Whole Grains vs. Whole Wheat - What is Best For You?

Healthy Living — Food & Nutrition
Kim Edmundson, R.N.C.P., R.h.A.

We hear it all the time, “Eat more whole grains”. But what does this really mean? Most people think that eating more whole grains means simply eating more whole wheat.

It is true that whole wheat is better for you, and higher in fibre, than bleached white wheat, but there is a downside to wheat with which many people aren’t familiar.

Wheat in North America is over-produced and highly refined, leaving it lacking in essential vitamins and minerals. It is also often genetically engineered, and we don’t yet know what effects genetically engineered foods have on our bodies. Wheat is also very high in gluten, which is a protein that our bodies have a difficult time digesting. It is also proven that wheat (even whole wheat) encourages growth, weight gain and fat formation.

Many people have had great success with weight loss by eliminating wheat from their diets.This however does not mean that you should cut whole grains out of your diet. I am asked every day, “what can I eat?” when I suggest that people eliminate wheat from their daily diet. The answer is: lots!

There are many other healthy grains to choose from, which are full of vitamins, minerals, fibre, and are much tastier and more satisfying than wheat.

A grain that is close to wheat, but much healthier, and can be used interchangeably in your recipes, is spelt. Spelt has a nutty taste, and is a relative of wheat, but is much lower in gluten, so many people who are gluten intolerant handle this grain very well.

Other grains to consider instead of wheat include:

• Rye

• Kamut

• Oats

• Brown rice

• Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa)

• Millet

• Buckwheat (kasha)

• Amaranth

• Barley

• Teff.

Many of these can be purchased in local stores already prepared as breads, muffins, wraps, pizza crusts, cookies etc. You can also purchase them as flour, and bake with them at home, or try them in their whole, unrefined states. For example, quinoa can be used as a tasty alternative to rice.

Grains are best consumed in their whole state. Did you know that flour actually comes from the berries on the plant? When we take the berries and grind them, we lose many of the essential vitamins and minerals. Cereal and processed foods are fortified with synthetic vitamins and minerals, because they are so refined that they no longer contain adequate amounts of these nutrients. The problem is that our bodies cannot properly absorb synthetic vitamins and minerals, leaving us overfed and undernourished.

I challenge you to make a resolution to cut back on wheat, and try some of the other great grains out there! Your body will thank you.