A recent article in a national publication is urging a comeback of home economics classes. While those classes may seem passé, a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association states that 35% of adolescents are overweight or obese and that frequent consumption of take-out and prepared foods may be partly to blame. The authors of the article claim that if children are raised to feel uncomfortable in the kitchen, they will be at a disadvantage for life. We couldn’t agree more.

The American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences concurs and points out that practical lessons need not interfere with academics. The proper thawing of meat, for example, is a science issue that can be easily turned into a classroom lesson.

The Wheat Foods Council agrees that “home ec” is a lost art and needs to see a resurgence in our schools. Cooking (not microwaving!) is necessary for a healthy lifestyle. Besides healthy eating, it can help provide for quality healthy family time with your children. Do you cook a lot of meals at home and enjoy them with your family?

Submitted by: Lynn Holly, Interim Director, Wheat Foods Council

The Wheat Foods Council’s virtual wheat field, How Wheat Works (www.howwheatworks.com), was submitted to the USDA’s “Apps for Healthy Kids” contest (www.appsforhealthykids.com). Part of the Let’s Move! initiative and run by the USDA, Apps for Healthy Kids tackled childhood obesity by challenging contestants to build online games and tools to inspire and empower kids and their parents to get active and eat healthy. Over the past several months, hundreds of people took on the challenge and built 95 games and tools.

You can find all 95 of the final entries online in the Application Gallery. This doesn’t take long. All you need to do is register and a return e-mail is almost immediate. Then you can go into the voting, and click to vote on the entry – about halfway through the entries. When you click to vote, you need to enter your e-mail address and password before it registers the vote.

Public voting began on Wednesday, July 14th at noon EDT and will close at the same time on August 14th. Top picks from the public will take home the $4,500 Popular Choice award and be honored at a White House event in September. However, because the Wheat Foods Council entered in the “Corporate” category, we would receive a public acknowledgement of the “Corporate Recognition Award,” but no cash prize if chosen as a winner. So please register and vote for us today!

Submitted by: Lynn Holly, Interim Director, Wheat Foods Council

There is a recent article in Baking Business that says that gluten-free products are a new trend that is growing in popularity. That is for sure. Just look at the new items on the grocery shelves and you will no doubt see a lot of gluten-free food items. I was at a baseball game over the weekend and noticed that there is a “Gluten-Free” kiosk now at a major league baseball park! What next? They had gluten-free hot dogs and buns, gluten-free pretzels, and gluten-free condiments. Judging from the long line, people must have been willing to pay $5.50 for a gluten-free dog on a gluten-free bun.

Gluten-free products are necessary for those with wheat allergies or intolerances to gluten. More gluten-free items at the grocery store are a godsend for them. However, it is not meant to be a “healthier” diet choice nor weight-loss aid. But perception is reality and consumers will eat what they think is the best for them, whether they really understand nutrition or not. What they see and hear through the media and online is what they tend to believe and act upon.

The Wheat Foods Council’s answer to gluten-free is that it is absolutely necessary for those with celiac disease or other wheat allergies. Those with celiac will tell you that it is not a lifestyle they would choose as eating the wrong food could cause a lot of discomfort, harm or even death. With that being said, people who are otherwise healthy, should not chose a gluten-free diet as they are missing out on vital nutrients that our bodies need.

So please make informed food choices – not what the latest trends say you should.

Submitted by: Lynn Holly, Interim Director, Wheat Foods Council

The single biggest question the Wheat Foods Council receives is about substitution of one type of flour for another. In most cases, yes, you can substitute flours, but remember your end-product might not have the same look, texture or taste had you used the suggested flour from the recipe.

Bread flour and cake flour are totally different types of flour made from different classes of wheat. (Most people don’t even realize there are different classes of wheat from which different products are made.) Bread flour is made from hard red spring wheat. It is very high in protein and gluten, which yields a stronger dough needed for baking yeast breads. The gluten is necessary for cell strength of the bread dough. All-purpose flour may be substituted for nearly everything, hence the word all-purpose. When using all-purpose flour to bake yeast breads, you can strengthen the dough by adding 1 T of gluten flour per 1 cup of all-purpose flour.

Cake flour is milled from soft wheat and is best suited for cakes, cookies, and pastries. It is low in both protein and gluten. Using cake flour to make bread will get an unsatisfactory result as the protein and gluten content are low, and the bread will not rise.

For more clarification on types of flour, please click here.

