Nutrition Tip - Grocery Store Series: Processed Grains

Grocery Series: Processed Grain Products

I could go on for days about the various types of grains in our food supply. But today, I am going to keep it simple for you all. I am going to focus on the processed grain supply like pastas, breads, crackers, and cereals. These foods can be a part of a healthy diet as long as they are consumed in moderation and you make the proper choices when deciding which brand to purchase. Here are some tips to help you out:

  • In general, choose products that have fewer ingredients with more nutrition.
  • When choosing pasta think moderation and proper portion sizes. If you like the taste of 100% whole wheat pasta, go with the whole wheat pasta. For those of us who prefer something with a lighter taste, Barilla makes a “protein plus” brand that has more protein and fiber. That is a better choice than traditional white pasta since it has more nutritional value. Gluten-free, vegetable, and other types of pastas can be a decent substitute for traditional white pasta, but please read your ingredients and make sure it doesn’t contain a long list of chemicals.
  • Buy 100% whole wheat or whole grain whenever possible. In the freezer section, you can find different types of breads made with seeds and ancient grains which can be a nice substitute to wheat. Always check the ingredients lists on all bread products. The first ingredient should be “whole grain” if it is truly a whole grain bread. Don’t be fooled by dark colored bread or multi-grain types of bread. These may not be whole grain.
  • Boxed, flavored rice like rice pilaf comes loaded with sodium. Avoid these flavored brands and buy plain, brown or wild rice and flavor it yourself with fresh herbs and spices.
  • Cereals – try to go by the “5-5-5” rule. Read the nutrition facts labels and choose cereals that are at least 5 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and less than 5 grams of sugar. If you get close to that, you have a decent cereal.
  • Choose wisely when it comes to crackers. They are often full of unhealthy fat (saturated and Trans fat from hydrogenated oils), sodium, and added sugars. Triscuits win the award for one of the best crackers out there. Rich, buttery crackers like Ritz and Townhouse should be very limited in the diet. The less ingredients on the side of the box, the better cracker.
  • Many granola bars can be glorified candy bars. There are very few bars that are healthy for us. You want to find bars that have fewer ingredients (ones you can recognize), have less sugar, more protein, and more fiber. Trail mix bars, Kashi bars, and KIND bars are the best ones available. Avoid bars like Special K, Chewy, NutriGrain, etc. These offer little nutritional value and are loaded with sugar.