Great Grains!

1. Great Grains! Jessica Nickels, MS, RD/LD 2006

2. Grains • Grains are the staple of diets throughout the world • Fad diets have come and gone, grains were given a bad name claiming “bread is fattening” • At one time, pastas, rice, and tortillas were only served in ethnic restaurants and not at home at the dinner table. • Today, they have moved in to the mainstream of our cuisine

3. Anatomy of a Grain • Most commonly consumed grain in the US is wheat • In general, the part that we eat is the kernel or the berry • This is the seed from which the plant grows • Each kernel has 3 parts: • Endosperm • Bran • germ

4. Anatomy of a Grain • Endosperm • Makes up about 83% of the weight • Source of white flour • Contains greatest amount of protein, CHO, Fe, B-vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, thiamin) • Source of soluble fiber

5. Anatomy of a Grain • Bran • Makes up about 14.5% of weight • Included in whole wheat flour • Can be brought separately and added to products • Contains small amount of protein, large amount of B-vitamins, trace minerals, and dietary fiber (mostly insoluble)

6. Anatomy of a Grain • Germ • Makes up 2.5% of weight • Embryo or sprouting section of seed • Often separated from flour in milling process because of the fat it contains, which can limit flour’s shelf-life • Contains minimal quantities of high quality protein, but a good share of trace minerals and b-vitamins • Wheat germ is part of whole wheat flour and can be purchased separately

7. Types of Grains • Amaranth • Tall willowy plant similar in height to corn with large shaggy head containing thousands of tiny seeds • Seed can be milled into a whole grain flour or puffed like rice or corn • Commonly eaten in Africa

8. Types of Grains • Barley • Very versatile • Pearl barley, which is whole grain with hull and bran removed, is often used in soups • Can be milled into flour and is used in baked products and breakfast cereals • High in fiber

9. Types of Grains • Buckwheat • Neither wheat nor cereal grain • Seed from the Fagopyrum family of herbs • Due to unique flavor, it is often ground and used to replace part of the wheat flour in pancake mixes • Kasha is a word commonly used to describe buckwheat groats, a Russian dish

10. Types of Grains • Couscous • Pasta made from precooked semolina wheat and most commonly eaten in North African countries • Can be served hot or cold • Millet • Delicate, round grain that is yellow in color • Cooks like rice but lighter with nutty flavor • Can be eaten as whole grain or husked • Often added to bread making

11. Types of Grains • Oats • Oatmeal is most familiar form • Made by rolling the groats (oats with hulls removed) to form flakes • Regular and quick cooking differ in thickness of flakes • Oat bran is the envelope of the groat • High in soluble fiber

12. Types of Grains • Potato flour • Actually a root but share many nutrients with grains • Potato flour made from cooked potatoes that have been dried and ground • Often used in breads or rolls • Potato dumplings or “gnocchi” is another way to serve potatoes as a “grain”

13. Types of Grains • Quinoa • Small round seed that can come in many colors • Not a grain, fruit of an annual herb • Grown in the mountainous regions of Peru and Bolivia for 3000 years • Can be cooked like rice or ground into flour and used for baked goods

14. Types of Grains • Rice • Most commonly eaten grain in the world • Usually starchy endosperm of the grain: hull and bran have been removed • In US, white rice is enriched with thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and iron • Enriched rice should not be rinsed before cooking, or the added vitamins and minerals will be washed away • Brown rice is grain from which only the hull has been removed • Instant rice has been precooked and dried • Rice flour is made from brown or white rice and is free of gluten

15. Types of Grains • Rye • Can be eaten like rice but takes longer to cook • Whole rye can be used in soups • Rye flour contains gluten • Sorghum • Tropical grass • Small amounts added to crackers and other snack food and can be made into syrup

16. Types of Grains • Soy • High in protein and B vitamins • Nutty texture and taste • Spelt • Predecessor to wheat and has very strong hull that is difficult to remove when milling • Usually available as flour

17. Types of Grains • Teff • Smallest grain in the world • 150 teff grains weigh the same as one grain of wheat • Available as whole grain or flour • Used as thickener

18. Types of Grains • Triticale • Hybrid grain created from crossing wheat and rye • Can be cooked as whole grain, ground into flour, or processed into cereal flakes

19. Types of Grains • Wheat • The “Staff of Life” • Comes in several varieties: • Durum – used to make pasta and couscous • Bulgar – precooked and can be used in place of rice • Cracked – similar to bulgar but not precooked • Farina – coarsely ground and primary ingredient in hot cereals

20. Eat More Grains! • Eat 6 oz everyday from the grain group • At least 3 of the 6 oz should be whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, crackers, or rice everyday • What to Look for on the Food Label: • Choose foods that name one of the following whole-grain ingredients first on the label’s ingredient list:“brown rice” “whole-grain corn” “oatmeal” “bulgur” “whole oats” “whole wheat” “graham flour” “whole rye” “wild rice” • Foods labeled with the words “multi-grain,” “stone-ground,” “100% wheat,” “cracked wheat,” “seven-grain,” or “bran” are usually not whole-grain products. • Color is not an indication of a whole grain. Bread can be brown because of molasses or other added ingredients. Read the ingredient list to see if it is a whole grain.

