The Wholegrain Truth

DIET

the

whole(grain) truth

I

n February this year, a coffeshop in Bukit Batok jumped on the healthy food bandwagon, offering local fare with whole grain ingredients such as brown rice and whole grain noodles. By and large, whole grains have been touted as a healthy addition to a diet; here’s a closer look at why they’re good for you.

Anatomy of a whole grain

All grains, like wheat, oat and rye, start out as whole grains. What qualifies

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WELLNESS FOR ALL

Why go against the grain when you can sink your teeth into them? Here’s why a simple switch to whole grains can reap major nutritional benefits.

By GENE KHOR

them as whole grains are the bran, endosperm and germ found inside the kernels. These are what make whole grains beneficial, as they are rich sources of vitamins and minerals.

The bran is the outer layer of the whole grain which is rich in fibre, B vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (chemical compounds found in plants). The endosperm — the middle layer — contains mainly carbohydrates and protein. Finally, the germ, which is

found inside the whole grain, is packed with more B vitamins, vitamin E, minerals and phytochemicals.

However, during the refining processing the production of white rice and flour, the germ and bran layers are removed from the whole grain, resulting in the loss of important nutrients.

Inside out

So you know what makes a whole grain great, but why are they good for you?

Anatomy of a whole grain

Eating out whole-somely

Bran

Here are some places that offer whole grain options.

Endosperm

Germ

According  to  the  Health  Promotion  Board  (HPB),  eating  more  whole  grains  has  been  shown  to  lower  the  risk  of  developing  chronic  diseases  such  as  heart  diseases,  diabetes  and  certain  cancers.  It’s  not  just  one  magical  nutrient  in  the  whole  grain,  but  its  different  components  working  together  to  protect  your  health.  For  example,  vitamin  E,  selenium  and  phytic  acid  in  whole  grains  have  antioxidant  effects  which  may  help  prevent  damage  in  blood  vessels  while  fibre  in  the  bran  helps  reduce  blood  cholesterol.  All  these  play  a  role  in  lowering  the  risk  of  developing  heart  disease.

Know the difference

PHOTOS: Getty Images, Istockphoto

You’re  ready  to  make  that  switch  to  whole  grains,  but  are  confused  by  the  many  foods  available  proclaiming  to  be  healthier  alternatives?  For  example,  bread  labelled  as  ‘softmeal’,  ‘7-­�grain’,  ‘multi  grain’  or  ‘enriched’  doesn’t  necessarily  contain  whole  grains.  As  a  general  rule  of  thumb,  the  HPB  suggests  looking  out  for  the  word  ‘whole’,  as  in  ‘wholemeal’,  ‘whole  wheat’  and  of  course,  ‘whole  grain’.

Is  there  a  difference  between  ‘whole  grain’  and  ‘wholemeal’?  The  HPB  describes  wholemeal  as  whole  grains  that  have  been  milled  to  a  finer  texture,  but  still  have  the   bran,  endosperm  and  germ  intact.  This  means  that  wholemeal  food  products  are  also  whole  grain.  You’ll  see  examples  of  them  as  wholemeal  bread  and  wholemeal  spaghetti.  On  a  related  note,  even  though  it’s  flaked,  steamed,  cracked  or  ground,  instant  oatmeal  is  also  considered  a  whole  grain  as  it  has  all  three  layers  intact.

FOOD KING COFFEE HOUSE

CEDELE

Block 233, Bukit Batok East Avenue 5

Outlets around Singapore www.cedeledepot.com

Since February this year, eight of the stalls have started using ingredients like brown rice, whole grain noodles and oil that’s lower in saturated fat.

For example, the chicken in its chicken rice dish is now served skinless and the accompanying bowl of rice is now a mixture of both white and brown.

You can choose from a variety of whole grain breads such as wholemeal linseed and wholemeal sunflower seed, either to take away or as bread for your sandwich. At their larger outlets, wholemeal pasta and brown rice dishes are also served.

QQ RICE

s 3QUARE 3INARAN $RIVE

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WWW QQRICE SG Originally from Taiwan, this food stall sells rice rolls made from a mixture of red, purple, brown and wheat grains mixed with brown rice. You can choose up to five fillings for your roll from ingredients like sliced burdock, roasted sesame seeds, turkey bacon and tuna.

Making the switch It doesn’t mean that you have to stop consuming white rice and bread completely.

4HE (0" S $IETARY 'UIDELINES FOR !DULT Singaporeans recommends that out of the five to seven servings of Rice and Alternatives (such as bread and noodles) two to three servings should be whole grain products. All you have to do is have brown rice, wholemeal bread, whole wheat pasta, instant oatmeal, chapatti (an Indian flat bread made of whole wheat flour) and whole grain biscuits.

Apr-Jun 25