There's Wheat and There's Wheat...

I must say that I am constantly guilty of falling prey to marketing tactics (you probably are too). These guys just know how to get us! Because people have been trying to eat healthier in more recent times, you can actually see companies start to repackage their brands to sound healthier as well. 

One of the major areas where you see this exhibited is with wheat and grains. Once people see that their bread is brown, they automatically think it is good for them, right? So what do marketers do? They use that to their advantage. Make the bread brown, put a lot of sugar in it, take out natural nutrients so it gives you a high and is more addictive, and sell it to the customers.

Bread isn't bad, just like carbs aren't bad. It is important however to get the right kind from as natural a source as possible. How do you measure how natural wheat or any other grain is? Besides buying food with as few ingredients as possible, and making sure sugar is not close to the top of the list of ingredients, there is a way you can guess how 'whole' the grain in your food is. 

There are pretty much three forms of grains when it comes to their level of processing:

• Whole: Contains the whole kernel of the grain in as natural a state as possible.
• Refined: Grains have undergone a refining process that removes the germ and bran, as well as most of the nutrients, to give it a smoother texture. PS. This is where white rice usually falls.
• Enriched: Version of refined grains where they try to add some nutrients back in, but not in its natural form.

It is important to note though that they still try to trick you. Remember when we said that ingredients are listed in order of volume in the product (highest volume first)? So if something contains whole grains, it doesn't mean that it isn't blended with refined or enriched grains somewhere down the ingredient list. Check out the whole list! Here is an example of something that had enriched grains and whole grains. If you only looked at the front, you'd see 'whole wheat bread' and be satisfied.

Hopefully, that helps you make better choices. Let's eat food that nourishes our bodies, not raises our blood sugar levels unnecessarily.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Precision Nutrition and