There seems to be a hierarchy in the nutrition realm of bread products. Whole wheat products trump white, while Whole grain products are the king of them all.
But there is quite a large difference between whole wheat and Whole grain- though they are often confused for the same thing.
There are three parts of the wheat kernel.
1. the Bran- which contains the B vitamins
2. Endosperm- where most of the carbohydrates and protein are found
3. Germ- which contains the healthy fats, Vitamin E, and B vitamins
In white flour, both the bran and the germ are removed during processing because removing the germ and its fats gives the bread a longer shelf life.
Whole wheat flour contains the bran and the endosperm, but no germ for the same reasons! That’s why whole wheat is not as healthy as whole grain. Whole Grain cereals include Shredded Wheat, Brown Rice Krispies, and and any others which lists “WHOLE grains” as the first ingredient.
Whole grains don’t need to be kept only to bread and cereals. Other examples of whole grains are oatmeal, corn, rice, and barley. Try some oatmeal on a cold winter morning or try this recipe from allrecipes.com for barley lime fiesta salad to get some whole grain goodness in your day!
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/barley-lime-fiesta-salad/
