Wheat Foods Council - Grain Information Center

Recipe of the month

Greek Wrap

Print This Page

Grains of Wisdom Summer 2007
Message from the President
We are on the cusp of summer, which means greater opportunity for everyone to take advantage of the warm weather and be more physically active in the great outdoors. Who can resist a long bike ride, walk in the park or beach volleyball game? And speaking of getting active, the Wheat Foods Council is happily anticipating our “Mom, the Everyday Athlete” nationwide run/walk on Saturday, May 19. On this day, moms throughout the country will unite to prove motherhood is the ultimate marathon and work toward a healthier lifestyle. During the event, moms will count their steps using a pedometer then return to our site and enter the total number into a step tracker. We will submit the total number of steps for world record consideration. We hope you will encourage your clients to participate and utilize the downloadable nutrition and fitness resources created in conjunction with this program. To fuel a beneficial workout, reference the following report about pre-workout snacks. And also included is information behind a recent study that gauged the effectiveness of a number of diets. Happy Spring! Marcia Scheideman, M.S., R.D. President
Hot Topics
Get the Most from Your Pre-Workout Snack As the weather gets warmer and more people venture outdoors to engage in physical activity, proper nutrition prior to exercise is key to maximizing the workout. It’s recommended to have a pre-workout snack – about 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrates - 30 to 60 minutes before exercise. This will help maintain blood sugar and energy levels, fuel muscles and may delay fatigue during exercise. That’s because carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy. Pre-workout snacks are not meals. They should consist mainly of carbohydrates like those found in fruits, vegetables and grain foods. Some good snack choices include: Top it with cheese - pair crackers or pretzels with thin slices of your favorite low-fat cheese Snacking on breakfast foods – top 1 cup of oatmeal with your favorite fresh or dried fruit or grab a handful of ready to eat cereal and fruit Do the mash - mash half a banana, combine with 2 teaspoons peanut butter and spread onto a small bagel Try a tortilla sandwich - layer a whole wheat tortilla with 2 tablespoons shredded low-fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. Microwave until the cheese melts and enjoy! Make it sweet - spread 1 tablespoon fruit-flavored low-fat yogurt or 100 percent fruit jam over a slice of whole grain crispbread.
Study Spotlight
The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published a study that suggested the Atkins diet leads to more effective weight loss. This study found that women on the Atkins diet lost more weight and maintained better cholesterol and blood pressure levels than women on other diets. Specifically, the results may seem encouraging but a closer analysis showed: No reported significant difference in weight loss after one year Study length was only 12 months which is not long enough to declare official weight loss success Atkins followers’ weight plateaued after six months with the fastest rate of weight gain when compared to other diets Enlisting participants with healthy cholesterol and blood pressure and seeing slight change is unremarkable The jury is still out on the long term effects of high protein and fat intakes on overall health While it might be tempting for your clients to go on fad diets for quick weight loss, it’s best to steer them towards practicality – choosing healthier foods, maintaining caloric intake and incorporating daily exercise.
Ask Marcia
Karen asks: I just purchased some new pretzel crisps that have wheat flour as their first ingredient. Is this the same as whole wheat? Wheat flour is a generic term that encompasses all flour made from wheat. Enriched white flour, bleached or unbleached, is made from wheat, so “wheat flour” in and of itself does not indicate a whole grain product. According to the Food and Drug Administration, whole-grain products must contain a least 51 percent whole grains by weight. So, "whole grain" should be the first ingredient listed. Flour is the product obtained by grinding wheat kernels or “berries.” The kernel consists of three individual parts: bran, the outer covering of the grain; germ, the embryo contained inside the kernel; and endosperm, the part of the kernel that makes enriched white flour. During milling, the three parts are separated and recombined accordingly to produce different types of flours. Whole wheat flour refers to inclusion of the entire grain – bran, germ, and endosperm whereas enriched white flour contains only the endosperm thereby giving its light color. Since whole wheat flour contains more fiber and germ oils, it should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent rancidity. Deborah asks: I have to shop for someone who has a severe allergy to malt which is used to nutritionally-enrich many flours. What packaging label wording do I look for when buying wheat flour to make sure that the flour is NOT enriched with malt? Someone who has a malt allergy has a celiac disease, which is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and impedes nutrient absorption from foods. Those with celiac disease must avoid gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. A gluten-free diet requires an individual to refrain from eating foods that contain or are made from wheat (including spelt, triticale, and kamut), rye and barley. People with celiac disease should not eat most grain foods including pasta and cereal and many processed foods. Malt is a grain, usually spouted barley, which is kiln-dried and ground into a powder. This powdered malt has many uses including making vinegar, brewing beer, distilling liquor and as a nutritious additive to many foods. Malted barley contains gluten and should not be consumed by people with celiac disease. In addition, there are many foods and food additives not commonly known as off limits foods for people with celiac disease such as: farina bulgur kasha couscous rye, graham and cake flour malt, malt extract, malt flavoring food additives like modified food starch, preservatives, and stabilizers since wheat and wheat products are often bases for thickeners, stabilizers, and texture enhancers in foods. Even though this is a restrictive diet, people with celiac disease can still eat a well-balanced diet that includes a variety of foods, including gluten-free bread and pasta. Good substitutes include potato, rice, soy, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat groats or bean flour. The good news is gluten-free products are becoming more widely available and restaurants are beginning to offer gluten-free menu items.
Meet & Greet
Your chance to meet our president, Marcia Scheideman, is right around the corner. Marcia will attend the following events: BEMA (Baking Equipment Manufacturers Association) - San Diego, CA - June 22 - 24 School Nutrition Association - Grand Island, NE - June 25 - 27 Society Nutrition Education – Chicago, IL - July 28 - 31
Fast Fun Facts
Eating with your eyes holds more weight than we think. A recent study from Cornell showed that people will eat 27 percent less if they see proof of the amount of food consumed - indicating that environmental cues may curb overindulging. Researchers studied students at a sports bar that provided a chicken wings buffet; some tables were cleared and some were left uncleared. Students who ate at tables where chicken bones were left ate less than those who ate at cleared tables; not surprisingly, men still consumed more food than women. --`Perceptual and Motor Skills, April 2007`
WFC in the News
The “Mom, the Everyday Athlete” nationwide run/walk has received significant coverage in the media including features in American Baby, Parenting, Big Apple Parent and New Jersey’s The Star-Ledger. Program awareness has increased tremendously due to this publicity and participation is close to 6,000 moms! Wheat Foods Council recipes are popping up everywhere. The Smoked Salmon with Angel Hair Pasta recipe was featured in the March 6 issue of Quick & Simple magazine and Whole Wheat Spinach Lasagna appeared in the April 3 Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Check them out and see what you think.
Upcoming Highlights
Look for results from ‘Mom, the Everyday Athlete’ nationwide run/walk
<< Return to the Newsletter Section

© 2008 The Wheat Foods Council

Contact Us | Site Map | Privacy Policy