)

2 tablespoons olive oil

7/8 cup brown rice (1 cup less 2 tablespoons)

1 can (13 ounces) chicken broth

2 tablespoons tomato sauce or 1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 bunch (1 pound) fresh asparagus

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Microwave method: In 2-quart casserole, microwave shallot and mushrooms in oil over high heat until sizzling, about 3 minutes. Stir in rice to coat it with oil.

In saucepan on stovetop over medium heat, combine broth and tomato sauce or paste, and bring to a boil. Pour broth over rice. Cover and microwave on high (100% power) 6 to 7 minutes, until boiling. Change setting to medium (50% power), and continue to cook 35 to 40 minutes, until rice is just tender and liquid has been absorbed.

Stove-top method: Saute shallot and mushrooms in oil in heavy, deep saucepan, then stir in rice. In second saucepan, combine broth and tomato sauce or paste, and heat to a boil. Add about 1 cup of the hot broth to the rice. Remove remaining broth from heat. Cook rice at lowest possible simmer, partially covered, stirring frequently, until liquid is almost all absorbed. Add half of the remaining broth (which can be warm or at room temperature) and repeat procedure. Pour in last of the broth and cook until rice is tender. Total cooking time should be 40 to 45 minutes.

If all broth is absorbed before rice is cooked (a distinct possibility with brown rice, which takes so long to cook), add hot water a little at a time until desired tenderness is reached.

Meanwhile (regardless of method), cut tough ends off asparagus and steam stalks in a small amount of water in a covered skillet until just tender-crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Cut stalks into 2-inch pieces. Stir asparagus and cheese into risotto and serve. Makes 6 servings.

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The next three recipes are from the Whole Grains Council. The spinach pasta salad is best described as a spinach salad with pasta.

Spinach Pasta Salad

6 ounces uncooked whole-wheat pasta or whole rice pasta

2 tablespoons lemon juice (or juice of ½ lemon)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

4 cups fresh spinach leaves, cleaned and chopped

1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas or other white beans, drained and rinsed

3 to 4 ounces feta cheese

Bring large saucepan of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. (Spiral whole-wheat pasta is good and takes about 8 minutes to cook.)

In large salad bowl, prepare the dressing mixing lemon juice, oil and garlic.

While pasta boils, clean and chop spinach, drain and rinse beans.

Drain pasta and mix with dressing in salad bowl. Add spinach, beans and feta and mix. Serve warm or cover and chill 1 hour or more. Salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4 servings.

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In this recipe, you may use 2¼ cups whole-wheat flour in place of the mix of flours, bran and flax meal. Unlike conventional chocolate-chip cookies, these are more dense and have a grainier texture. However, they met with approval from a pair of discerning preschoolers.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, room temperature

¾ cup Splenda or sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs (or ½ cup liquid egg substitute)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1½ cups whole-wheat flour

¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ cup wheat bran

¼ cup gold or brown flax meal

1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1½ cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

With electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars, then add vanilla and eggs.

In separate bowl, combine the soda, flours, bran and flax meal.

Gradually add flour mixture to mixing bowl; mix well.

Add nuts and chocolate chips and mix well. Drop rounded spoonfuls on cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven 10 to 15 minutes, or until brown. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.

Note: Wheat bran and flax meal are available at natural foods stores and in some supermarkets.

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This pie has a unique texture. It resembles a crisp with meringue-like chunks. The apple peel adds a slightly bitter flavor.

Swedish Apple Pie

1 large or extra-large egg

½ cup sugar

½ cup whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

3 medium-size apples, cored and chopped, but not peeled (McIntosh or Cortland preferred)

1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are good)

Vanilla frozen yogurt or plain yogurt mixed with a little maple syrup for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat 10-inch pie pan with vegetable oil spray.

In a large bowl, beat egg thoroughly, until it forms a ribbon.

Add sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Add apples and nuts, and mix as well as you can. (Mixture will be very lumpy, but keep mixing as best you can, until it starts to hang together.)

Spoon it all into pie plate and bake in preheated oven 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve plain and warm or with dollop of frozen yogurt or yogurt-maple syrup mix. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Note: A mixture of apples and pears may be substituted.

Source: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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