Wheat's Up

If the hustle and bustle of the upcoming holiday season has you feeling like a Scrooge, consider whipping up some homemade bread, Christmas cookies, or a cake. The sweet smell of freshly baked goods does more than satisfy a sweet tooth—it can also put you in a better mood.

According to a study published by researchers at the University of Southern Brittany in France, shoppers standing in front of a bakery were more likely to help a stranger retrieve a dropped item than those shoppers who were standing in front of a clothing store.Read more

Epidemiological studies reveal a clear association between increased wholegrain consumption and a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease, elevated blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and weight gain.

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One of the liveliest sessions at last week’s Whole Grains on Every Plate conference in San Antonio was a myth-busting presentation from Pamela Cureton, clinical research dietitian at the Center for Celiac Research.

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The Whole Grain stamp now features on more than 7,600 products in 35 countries, while the number of new products featuring whole grain claims rose from 164 in 2000 to 3,378 in 2011, according to data unveiled at the Whole Grains on Every Plate conference yesterday.Read more

Autumn is widely regarded as runners’ favorite season. Colorful fall foliage, pleasant temperatures, and a wide assortment of races inspire many people to lace up their sneakers and hit the pavement.

If you’re among those preparing for an upcoming race, start your run on the right foot with healthful nutrition choices—including lots of wheat products.Read more

Here at the Wheat Foods Council, we celebrate the merits of pasta on a regular basis. But today is the day to really get your pasta on. It’s October 25—World Pasta Day!

World Pasta Day seeks to promote the nutritional value, convenience, and affordability of pasta. Conceptualized in 1995 at the World Pasta Congress in Rome, the event is celebrated across the globe in the form of special events and promotional initiatives.Read more

The pasta many of us enjoy on a regular basis was likely born on a farm in North Dakota. Pasta is traditionally made from durum wheat, of which North Dakota is the largest producer, and that durum finds its way to consumers’ plates around the country and around the world. North Dakota produces about 50 million bushels of durum each year which equates to 60 percent of the national total and enough durum to make nearly 17 billion servings of spaghetti.Read more

America’s only amateur bread baking contest will make its home in Manhattan, KS, on June 22, 2013. The National Festival of Breads, sponsored by King Arthur Flour, Fleischmann's Yeast and the Kansas Wheat Commission, celebrates the relationship between farmer and consumer and highlights the art of baking bread at home.Read more

There’s nothing wrong with eating white bread, says bread-baking guru Ken Forkish author of the new book, “Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza.” Forkish, a white bread fan, is out to set the record straight.Read more

Take the time to read nutrition labels and you may be rewarded with a smaller waistline, says a recent study. Shoppers—women, in particular—who read food labels are almost nine pounds thinner than their non-label-reading counterparts.

Conducted by a group of scientists from the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, the study uncovered major discrepancies between people who read nutrition labels and those who do not.Read more