Q&A: Do all whole grains contain dietary fiber?
7:00 PM
Q: Do all whole grains contain dietary fiber?
What are other sources of fiber?
A: Your questions seem simple, but
they’re not. Answering them, however, is important because they focus on two healthful
eating goals: 1) Eat more whole grains and 2) Eat more dietary fiber.
About whole grains.
Whole grains are just one source of
dietary fiber. Whole
grains and foods that are made with whole-grain ingredients provide some
dietary fiber, but the amounts vary widely. They also provide other essential nutrients. Barley and
bulgur contain a good bit of fiber, while brown rice and quinoa contain minimal
amounts. But they’re all healthful sources of whole grains.
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| (Oldways and the Whole Grains Council) - Check food labels for the grams of whole grains per serving. Labels also might have the Whole Grain Stamp. If the Whole Grain Stamp has the “100 percent” banner, it means all the grains are whole. |
According to the Whole Grains
Council, the average American eats less than one serving of whole grains a day.
Over 40 percent of Americans never eat any whole grains. Surprising? Not with
all the bread, baked goods and pizza dough made with refined flour that we eat.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend
making half your grains whole. (Catchy, eh?) That’s 48 grams per day.
About dietary fiber
Dietary fiber includes the portions
of plant-based foods that are not digested plus beneficial fibers added by
manufacturers. Our foods contain hundreds of various fibers — some help with
digestion and regularity, others improve blood fats and others help with weight
control. You need all types. Dietary
fiber is a nutrient found in whole grains, legumes (beans and peas), fruits and
vegetables. To eat enough fiber, get it from all food sources.
Most Americans get nowhere close to
the 25 grams per day recommended for adults. No surprise! We don’t eat nearly
enough fruit, vegetables, legumes and, yes, whole grains with fiber.
Food label confusion
“Because fiber is a nutrient, it’s
required to be listed on most nutrition facts labels. It’s easy to spot and
count up,” says Joanne Slavin, dietitian and nutrition professor at the
University of Minnesota and a member of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory
Committee. But whole grain is simply a component of food, not a nutrient,
which is why it’s not accounted for on the nutrition facts label, she says.
That can make it harder to track.
Smart choices
Don’t translate the message to eat
more whole grains and dietary fiber to mean “eat more.”
“You’ll hit your whole grain and
fiber goals without excess calories if you swap and substitute,” says Carlene
Thomas, a registered dietitian with the private practice Healthfully
Ever After in Leesburg.
To
eat more whole grains:
- Get to know the whole grains and which ones contain lots of fiber.
- Choose brown rice over white rice (even in restaurants) and whole-wheat over white pasta.
- Select whole-grain (and high-fiber) cereals. For hot cereal, try oatmeal, oat bran or quinoa. With dry cereals, look for a whole-oat or whole-grain cereal that’s also high in fiber.
- “Be adventurous — taste-test new-to-you whole grains in restaurants or at home: millet, amaranth, bulgur or quinoa,” Thomas suggests.
- Check food labels for the grams of whole grains per serving; look for phrases like “15 grams of whole grains per serving” or “100 percent whole grains.” Labels also might have the Whole Grain Stamp. The stamp tells you whether a food contains at least eight grams per serving. If the Whole Grain Stamp has the “100 percent” banner, it means all the grains are whole.
- Select whole-grain bread, rolls or pizza crust. If there’s no stamp or claim, check the ingredients. It needs to say whole-grain (name of grain), whole wheat, whole (grain) or stone-ground whole (grain).
To
eat more dietary fiber:
- Educate yourself about the fiber content in foods by checking nutrition facts labels. For foods without a label, try looking them up with a food nutrient app. (I like the Agriculture Department’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference atndb.nal.usda.gov and My Fitness Pal, available as a smartphone app or online atwww.myfitnesspal.com.)
- Learn the label lingo. A food can be marketed as a “good source of fiber” if a serving contains between 10 percent (2.5 grams) and 19 percent (five grams) of the 25-grams-per-day recommendation, or an “excellent source of fiber” if a serving contains 20 percent (five grams) or more.
- “Eat the amounts of fiber-containing foods — whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables — recommended in the Dietary Guidelines,” Slavin suggests.
- Eat 2½ cups each of fruit and vegetables per day — more if you’ve got the calories to spare. Start your day with fruit. Take a piece to work for lunch or for an afternoon snack. Make sure to include at least a cup of vegetables at lunch and dinner.
- Eat more legumes — dried, frozen or canned. Use them in soups, omelets or casseroles or as a side dish. Thomas suggests making extras and tossing them on salads. Enjoy hummus or other bean-based dips. Cook up a bean-based meatless meal a night or two a week.
Original
Source, “Nutrition
Q&A: Getting Fiber from Whole Grains” by Hope Warshaw, Registered
Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator
Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org
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