Wholesome whole grains

Now that the new U.S. Department of Agriculture food guidelines are out, we can jump for joy and forget about those boring low-carb diets. The guidelines, released last month, recommend 3 ounces of whole grains and 3 ounces of other grains daily. For the whole-grain portion, that amounts to three slices of 100 percent whole-grain bread; three cups of 100 percent whole-grain cereal; or 1 cups of cooked brown rice, barley, kamut, bulgur, quinoa or any other whole grain. If some of those foods sound unfamiliar, get ready to increase your grain vocabulary and cooking repertoire.

Many who haven’t eaten whole grains think of them as brown, heavy and all tasting more or less the same, but those already hooked know that each type has a unique taste and texture:

• Brown rice has a nutty chewiness, while barley has a mild taste and a soothing texture.

• Kamut, an ancient form of whole wheat, is a large golden grain that is slightly sweet, with a buttery texture.

• b Bulgur, made by steaming hulled wheat kernels, then drying and cracking them to fine, medium or coarse textures, has an earthy taste.

• Grano is a variety of durum wheat that has been lightly polished to remove some layers of bran, resulting in a delicious, chewy whole grain.

• Quinoa, long a staple in the Andes, is a tiny sesame-like seed that cooks up like fluffy couscous and has an appealing crunch and a mildly sweet, grassy fragrance.

Whole grains have their outer bran layer and nutritious germ intact. Because of the bran layer, they typically are chewier and take longer to cook than refined grains.

The intriguing tastes and proven health-promoting properties of whole grains were celebrated in a fall conference in New Orleans called “Closing the Whole Grains Gap.” The conference was organized by the Whole Grains Council, a group of nutrition scientists, chefs and industry leaders determined to see whole grains go mainstream.

Among the council’s goals are to convince consumers of the health benefits of a diet rich in whole grains and to inspire them with delicious and imaginatively prepared recipes.

“Most Americans have grown accustomed to eating refined foods, such as white rice and white bread, and they have become lazy about chewing,” said K. Dun Gifford, a driving force behind the Mediterranean Food Pyramid and now a prime mover in the formation of the Whole Grains Council. “Getting consumers to change their eating habits is going to be one of our biggest hurdles,” Mr. Gifford said.

Another conference speaker, professor Joanne Slavin of the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota, said epidemiological studies have revealed that because whole grains are high in dietary fiber and antioxidants, they “are protective against cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.” Yet, despite recommendations to consume three servings of whole grains a day, she said, the usual intake in Western countries is only about 1 serving per day.

A big part of the problem, according to professor Julie Miller of the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minn., is that “most consumers cannot identify whole-grain foods, and most do not understand how much good whole-grain foods can do for them.” One company devoted to raising consumer awareness is General Mills. It is converting all of its breakfast cereals sold in the United States to 100 percent whole grains.

If the Whole Grains Council has anything to say about it, the push by the Department of Agriculture and General Mills toward the whole-graining of America will be only the beginning.

To help educate consumers, the council is developing a series of stamps to be displayed on packages. They would mark foods that are excellent sources of whole grains, as well as those that are moderate or poor sources. Such stamps could help us avoid the common mistake of assuming that bread labeled “seven grain” contains whole grains when in fact it may be made of seven types of highly refined flour.

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