No grains, no gain

MANILA, Philippines – When shopping for food items, stop making the white choice.Bleached or highly processed grains like white rice, white sugar, and white bread, among others, are void of nutrition.

The whole grains are often stripped of their goodness through refining, where the bran and germ are discarded to give the whole grains better flavor, texture, appearance, and longer shelf life. Refining rids the grains of fiber and most vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants.

“Even if refined grains are fortified again after processing, the fiber and phytonutrients are not restored. That’s why whole grains offer a better nutritional package than refined ones,” explains nutrition expert Nilani Sritharan.

Sadly, awareness and consumption of whole grains in the country are still very low. So, to better communicate the importance of whole grains to Pinoy consumers, Nestle invited Sritharan, who flew in recently from Australia, to discuss the latest nutritional findings on whole grains.

The international nutrition expert from Cereal Partners Worldwide, a joint venture of Nestle and General Mills USA, and Nestle nutrition manager conducted a series of briefings before local dieticians, nutrition authorities, and members of the press to explain why whole grain-rich foods are nutritionally superior and should be included as part of a healthy diet.

Whole grains, Sritharan explains, are nutritionally superior because they contain all three parts of the grain: the bran, which is rich in fiber, B vitamins, phytonutrients, and protein; the endosperm, which has protein and carbohydrates; and the germ, which contains B vitamins, vitamin E, phytonutrients, a small amount of polyunsaturated fat, iron, magnesium, copper, and zinc.

“Whole grains have a complete nutrient package, delivering all parts of the grain in the same proportions that they are naturally found,” she adds.

Like fruits and vegetables, whole grains are said to contain a powerful mix of essential nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein. Additionally, the complex carbohydrates, fiber, and protein contained in the grains slow the release of energy into the body, providing fuel for families to get through the entire morning.

Health In A Bowl

The good news is we can now enjoy the goodness of whole grains in every bowl of Nestle Cereals. The breakfast cereals kids and moms love are now fortified with vitamins and minerals that can only be found in whole grains.

Nestle, the maker of Koko Krunch, Koko Krunch Duo, Nestle Cookie Crisp, Milo Breakfast Cereal, Nestle Fitnesse, and Nestle Fitnesse and Fruit cereals, has revamped its line of breakfast cereals by incorporating eight grams of whole grain per serving in each 170-gram box marked with the whole grain seal to help consumers achieve a balanced life through a healthy and nutritious diet.

“Through the years, we at Nestle have committed ourselves to nurturing generations of Pinoy families. Part of this commitment is to boost nutrition education in the country and create awareness on the importance of whole grains in our diet,” explains Jose Uy III, country business manager for Nestle Cereals.

In 2008, Nestle has announced the conversion of Nestle Cereals into whole grains. The move is aimed at providing their consumers with healthier food choices that will greatly improve the value of the first meal of the day.

“Choosing whole grains for breakfast on a regular basis will have a significant impact on the overall health of Filipinos,” notes Uy.

How Much Whole Grain Should We Aim For?

Studies conducted on behalf of the American Heart Association (2008, 2003, and 2000), which Sritharan shared during the press briefing, show that the introduction of whole grains into the diet lowers cholesterol by four to eight percent, lowers the risk of heart disease by 21 to 37 percent, lowers the body mass index (BMI), helps in weight maintenance, results in a smaller waist circumference, and increases insulin sensitivity.

“Integrating a healthy and whole grain diet every day can help one avoid the risk of developing serious illnesses,” Sritharan enthuses.

According to Sritharan, the food and drug associations in the US, the UK, and Sweden were the first to officially mark whole grains as a necessary addition to a healthy diet.

The US-recommended daily allowance is three servings, which amount to 48g; Denmark allots four servings (72g), while Singapore allots a one-half full serving of whole grains (60g) for its children every day.

In the Philippines, eating three servings of whole grains every day (eight grams per serving) as part of a balanced diet will help ensure we are all getting the health benefits associated with whole grains.

General sources of whole grain are rice, wheat, corn, and oats. One can add more whole grain to his diet by swapping white rice for brown rice, mixing white rice and brown rice together, switching whole meal noodles and bread, and jump-starting the day with a whole grain cereal.

“Breakfast cereals, like that of Nestle, top the list as the primary source of whole grain,” says Sritharan.

Nestle’s new and improved cereals contain eight grams per 30-gram serving for children, or double the amount at 16 grams per 130-gram serving for adults. This means that the rest of the recommended 48 grams of whole grain per day have to be sourced elsewhere.

Nestle’s food technologists carefully converted its line of breakfast cereals to whole grain to ensure that there is no perceptible change in the makeup of the cereal.

“You can’t tell the difference. It’s retained its original taste and texture. While the processing includes the addition of sugar, the cereals remain a low-sugar breakfast choice. We understand that sugar is becoming a sensitive issue especially with the onset of obesity and diabetes. Well, you can be assured that Nestle cereals have the appropriate sugar levels,” Uy points out.

He explains that a serving of Nestle Koko Krunch, for example, has 16 grams of sugar per bowl, which is less than the 22 grams of sugar in a glass of orange juice.

Look For The Green Banner

All Nestle cereals contain whole grains. Unfortunately, not all cereal brands do. To make it easier for consumers to spot Nestle whole grain cereals in the supermarket, just look for the Nestle whole grain green banner across the top of every box. To see how much whole grain is in the product, just check the side of the pack.

Manufacturers of whole grain products tend to want to shout about it. Some check for mention of “whole” grains in the product’s name, and on the front and sides of the pack. The phrase “whole” before a grain’s name means it includes all the parts of the grain’s kernel.

“Nestle continues to convert all its breakfast cereals into whole grains to greatly improve the nutritional value of the first meal of the day. Eating whole grain breakfast cereals is one strategy in fueling children for school and instilling good dietary habits,” Sritharan adds.

So, look for that green banner and start serving a bowl of health daily.