September is Whole Grains Month!

We've heard lots of talk about eating healthy, right? Include more fruits and vegetables into our daily diet, eat less sugar, less artificial foods.  Adding more fruits and veggies does make for very colorful lunch and dinner plates but is there more we can do for our bodies?

Yes. Whole grains! What are whole grains, though? What's the difference between whole and refined grains?  What are multigrains? What are the health benefits to eating whole grains? How do we look for them while grocery shopping? Come to the next Project BRIDGE Seminar, Saturday Sept 20 and learn more plus help prepare a whole grains pasta dish!  In the meantime, here are a few worthwhile whole grain dietary facts, tips and recipes.

5 ways whole grains are important to your overall health:

1.  Reduce the risk of heart disease

2.  Reduce the risks of certain cancers such as colon and stomach

3.  Manage diabetes

4.  Aid in digestion and keep you regular

5.  Weight management---people have healthier weights and gain less weight over time

What are whole and refined grains?

Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel, the bran, germ and endosperm while refined grains have been milled so that the bran and germ have been removed.

Refined grain foods have longer shelf-life but vital dietary fiber, iron and many important B vitamins that aid metabolism have been removed. Enriched means that some of the B vitamins have been put back in, but none of the fiber has.

Examples of whole grains include: oats, barley, brown rice, bulgur, rye, corn (yes, popcorn!), wild rice and whole-wheat flour

Examples of refined grains include: white flour, white bread and white rice

Truly, September is Whole Grains Month, so start today swapping out refined grains with whole grains by following this chart:

Swap This:	For a Whole Grain Option:
White Rice	Brown Rice, Bulgur or Quinoa
White Pasta	Whole Grain Pasta
Muffin	Slice of 100% Whole Grain Toast
Traditional Pizza Dough	Whole Wheat Pita
1 Cup of White Flour	½ cup White + ½ cup Whole Wheat Flour

Recipes

Roasted Red Peppers Stuffed with Kale and Brown Rice:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/roasted_red_peppers_stuffed_with_kale_rice.html

Whole Grain Pasta Shells with Roasted Cauliflower and Cherry Tomatoes:
http://wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/main-dishes/whole-grain-medium-shells-with-roasted-cauliflower-and-cherry-tomatoes

Hearty Chicken Rice Soup
http://wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/soups-starters/hearty-chicken-rice-soup

Whole Grain Minestrone Soup
http://wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/soups-starters/kamut-minestrone-soup

Tacos
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/eatingwell_taco.html

Popcorn:
http://www.fitsugar.com/Healthy-Popcorn-Recipes-18106283

September 20, 9:00 am Make Half Your Grains Whole Seminar!