21. Great Grain Nutrients • CHO • Body’s preferred fuel source • On the food label, dietary fiber and sugars are listed below CHO • Why don’t they always equal the total CHO? • Missing CHO are the complex carbs, the longer, branched chains of sugar molecule

22. Great Grain Nutrients • Fiber • Insoluble: • Adds bulk to diets by filling us up and preventing overeating and obesity • Adds “bulk” to fecal matter, increasing clearance time and decreasing risk of colon cancer • Does not separate in water and “passes” almost completely in tact • Found in less processed grain foods, such as whole grains • Recommended to eat 20-35 grams of fiber each day but most Americans eat about 12 grams • Examples: fruit skins, whole wheat products, nuts & seeds

23. Great Grain Nutrients • Fiber • Soluble: • May reduce blood cholesterol levels and help reduce heart disease risk • Slows stomach emptying which is beneficial in controlling blood sugar • separates in water and binds with fatty acids during digestion • Examples: dried beans and peas, flax, carrots

24. Great Grain Nutrients • Protein • Grains are great sources – spaghetti has about 7 grams per serving • Proteins are not “complete” which means they are missing one or more amino acids • Only animal products are complete • Vitamins and Minerals • Many V&Ms found are important for converting food into energy, building tissues, and repairing cells • Some nutrients are found naturally in grains and some are added during fortification • Thiamin helps the body use the energy it gets • Riboflavin and niacin help body use protein to build new cells and tissue

25. Grains for Health • Heart Health – a diet low in fat and high in soluble fiber can help reduce the risk of heart disease • Cell health – grains high in insoluble fiber can reduce the risk of colon cancer • Healthy weight – A diet high in grains can help maintain a healthy weight.

26. Grains for Sports • Energy – carbs are the bodies preferred sense of energy • Night before an event, it is best to eat a meal high in carbs. • This will fill up the muscles and liver with stored glycogen which can be used as energy the next day. • Pre-game meal – eat a high carb meal providing 300-1000 calories, 2-4 hours before the competition to top off your glycogen stores and prevent hunger during the event

27. Grains for Sports • After your workout – eating a high carb meal after is just as important as before to help replenish your glycogen stores • Sports drinks like Gatorade are high in carbs and can help replenish lost fluid and used glycogen stores but no more effectively than water and eating a high carb snack

28. Grains for Sports • Carb Loading: • Practiced by some athletes involve din endurance sports • One regimen includes a gradual increase in dietary carbs beginning 6 days before competition • CHO intake starts at ~45% of intake and on final day is at ~ 65-75% intake • One drawback is that additional water weight is stored in the muscle • CHO loading may improve performance in marathons, long-distance swimming, tournament play, and triathlons but not in most single events

29. Grains for Weight Loss Myth #1: Eating bread will make you gain weight.

30. Grains for Weight Loss • Myth #1: Eating bread will make you gain weight. • FALSE: Most calories in grain products come from CHO. • If you are active, your body uses CHA as its primary source of fuel • Fat is more easily stored as fat and less easily burned during activity

31. Grains for Weight Loss Myth #2: Diet bread helps you lose weight.

32. Grains for Weight Loss • Myth #2: Diet bread helps you lose weight. • FALSE – Diet bread is just regular bread that contains more air, sometimes more fiber, and is sliced extra thin. • Although you will save calories, many more calories can be saved by skipping high-fat foods.

33. Grains for Weight Loss Myth #3: White bread and white rice are worthless and filled with empty calories

34. Grains for Weight Loss • Myth #3: White bread and white rice are worthless and filled with empty calories. • FALSE • Even though whole grains high slightly more nutritional value than white counterparts, thanks to fortification, are still healthy and contain nutrients. • The one down fall is that white bread and rice is low in fiber.

35. Grains for Weight Loss Myth #4: Pita bread is better to eat than regular bread.

36. Grains for Weight Loss • Myth #4: Pita bread is better to eat than regular bread. • False • Pita bread is low in fat, but so are most breads • Pita bread offers no healthy advantages

37. Grains for Weight Loss Myth #5: all grain products are created equal.

38. Grains for Weight Loss • Myth #5: all grain products are created equal. • False • After comparing all breads we see that there is a difference between whole wheat, white, and pita bread even though they are not a big difference. • Baked goods are usually higher in fat than a plain loaf of bread and not all cereals are healthy even though they are made of grains.

39. Questions?

40. references • “Great Grains!” by Catherine Macpherson, MS, RD; Learning Zone Express