Day 5: Making all grains WHOLE

It may seem like it's not too difficult to switch all the grains you are eating to whole grains -- and you're right, it's not. At the same time, you have to be very conscious and read the labels of the grains that you are eating. It is just as easy to think you are eating whole grains when you're actually not, as it is to truly be eating them.

That is why reading your labels is very key to eating healthy. No matter what the food, no matter who the company/maker is, no matter what the front of the packaging says ... READ YOUR LABELS.

There are a few things to look for when reading labels:

• When looking at breads, pastas, and other grains -- the first ingredient should be a whole one. Whether it's whole wheat, whole oats, etc.
• Know your ingredients. If there is something on the label that you can not pronounce, it is probably not something that you should be putting in your body.
• Beware of hidden ingredients. There are lots of ingredients that are hidden by other names. For example -- high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, monosodium glutamate, hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils. These are all things that you need to watch for because they can easily be looked over when looking at the ingredients. And you'd be surprised how many things these couple ingredients are in.
• Sugar content. The amount of sugar per serving should not exceed about 10. This will help to prevent blood sugar spikes with quick drops in energy, leaving you feeling groggy and bad. There are a few exceptions, like juices (you still want to make sure that your juice does not have any added sugars to it).

For me, it has become innate to look at the labels of almost everything I eat. But I too get off track with my grains, especially when I go out to eat. Yesterday, I tried to be very conscious about every grain that I ate to make sure it was the best quality and a whole grain. A way that I do this, is making sure that anything that I keep around the house is whole grain, so I am not tempted to snack on/eat things that are just empty carbs. 

Some of my favorites that I like to have around are: Ezekiel bread (found at whole foods or any local health food store), homemade granola/granola bars, Food Should Taste Good Brand whole grain/whole corn tortilla chips, Kashi whole grain frozen waffles, Barilla whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and quinoa.

And I understand that sometimes when you go out to eat, it can be hard to make whole grain choices. That is why I always consider two different options when I am out.

1. Is it made in house? More times that not, if the restaurant is good enough quality to make their own pizza dough, pasta, tortillas, etc, then those grains are probably good enough for you to eat.
2. Opt for no grains and sub for other complex carbohydrates such as: potatoes (not fried!), root vegetables, corn, or beans/legumes.

I hope this all helps keep you on the track for sticking with whole grains! I know that it has definitely helped me out a lot. If you have any other suggestions or questions, please don't hesitate to speak up! Hope your week ended on a high and I hope that your weekend is great!

Until next time... Happy Saturday!!!