Blog Site Discontinued June 23, 2017

Welcome. This blog site, healthy eating and food safety, has been discontinued as of June 23, 2017. I look forward to your comments and feedback regarding use of this tool to disseminate educational information.

Monday, October 17, 2016

Purchasing Pre-Packeaged Grain Mixes


Purchasing Pre-Packaged Grain Mixes
There never seems to be enough time. While the MyPlate recommends three servings of whole grains per day, it can be a challenge to cook grains that take several hours. Grain mixes are an alternative. Here are some tips when purchasing grain mixes.

Check the Nutrition Facts label to determine the amount of sodium in the product. Many of these products are high in sodium. Some of these products can provide nearly half of your daily sodium recommendation in a one-cup serving. (Recommended daily intake of sodium is 2,300 milligrams if under the age of 51 and 1,500 milligrams if 51 years of age or older.)


Add vegetables such as broccoli, peppers, and carrots to these mixes to increase nutritional value.

Check the ingredient list to be sure that a whole grain is listed first. Also look for the Whole


Grain Stamp from the Whole Grains Council. There are two different varieties of the Whole 
Grain Stamp, the 100% Stamp and the Basic Stamp.

Stamps100Basic.jpg
    * If a product bears the 100% Stamp (shown on left), then all its grain ingredients are whole grains. There is a minimum requirement of 16g (16 grams) – a full serving – of whole grain per labeled serving, for products using the 100% Stamp.
    * If a product bears the Basic Stamp (shown on right), it contains at least 8g (8 grams) – a half serving – of whole grain, but may also contain some refined grain. Even if a product contains large amounts of whole grain (23g, 37g, 41g, etc.), it will use the Basic Stamp if it also contains extra bran, germ, or refined flour.    
     

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