Tom's Life Bits

By Suzanne Havala Hobbs, Correspondent

Good news for lovers of crusty French bread and the occasional cinnamon raisin bagel. You can enjoy foods such as these that are made with refined white flour and still get the fiber and nutrients you need from whole grains.

It just takes a little strategic planning.

But first, why the big push for whole grains?

When grains are refined, the outer bran layer is removed, taking away vitamins, minerals, fiber and other health-supporting phytochemicals. Some refined grains are enriched by adding back a smattering of the nutrients that were removed.

Other nutrients are lost forever, though.

It's important to get plenty of whole grains in your diet, because they can help lower risks of coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes. Taking a supplement doesn't compensate for eating refined breads and cereals because supplements don't contain the full spectrum of nutrients found in whole foods.

So you do need whole grain breads and cereals in your diet. But how much is enough?

U.S. dietary guidelines recommend eating at least three servings of whole grain foods every day. One serving is equivalent to a slice of bread, half to three-quarters of a cup of dry cereal, or half a small bagel.

But most of us get less than one serving of a whole grain food each day. Because most grain products sold in the supermarket are refined, it takes extra effort to get whole grains in our diets.

We're surrounded by pasta, breakfast cereals, baked goods and breads made with refined wheat flour and other refined grains. And, yes, we also like our baguettes and cornflakes.

So how can you include some of these favorite-but-refined foods and still ensure you're getting enough of the nutrients found in whole grains?

One way is to identify foods you like that are also easy to find in whole grain form. Then buy them often.

Breakfast cereal is a good example.

There are lots of good-tasting, whole grain breakfast cereals, including shredded wheat, bran flakes, Cheerios, Wheat Chex and others. You can tell they're whole grain by checking the package labels.

Ingredients are listed in order of their predominance in the product. If a whole grain is listed first or second, at least 50 percent of that product is probably whole grain.

Another example of an easy-to-find whole grain food is bread. Even if you like to eat fresh bakery breads made with white flour, keep whole-wheat loaf bread around for sandwiches and toast.

When you compare packaged breads and cereals, read the nutrient fact labels and choose the foods with the highest number of grams of dietary fiber per serving.

Other ways to get more whole grains into your diet:

• Shop at natural foods stores. They have a wide variety of breads, cereals, baking mixes and frozen meals made with whole grain ingredients.
• Do it yourself. Bake your own cookies, muffins and quick breads and use whole-wheat flour, whole oats, and other kinds of whole grain flour. If a recipe calls for all-purpose white flour, you can usually replace half with a whole grain variety with good results.
• Experiment with whole grain products you haven't tried before. One example is whole-wheat pasta. Twenty years ago, whole-wheat pasta was often thick and gummy. In my experience, it's wonderful now and available in many shapes. Another option: rice. Try brown jasmine, basmati or long-grain rice. Quick-cooking brown rice is also easy to find.

Work as many whole grain breads and cereals into your diet as possible. You'll benefit from the health-boosting nutrients they contain and still have room for a few refined favorites.