Take a Grain Check

We should all know by now that whole-grains are better for us than refined grains. But product packaging often fools us into thinking we are buying whole grains when we're not. Here are some things to watch out for when buying breads, crackers, etc.:

Unless you see the words "whole" or "whole grain" in front of the name of the grain in the ingredient list, then the grain is refined or "white".
Many people are in the habit of calling refined wheat flour bread "White Bread" and whole grain wheat flour bread "Wheat Bread". So when they see "Wheat" on the package or that the first ingredient is "enriched unbleached wheat flour" they assume they are eating whole wheat flour. Not so; this is refined or "white" flour.
The words: 100% Wheat on the front of the package don't necessarily mean that it is whole grain. This simply means the flour is all wheat, and does not contain other grains. It may still be refined "white" wheat flour. Read the ingredient list to see if it says "whole" or not.
We tend think that the bread or crackers with the darkest color are the ones with the most whole grain. Not so. Many companies add caramel color to give it a "whole grain" appearance. Look towards the end of the ingredient list to see if your food is fooling you with the addition of caramel color. Keep in mind that ingredients are listed in order of weight. This means that the product contains more of the first ingredient than the ingredients that follow. A good rule of thumb is that the first five ingredients make up the bulk of the food.
Multi-Grain bread usually means white bread. If you look at the ingredients using the rule that the first five ingredients make up the bulk of the food, you will probably find that your multi-grain bread is mostly refined wheat flour and may contain corn syrup as one of the first five ingredients. The ingredients that qualify the bread as "multi-grain" are probably at the very end of the ingredient list.

-Jennifer Loch