Whole Grains Lesson 1: Getting the Whole Grain Story

Transcription

1 Whole Grains Lesson 1: Getting the Whole Grain Story Getting Started 1. Review lesson plan before each session. 2. Copy handouts: a. The Whole Story Big Benefits from Whole Grains b. What is the Whole Grain Story? c. Be a Whole Grain Detective d. Get Your Grains Make Half Your Grains Whole e. Pack Your Pantry with Whole Grains f. Lesson 1 post test 3. Gather supplies needed for lesson and activities. Supplies Needed 1. Food Guide Pyramid poster or Tufts Food Guide Pyramid for Older Adults (if available). 2. Flip chart, easel, large index cards and markers, if available. 3. Whole grain cereals or popcorn for tasting (plus zip top bags). 4. Supplies for tasting food, such as plates, forks or spoons and napkins. 5. Assorted whole grain foods (actual foods, models and/or packages) to display and to use to illustrate different points during lesson. Try to include foods that display the whole grain health claim and/or the whole grain logo. Bring magnifying glasses, if available. Beginning the Lesson 1. Introduce yourself and the organization you represent. 2. Summarize the lesson by reading the objectives. 3. Let the group know the lesson will be informal and they can ask questions any time. Objectives: The participants will: 1. Understand the nutrition benefits from eating whole grain foods. 2. Learn how to identify and select whole grain foods. 3. Learn the protective effects of whole grains against heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and constipation. 4. Learn how to include more whole grains in their diet and to eat at least 3 whole grain servings daily. 1

2 Script Introduction Note to the speaker: Set up a display of various whole grain foods to which you can refer during the lesson. See lesson text for examples. Can any of you name different grains and foods made from these grains? Allow time for answers; write on flip chart, if available, or write on large index cards in advance. The most common grains eaten in this country are wheat, corn, oats, barley, rye and rice. Foods made from these grains include bread, rolls, buns, cereal, oatmeal, muffins, rice pudding, cornbread, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, pasta, noodles and more (write any of these on the flip chart, if using, that was not mentioned earlier). Now, can any of you tell me examples of whole grain foods? Are any of these foods we listed whole grains? Allow time for answers. How can you tell the difference between whole grain foods and grain foods that are not whole grain? Is it by color, for example, brown bread versus white bread? Is it by name, for example, corn flakes verses shredded wheat? We are going to answer these questions and learn more about whole grains and why you should eat them to stay healthy and fit. What is the Whole Grain Story? (Refer participants to the first handout, What is the Whole Grain Story?) Whole grains were the first foods humans learned to grow thousands of years ago. But because whole grains are rock hard, people began to grind grains for easier chewing. They also began removing a large part of the grain for quicker cooking. Today, many grains are still processed to remove the harder parts for easier cooking. Oh but what good stuff is lost in the process! Whole grains contain a lot of nutritional power! They get this power from the three parts that make them whole the endosperm (en-dough-sperm), the germ and the bran (refer to picture in handout). 1. The endosperm makes up 80% of a grain. It provides protein and energy from carbohydrates (or starch). It is the only part left when grains are processed. White flour (all-purpose flours, self-rising flours) and white bread are made from ground endosperm. 2. The bran is the outer shell of a grain. It contains B-vitamins, some minerals, fiber and a small amount of protein. The bran layer and its nutrients are removed when grains are processed, such as with white flour and white bread. 3. The germ is the smallest part of a grain. It is the part of a grain that sprouts to grow a new plant (if used as a seed). It contains high quality protein, B-vitamins, vitamin E and minerals. The germ and its nutrients are also removed when grains are processed. 2

