Magazines, news channels, diet books and food manufacturers have jumped on the anti-carbohydrate bandwagon, focusing on Americans excessive intake of the "bad," refined carbohydrates — soda, candy, cakes, white bread, etc. However, not all carbohydrates should get a bad name. In fact, you should eat carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat or nonfat yogurt/milk, and whole grains if you want to be healthy and to have a well-balanced diet.

The New Dietary Guidelines
Eating the whole grain, rather than refined grains, offers so many health benefits that when the federal government was updating the New Dietary Guidelines, they had to address the importance of the whole grain. Their final recommendation says, "Make at least half your grains whole." The guidelines recommend six daily servings of grains, but three or more should be whole grains. Replacing refined grains with whole grains (at least 3 ounces per day) can help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity, as the guidelines indicate.

What makes a whole grain different than a refined one?
Both grains come out of the ground in their natural state, i.e., as a whole grain, consisting of three parts: bran (outer layer), germ (core) and endosperm (starch). When grains are refined through processing, their bran and germ are removed, which takes away many of the grain's nutrients and leaves just the starch. This means that the refined grains are stripped of all the good stuff — fiber, antioxidants, tumor suppressors, cholesterol reducers, insulin regulators, antithrombotic agents, phytoestrogens, vitamin E, folic acid, zinc, selenium and magnesium. Clearly, since the whole grain has all of this, it is the nutritional winner!

It's easy to be tricked when shopping for whole grains.
Venturing down the bread aisle and looking for the whole grain, you may choose the darker colored breads, assuming they are the whole grain. However, manufacturers are tricky and the darker color may simply mean that caramel coloring or molasses has been added, not that you are picking a whole grain. In addition, many people assume that because a label says "7-Grain," "9-Grain" or "Wheat Bread," these are whole-grain breads. However, this is not always the case!

Use the ingredient label to identify the good stuff — the whole grain.
Next time you head down the bread aisle or want to buy any grain, including rice, look at the food label and find the part labeled "Ingredients." The only way to guarantee that a food is made from a whole grain is if the first ingredient listed on the nutrition label has the word "whole" in it. For example, whole wheat (also known as graham flour), whole rye, whole oat, whole barley, etc. Don't be tricked by seemingly fancy wording like "enriched bromated wheat flour," which is nothing more than refined flour! Remember, all you need to see is the word "whole: before the grain.

Go with the whole grain!

Breads:

Whole Grain
As long as the first ingredient says "whole", like "whole wheat" or "whole rye"

Refined Grain
12 Grain Stoned Wheat Enriched Wheat
Pumpernickel
Multi-grain
Cracked Wheat
Rye
Oatmeal
Wheat

Rices

Whole Grain
Brown rice
Wild Rice

Refined Grain
White rice

Pastas

Whole Grain
The first ingredient says "whole" wheat

Refined Grain
The first ingredient does NOT say "whole"

Cold and Hot Cerals

Whole Grain
Cheerios
Total
Post Raisin Bran
Kashi
Shredded Wheat
General Mills Wheat Chex, Quaker Toasted Oatmeal Squares
Wheaties,
Nutrigrain Golden Wheat Oatmeal
Wheatena

Refined Grain
Corn Flakes
Special K
Rice Krispies
Kellogg's Raisin Bran
Post Grape Nuts
Post Honey Bunches of Oats Puffed Wheat
Cream of Wheat
Grits
Cream of Rice

Crackers

Whole Grain
Rye Krisp
RYVITA Crispbread
Triscuit
Kavli Whole Grain Crispbread Carr's Whole Wheat Crackers

Refined Grain
Wheat thins
Stone Ground Wheat Thins Saltines
Ritz
Stoned Wheat Crackers Keebler's Wheatables
Nabisco Harvest Crisp 5-Grain Snack Crackers

Corn

Whole Grain
Popcorn (corn on the cob is a vegetable)

Refined Grain
Cornflakes
Cornmeal
Corn muffins
Corn tortillas

Other Grains

Whole Grain
Amaranth
Barley
Buckwheat groats (Kasha) Bulgur
Millet
Quinoa

Tips to get the whole grain:

• Breakfast is your best opportunity to include whole grains, but it may mean kissing your usual fare "goodbye." Adios to the bagel with cream cheese and bon jour two slices of whole-grain toast or a whole-grain English muffin.
• Instead of a fried egg-and-biscuit sandwich, try a bowl of oatmeal. Whether instant, old-fashioned or steel-cut, all oatmeal is whole grain. One cup is equal to two whole-grain servings.
• Want ready-to-eat cereal? Look for ones that list whole wheat, whole oats or another whole grain as the first ingredient. (General Mills is the first manufacturer to make all of their cereals with the whole grain. However, just because a cereal is made with the whole grain doesn't mean it is healthy — watch out for the high sugar cereals, like Lucky Charms.)
• For lunch, make sandwiches with whole-grain breads.
• Skip the white rice and use brown rice, wild rice, bulgur or whole-wheat couscous.
• When making bread, muffins, pancakes or waffles, substitute whole-wheat flour for part or all of the white flour.