Submitted by: Lynn Holly, Interim Director, Wheat Foods Council

Recently I attended a meeting that included a team of Egyptian government technical officials visiting the United States to increase their knowledge of how the U.S. wheat marketing, grain inspection, and sanitary certification systems work together to assure buyers that U.S. wheat meets tender specifications. These guests are meeting with U.S. government officials, country elevator operators, and export facility managers.

While I knew that a major portion of wheat produced in the United States is exported to many countries around the world, this was the first opportunity I had to meet and visit with those responsible for importing our U.S. produced wheat into their country. Bread is a main staple in every Egyptian diet with over 70% of their total wheat consumption being a type of flat bread. Considering that Egypt consumes 187 kg (slightly more than 412 pounds!) of wheat per person annually, it is no surprise that they import great quantities of wheat.

These people are not afraid of consuming carbs! When you consider the total amount of wheat they consume, it’s over three times the amount that Americans consume each year! They do not have the problems of overweight and morbid obesity that Americans are seeing, nor problems with Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.

Maybe we can learn something from them.

Submitted by: Lynn Holly, Interim Director, Wheat Foods Council

This question comes up very frequently and there are arguments on both sides. While we have addressed this issue before, it certainly bears repeating.

http://grainblog.wheatfoods.org/?m=200801

http://grainblog.wheatfoods.org/?p=11

The Wheat Foods Council has looked at the nutritional analysis of both whole wheat flour and white whole wheat flour. YES, THEY ARE NUTRITIONALLY EQUIVALENT.

Making bread with white wheat has gained popularity in recent years because of consumer demand for whole grain goodness. “White wheat” is simply a different class of wheat. Whole wheat bread made with this type of wheat has the same nutritional value as bread made with traditional whole wheat, which comes from a red wheat variety. In addition to appearance, its texture is softer and the flavor milder and sweeter (allowing bakers to use less sweeteners) than traditional whole wheat bread, but it is still a whole wheat product. Manufacturers who use white whole wheat do so to create “transitional products” or those made to encourage consumers to adapt to the rich, heartier flavor of whole grains over time. Much like the dairy industry providing 1% and 2% milk to encourage consumers to make the switch from whole to fat-free milk, bread products made with some, but not entirely whole grains, can encourage the consumption of whole grains by white bread lovers who might not otherwise even try whole grains.

As with all products, please learn to read the labels. The “fluff” on the front of the packages is no different than a T.V. commercial trying to sell a product. They are “eye catchers.” Be a smart consumer and gain knowledge by educating yourself on the ingredient list as well as the FACT PANEL.

Submitted by: Lynn Holly, Interim Director, Wheat Foods Council

We receive many questions related to flour storage and subsequent spoiling. In today’s world, manufacturers do provide a “use by” date on the package. Unless you freeze the flour, we recommend that you use it by the manufactures suggested date on the package. (A “use by” date is not the same as an expiration date.)

As a general rule of thumb, whole wheat flour will go rancid* (Flour becomes rancid, not the same as spoiling*) sooner than white enriched flour. This is due to using the whole kernel of wheat, which contains the germ. The germ contains oil, which causes the flour to go rancid quicker over time.

However, you can store any type of flour in the refrigerator or better yet, the freezer for up to two years. Please remember to allow refrigerated or frozen flour to come to room temperature before using. For more information on flour storage, please click here. For more information on the types of flour to use, please click here. Another resource is the Councils “Grains of Truth” fact sheet on Wheat Flour.

*Flour becomes rancid, not spoiled, because of the fat/oil in the germ. You could still eat it, it just wouldn’t taste good, nor would it produce a quality baked product.

Submitted by: Lynn Holly, Interim Director, Wheat Foods Council

It’s that time of year again when the focus is on Mom. The Wheat Foods Council has recently completed a newsprint feature with ideas for a Mother’s Day brunch. Included in the ideas are recipes from our own website and our 35th anniversary cookbook. Some highlights include:

• Spiced Granola pancakes use applesauce as a healthier substitution for fat in this recipe.
• Burrito Bites are a simple appetizer that is easy for kids to assemble. No cooking is required!
• Preparation of the Angel Sherbet Cake is even easier if you purchase a store-bought angel food cake.
• Wheat Berry Tuna Salad is a tasty way to enjoy wheat berries. With all the ingredients in this salad, it can be your entrée.
• Round out the rest of the brunch with one or two favorite salads, side dishes and some fresh fruit.

How will you be celebrating Mother’s Day this year?