3 Processed grains, like white flour, are enriched to add back some, but not all, vitamins and minerals. Most of the fiber is also lost. Whole grains contain all the original nutrients from these three parts. You could say the whole is greater than the sum of its parts (phrase borrowed from the Wheat Foods Council). Whole-wheat bread, whole grain cereals, oatmeal, brown rice and whole-wheat flour are whole grain foods and supply all the good stuff. White bread, white flour and white rice are not whole grain they are missing the good stuff. Indeed, the whole grains story is much more interesting than the processed version. The rest of the story looks like this. The sum of these parts makes whole grains so good for you. Whole grains: 1. Are a good source of fiber insoluble fiber to help keep you regular and prevent constipation, and soluble fiber that can help lower blood cholesterol levels. Experts recommend older adults consume 21 to 30 grams of fiber daily. Eating whole grains can certainly help you meet this goal, along with eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily. 2. Supply B-vitamins and vitamin E, which may help reduce risk of heart disease and other diseases. Most Americans do not get enough of these vitamins in their diets. 3. Supply minerals, like selenium, magnesium, zinc and copper, which may also help reduce risk of cancer and other diseases. These are also often low in American diets. 4. Are a good source plant protein (most are 10% - 15% protein), which can help you meet some of your protein needs, especially if you do not eat much meat. 5. Contain different carbohydrates (or starches) that break down in a way that benefits your health, and special fatty acids that can help lower blood cholesterol levels. 6. Supply phytochemicals, which are different disease fighting (or phyting ) compounds in plant foods that may reduce risk of heart disease and cancer. It seems we humans were not too smart when we started processing our grains and throwing away the best parts! We know now these best parts may be just what we need to stay healthy and fit. The Big Picture - Big Benefits from Whole Grains Note to the speaker: You can print these benefits individually on large index cards and give to volunteers who will read them out to audience. You can then repeat to participants for clarification and/or post cards on flip chart after each is read aloud. The sum of these parts equals a big picture in the story of whole grains. These all work together to provide big benefits. Diets rich in whole grain foods and low in saturated fat and cholesterol can (refer to handout, The Whole Story Big Benefits from Whole Grains): 3

4 1. Help lower total blood cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol levels (LDL is bad or lousy cholesterol). 2. Help reduce risk of heart disease and heart attack. 3. Help lower blood pressure and reduce risk of stroke. 4. Help reduce risk of certain cancers, especially colon and rectal cancers. 5. Help keep you regular and prevent constipation. 6. Help reduce risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 7. Help lower blood sugar (glucose) levels. 8. Help with weight control people who eat whole grain foods are more likely to be at a healthy weight. This may be from the fiber in whole grain foods that can help you feel full longer after a meal. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration has approved certain whole grain foods to print health claims on their labels: Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods that are low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risks of heart disease and certain cancers. Note to the speaker: Other plant foods would be fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts. These are also good sources of dietary fiber. Foods that qualify for the health claim must contain 51% or more whole grain ingredients by weight and must also be low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Well, how many of you are asking yourself, Just how many whole grain foods do I need to eat to have these benefits? Or maybe you are thinking, I bet I have to eat 12 bowls of shredded wheat to do any good. We know the food guide pyramid recommends we eat 5 to 6 ounce equivalents of breads, cereals, rice, pasta and other grain foods each day (refer to My Pyramid or Tufts Food Guide Pyramid for Older Adults, if available). To have the benefits of whole grains, we should make at least half of our grain choices whole grain. Is it okay to choose most or all your grain foods as whole grains? Of course, as long as half of your grain servings are whole grain, you are going to benefit. But don t be like most Americans, who eat less than one whole grain serving each day! Here s what grain servings look like (use food models or actual portioned foods to illustrate): 1. One slice of bread. 2. One ounce of breakfast cereal (usually ¾ cup to 1 cup, check labels of specific cereals). 3. One-half cup of cooked cereal, like oatmeal, grits or Malto-O-Meal. 4. One-half cup cooked rice, pasta or noodles. 5. One-half small bagel, English muffin or hamburger bun. 6. One (6-inch) tortilla. 7. Three cups of popped popcorn. 4

