Small Changes, White to Wheat

Welcome back to "small changes" where we're reminded that it's sometimes the smallest changes in life that yield the most benefits. Why? Because eating well is a transition and it's human nature to tip toe into good habits :) At least, that's where I've had the most success.

So today we'll talk a little about something a lot of us have already done: switching out white flour products to wheat.

The word "whole" refers to the fact that all of the grain (bran, germ, and endosperm) is used and nothing is lost in the process of making the flour. This is in contrast to white, refined flours, which contain only the endosperm. Because the whole flour contains the remains of all of the grain, it has a textured, brownish appearance. (wiki)


From wholegrainscounil.org:

How to be sure you're getting whole wheat: When you're shopping for wheat, make especially sure to look for the term whole wheat (and in Canada, for the term whole grain whole wheat) to make sure you're getting all the bran, germ and endosperm. Just plain wheat legally refers to refined wheat.

When you're buying pasta or bread, flip the package over and look at the ingredients list. Do NOT follow the front of food packaging. Ever notice all the health claims on the front of food packaging? That's all marketing! That's not the real information. The real information comes from the list of ingredients.

You want "WHOLE" to be the first word in the ingredients list. That way you're getting the true health benefits in your food! Not to mention taste :)

So today's small change is to swap out your white products to wheat. Just try it! Your health thanks you!