AgriCultured

Where people who eat get their food questions answered

May 1, 2013
by Marybeth
1 Comment

Whole Grain Bread

Now that we know what whole grains are, it’s a little easier to look for (and find!) them on food labels. But the labels on some foods can be a little tough to decipher. And, unfortunately, it often comes down to flipping the package over to look at the ingredient list. Let’s look at breads, shall we?

I chose a brand that is sold locally here in the Midwest, but the general principles will be the same for any brand of bread you prefer to purchase.

Aunt Millies whole wheat bread

Continue Reading →

April 24, 2013
by Marybeth
0 comments

Brown, white, and converted rice

The very short answer is that brown rice is a whole grain and white rice is not. But that doesn’t quite answer the whole question. And there’s another type of “white” rice that many people eat, but may not realize it – converted (or parboiled) rice.

uncooked rice

In the above photo, brown rice is in the bottom left corner; white rice is in the bottom right corner; and converted (parboiled) rice is on the top.

Continue Reading →

April 18, 2013
by Marybeth
2 Comments

What is a whole grain?

We’ve heard the term “whole grain” for a while now. It’s popping up on food labels all over the grocery store. The USDA recommends that at least half of the grains we eat should be whole grains. But what the heck is a whole grain in the first place?

Grain anatomy

All grains start out their lives as whole grains. When they are harvested, grains have four layers.

  1. Husk. The husk is the outer protective coating of each individual grain. It helps protect the nutritious grain inside against pests and weather. It is inedible, and is stripped away in the initial processing.
  2. Bran. The bran is another protective coating around the grain. It is high in fiber, antioxidants, and B vitamins. Think of the bran like the skin on an apple or a potato. (Or any other fruit or veggie that has an edible skin.)
  3. Germ. This is the inner-most part of the grain. The germ is the part that has the potential to become a new plant, if the grain is planted in the ground next year. (All grains are seeds.) The germ is high in B vitamins, protein, minerals, and healthy fats.
  4. Endosperm. This is also called the kernel. The kernel is the largest part of the grain. If the grain is being used as a seed, the kernel acts as the first food source for the germ, so the brand-new plant has enough energy to put out roots to get more nutrients and the first shoots to get energy from the sun. The kernel is rich in carbohydrates, and has lower levels of proteins and some vitamins and minerals.

grain anatomy

Image from the Whole Grains Council.

Continue Reading →

February 27, 2013
by Marybeth
2 Comments

Cholesterol and fats

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a type of fat. The fats we looked at last time (saturated and unsaturated) come in straight chains. In your body, these fats join together in groups of three to form triglycerides. Cholesterol has a different structure, and is called a sterol.

Saturated and unsaturated fats Cholesterol
saturated and unsaturated fat cholesterol

All fats, including cholesterol, are important in our bodies. Our bodies can make most of these fats that we need, but we also get some from our diet. We can’t make the polyunsaturated fats, omega-3 and omega-6, so these need to come from our food. Fats are important for our energy, our brains, our skin, and the health of our cells. Cholesterol is actually one of the main ingredients that goes into making Vitamin D and hormones like estrogen and testosterone.

Continue Reading →