5 8. Five whole wheat crackers. 9. One small piece of cornbread. Become a Whole Grain Detective (Have a magnifying glass available to demonstrate detective and to use to read ingredient labels of display foods, as print is usually quite small. Also refer to handout, Be a Whole Grain Detective.) So, we said we were going to learn the difference between whole grain foods and grain foods that are not whole grain. You might need your handy magnifying glass or your strong reading glasses when you shop! Follow these tips and you will find whole grains in your stores as easy as Angela Lansbury always found her criminals! 1. Look for the WHOLE GRAIN logo in large letters on packages (show an example of a product that has whole grain on the package typically found on cereal boxes). 2. Don t let the color of bread and other grain foods fool you. Brown bread, cereals, crackers, bagels or muffins are not always whole wheat or whole grain. The brown may come from other ingredients, like molasses or caramel coloring. Whole grain foods can actually be light in color if made from oats or lighter whole-wheat flour. 3. Don t be fooled by the name of bread or other grains. Wheat or multi-grain breads may contain mostly refined white flour. Whole wheat bread, bagels or crackers must be made with 100% whole-wheat flour. If more than one flour or grain is used, more than half must be whole grain for breads and other grain foods to be labeled WHOLE GRAIN. We will look at bread labels in a moment. 4. However, if 100% whole-wheat or 100% whole grain is part of the product name, it is whole grain. 5. A good clue is in the ingredient label. Look on the ingredient label for a whole grain as the first ingredient: 100% whole-wheat flour, whole ground corn, whole ground rye, whole oats or oatmeal, etc. 6. Look for the whole grain health claims on food packages (see claims printed in previous section). So, with these tips in mind, be sure to write these foods on your shopping list. Look for these foods at your grocery store. Compare prices between national brands and store brands to save money. Then include these whole grain foods in your weekly meal plans. Refer to Pack the Pantry handout. 5

6 One more bit of advice. Add fiber-rich foods to your diet slowly if you do not usually get much fiber in your diet. You may experience gas and constipation if you add fiber too fast. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, like water, milk, juice or decaf tea, when you start eating more fiber. This helps your tummy adjust to the extra fiber. Note: It is common for people to have gas when they start eating more fiber. Extra fluids are needed to help prevent impacted stools when eating more fiber. Cereals Ready-to-eat cereals Oatmeal, other cooked cereals Breads Whole wheat bread Whole wheat pita bread Whole wheat biscuits or rolls Whole wheat English muffins Whole wheat bagels Whole wheat crackers Whole grain crispbread Rice Brown rice, regular or instant Boil-in- bag brown rice Other grain foods Whole wheat tortillas Corn tortillas Baked corn tortilla chips Popcorn Whole wheat pasta or noodles Wild rice Bulgur wheat Note to the speaker: It is a good idea to be ready to talk about which stores in your area carry these whole grain foods and how to find them in local stores. Whole grain cereals and oatmeal should be in the cereal aisle. Whole grain breads should be in the bread aisle. However, some of the whole grain breads may be on display in a store s bakery area or on special display if from small, specialty bread company. Whole grain crackers should be with other crackers, but may also be in the bakery section. Tortillas can be located in the Mexican-Spanish foods special section, and are often found in the dairy aisle or refrigerated section. Wild rice and brown rice are usually found with white rice and rice mixes. Bulgur wheat may be found with cereals, rice or baking aisles. There is also the possibility that some of these whole grain foods will be in a store s health food section. Some, like bagels, may also be found in the frozen foods section. Tips for Adding Whole Grains to Your Diet You have many ways to add delicious whole grain foods to each meal without spending a lot of time and money. Here are some tips to help you choose three servings of whole grains daily. Remember, make half your grains whole! 1. Use whole grain bread when you make sandwiches. A sandwich made with two slices of whole grain bread equals two whole grain servings almost at your goal with one meal! 2. Go for grains at breakfast from whole grain bread for toast to whole grain cereals, whole grain English muffins, whole grain bagels or muffins and buckwheat pancakes. 6