Submitted by: Lynn Holly, Interim Director, Wheat Foods Council

Earlier this week, CNN and Health.com reported that white bread, rice, and other carbs – foods with high glycemic loads – boost heart disease risk in women.  The study determined that women who consume diets with a high Glycemic Load are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease than women who eat less of those foods.

We understand the importance of this study, but want to address the critical factors that need to be considered before foods that rate high on the Glycemic Index and enriched grains specifically, are portrayed in a negative light.  Carol Pratt, R.D., nutrition counsel for the Wheat Foods Council, analyzed the study and provides the following insights for  your consideration.

• While this study does point out the high GL participants were consuming, it fails to detail which food groups provided these carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, enriched grain products, etc.).  Contributing to the high GL, there was excessive consumption of not only carbohydrates, but also calories in this group most at risk for Cardiovascular Heart Disease (CHD).  Women in this quartile consumed approximately 335 grams of carbohydrates per day and 2,300 calories, or 22 servings of carbohydrates (assuming 15 g/serving) or 1,340 calories from carbohydrates.  The U.S. Dietary Guidelines 2005 recommended calorie intake for women 50 y with a BMI of 26 is approximately 1,500-1,800 with 50% of those calories from carbohydrates (750-900).  Women in the highest quartile were exceeding their calorie needs by 27-53%.  Women in the lowest quartile consumed more recommended amounts of carbohydrates (230 g), but still higher calories than recommended (2,200).
• Not only were the highest quartile women over-consuming carbohydrates and calories, they were the most physically inactive (46%).  Doesn’t inactivity play a role in CHD?  The main source of high GL foods contained starch (+72.5% over the first quartile), not sugar (+12.5%) or fiber (+30%) containing food.  As mentioned earlier, we don’t know the high GL food group sources.�
• At the same time, total fat and saturated fat levels were 74 and 72% lower in the highest quartile women compared to the lowest quartile.  There may be some reason for the highest quartile of GL women to be overcompensating for their reduction in fat with carbohydrates, and from mostly starchy sources.  Is this cultural?  Were the same data found in each of the five Italian centers?  Does the disproportionate consumption of carbohydrates to other macronutrients (protein and fat) predispose CHD?

The Wheat Foods Council emphasizes the importance of a varied, balanced diet with moderate serving sizes that includes many complex carbohydrates, high fiber foods including whole-grains, as well as, fruits, vegetables, lean meat and low fat milk products.

Please feel free to post your comments on this study to our Grain Talk blog.

Submitted by: Carol Pratt, RS, MD, Nutrition consultant for the Wheat Foods Council

Another recently released study concludes that high glycemic index foods such as bread, white rice and pizza, have an increased risk of coronary heart disease in women but not in men.

The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a carbohydrate enters the bloodstream thus increasing sugar levels. When a single food is eaten, the GI can be measured simply and it reflects increased blood sugar levels. However, most foods are eaten with other foods, which changes the GI. This particular study points to a possible link between high glycemic load  (GL) and heart disease; that is, the amount of available carbohydrates in the diet that can be converted to glucose for energy and other uses. This amount more accurately reflects the amount of glucose that is available to increase blood sugar levels and may pose a higher risk of heart disease.

This study covered nearly 48,000 Italian adults over the course of eight years. It found that among the 25% of the women whose diet had the highest glycemic load or ate the most carbs had 2.24 times the risk of heart disease compared to the 25% with the lowest glycemic load or those women who ate the least amount of carbs. This was not true for men and it is suggested from this study that men may metabolize carbs, fat and sugars differently in comparison with women.

This study does not address any additional foods that were eaten in conjunction with the carbohydrates. Were there high fat cheeses, butter, dressings or cream sauces served? Those foods would certainly affect the GI. Eating at different times of day also affect GI and GL. There may also be a trend for certain individuals who eat mainly enriched, non-whole grain, mostly simple carbohydrate foods and who eat less fruit, vegetables and whole-grain foods to have higher rates of heart disease. In this study, the women appeared to fall into this category. What it does not address is that heart disease is a multi-faceted disease and these study details needs to be further examined.

The Wheat Foods Council wants to stress that it is very important to have a varied and balanced diet with moderate serving sizes that include many complex carbohydrates, high-fiber foods including whole grains, as well as fruits, vegetables, lean meat and low-fat dairy products. Enriched grain products, as well as whole-grain, have unique nutritional benefits to the diet and as with all foods, need to be eaten in moderation.

Submitted by: Lynn Holly, Interim Director, Wheat Foods Council