7 3. Make your plate more colorful and tasty by serving brown rice with meals instead of white rice. 4. Feed your snack attack with grains from popcorn to whole grain crackers, baked corn tortilla chips, granola and other whole grain cereals. 5. Try some of the new whole-wheat pastas or noodles. You may like the nuttier taste better than regular pastas. 6. Be adventurous with less common whole grains, like barley, bulgur wheat, wheat berries, millet and quinoa (keen-wah). 7. Use whole-wheat flour for part of the flour in your baking recipes. It will give recipes a fiber and flavor boost. Use whole ground corn meal when making cornbread or corn muffins. 8. Wrap your favorite fixings in whole-wheat tortillas or corn tortillas. Review - Okay, let s review before we play a game called The Whole Grain Detective. 1. How many servings do you need to eat daily from the breads, cereal, rice and pasta group? Five to six ounce equivalents. How many should be whole grain choices: At least half. 2. What are the benefits of eating whole grains? Decrease your risk of heart disease, some cancers, and type 2 diabetes. Also, helps maintain healthy weight and prevents constipation. 3. How can you tell if a food is whole grain? If whole grain is written on the package or if a whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. Activity - the Whole Grain Detective Note to the speaker: Make labels, or use actual food packages (empty or not), with the following food names and allow participants to tell you if the food is a whole grain or not. Place each food label under the category of Whole Grain or Not Whole Grain on page of flip chart or poster board, or in baskets or boxes labeled as such. Demonstrate how to tell if each food is whole grain or not by using tips discussed. Whole grain (select store brands when available): whole grain cereals, such as Wheaties, Cheerios, Wheat Chex, shredded wheat, Frosted Mini Wheats, Kellogg s Low-fat Granola with Raisins, Grape Nuts, Grape Nuts Flakes, Post Raisin Bran, oatmeal, Quaker Oatmeal Squares or Toasted Oatmeal flakes, Quaker Natural Low-fat Granola with Raisins, 7

8 Life, Cinnamon Life, or Malt-O-Meal ; 100% whole wheat bread; brown rice; popcorn; Triscuits, whole-grain melba toast crackers; or corn or whole wheat tortillas. Not whole grain (select store brands when available): cereals like corn flakes, crisped rice, Rice or Corn Chex, Special K, Crispix, etc.; honey wheat bread (brown color) and white bread, white rice; pretzels; saltines or vanilla wafers; or flour tortillas. Note to the speaker: A tasting activity can be to pass out zip top snack bags filled with about 1/3 cup of whole grain cereal or 1 cup of low-fat popped popcorn (can eat now or later). Ask participants to save their empty bread bags and bring to next lesson so they can participate in an activity to determine if it is whole grain or not. References Go with the grain leader guide. General Mills Bell Institute of Health & Nutrition (Nutrition and health resources). 15 July < In Search of a Whole Grain. General Mills Bell Institute of Health & Nutrition (Nutrition and health resources, nutrition education materials). 17 July < Leibman, B. The Whole Grain Guide. Nutrition Action Health Letters, Mar July < United States Department of Agriculture. My Pyramid. Available online: Slavin, J.L., et al. The role of whole grains in disease prevention. JADA. July 2001, vol. 101, no. 7. United States Department of Agriculture and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans Available online:

9 Primary authors: Jeanna Ellis, BS, graduate student & Marilyn O. Wright MS, RD, LD Primary reviewers: Joan G. Fischer, PhD, RD, LD & James Hargrove, PhD, Elizabeth Speer, BA This material, including artwork, was developed with support from the Department of Foods and Nutrition at The University of Georgia, the Northeast Georgia Area Agency on Aging and the USDA Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program. Permission is granted to reproduce, translate, abstract, review or quote these materials in whole or in part for educational purposes only (not for profit beyond the cost of reproduction) provided that the author(s) and The University of Georgia receive acknowledgement as shown in this example notice: Reprinted with permission from The University of Georgia, Department of Foods and Nutrition, Athens, GA. Authors, Title, Date. 9

10 The Whole Story Big Benefits from Whole Grains Whole grains supply fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E, minerals, protein, carbohydrates and special disease fighters called phytochemicals. The sum of all these parts equals big benefits from eating whole grains. Diets rich in whole grain foods and low in saturated fat and cholesterol can help: Reduce risk of heart disease and heart attack. Lower total blood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. Lower high blood pressure and reduce risk of stroke. Reduce risk of certain cancers, especially colon and rectal cancers. Reduce risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Help lower fasting blood glucose (sugar) levels. Help keep you regular and help prevent constipation. Maintain healthy weight and help with weight loss. The bottom line to have the benefits of whole grains, you have to eat them make half your grains whole make at least half of your grains servings whole grain foods each day to stay healthy and fit. Check which of these you will do to eat more whole grain foods: I will eat one more whole grain serving daily for a week. I will add another each week until I eat 3 whole grain servings a day. I already eat at least 3 whole grain servings daily. I will encourage my friends to do the same. 10

11 What is the Whole Grain Story? Whole grains are nutrition powerhouses. They get this power from the three parts that make them whole. The BRAN is the outer shell of a grain. It contains B-vitamins, some minerals, fiber and protein. Bran and its nutrients are removed if grains are processed. The GERM is the smallest part of a grain. It contains high quality protein, B-vitamins, vitamin E and minerals. The germ and its nutrients are removed if grains are processed. The ENDOSPERM makes up most of a grain. It provides energy from starch. It is the only part left if grains are processed. White flour is made from the ground endosperm. If all three parts of the grain are present in grain foods, they are called WHOLE GRAIN! 11

12 Be a Whole Grain Detective Finding whole grain foods is easy once you know what to look for. Use these quick tips to find whole grains at your favorite grocery store. Look for the WHOLE GRAIN logo in large letters on packages. Do not let the color of bread or other grain foods fool you. Not all brown bread, cereals and other grain foods are whole grain. Do not be fooled by wheat or multi-grain in the name. Not all wheat breads and crackers are whole grain. Only some multigrain breads and crackers are whole grain. Look for 100% whole wheat or 100% whole grain in the product name. These will be whole grain. Look for clues in the ingredient list. Look for a whole grain listed as the first ingredient: 100% whole-wheat flour, whole ground corn, whole rye, whole oats or oatmeal, for example. INGREDIENTS: Whole-wheat flour, water, wheat gluten, soybean and or canola oil, yeast, salt, honey. Look for the whole grain health claim on food packages: o Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods that are low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risks of heart disease and certain cancers. 12

13 Get Your Grains Make Half Your Grains Whole! Use whole wheat bread when you make sandwiches. This gives you two whole grain servings in one meal! Go for grains at breakfast from whole-wheat toast, whole grain cereals, whole grain English muffins, bagels or muffins to buckwheat pancakes. Make your plate more colorful by serving brown rice with meals instead of white rice. Feed your snack attack with grains from popcorn and whole grain crackers to granola and whole grain cereals. Try some of the new whole-wheat pastas and noodles in your recipes. Be adventurous with less common grains like barley, bulgur wheat, wheat berries, millet or quinoa. Use whole-wheat flour for part of the flour in your baking recipes for a fiber and flavor boost. Use whole ground corn meal when making corn bread. Wrap your favorite fixings in whole-wheat tortillas or corn tortillas. 13

14 Pack Your Pantry with Whole Grain Foods Breads Whole wheat bread Whole rye bread Whole wheat pita bread Whole wheat rolls, buns Whole wheat English muffins Whole wheat bagels Whole wheat tortillas Corn tortillas Whole grain waffles Cereals Whole wheat flakes or squares Toasted oats Oat squares or flakes Granola (lowfat) Shredded wheat Whole grain nuggets Raisin bran Oatmeal Snacks Popcorn (lowfat) Baked tortilla chips Whole wheat crackers Whole grain melba toast Other Grains Brown rice Boil in bag brown rice Whole wheat pasta Whole wheat noodles Wild rice Bulgur wheat Barley Baking Staples Whole wheat flour Buckwheat flour Whole rye flour Whole ground corn meal Whole grain baking mixes 14

15 Whole Grains Lesson 1 Introduction The Whole Grain Story Post Test Date: County: Name: Age: Please circle or write in your answers. 1. I like the taste of whole grain foods, like whole wheat bread. a. Yes b. No 2. I like the texture of whole grain foods, like whole wheat bread and whole grain cereals. a. Yes b. No 3. I plan to eat more whole grain foods each week. a. Yes b. No 4. I compare prices when I shop for whole grain foods to save money on my food bill. a. Yes b. No 5. I learned something new from this lesson. a. Yes b. No 15