WHAT'S THE STORY ON WHOLE GRAINS?
Newly revised USDA dietary guidelines recommend three or more servings daily of whole grains to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, and digestive and hormone related cancers.

FACT!
Whole grains are foods that include all parts of the grain seed-the bran, the germ and endosperm, such as whole or cracked wheat, corn, brown and colored rices, oatmeal, barley, quinoa and more. Refined grains, with no bran or germ, are missing many key nutrients.

THAT'S A LOT OF BENEFIT, BUT HOW DO PEOPLE RECOGNIZE A WHOLE GRAIN WHEN THEY SEE ONE?
It's a snap with the Whole Grains Council Stamp that's right on the front of Frontier Soups' NEW packages. Soon you'll be seeing the stamp on qualified products in grocery stores everywhere.

This stamp reassures people that products are authentic whole grains. The stamp rates them as GOOD (half a serving = 8 grams) or EXCELLENT (a full serving= 16 grams) sources of whole grain.

HOW MUCH WHOLE GRAINS SHOULD PEOPLE EAT?
The recommended daily consumption of whole grains is three or more servings (48 grams of whole grain). A bowl of whole grain soup like Frontier Soups' Montana High Plains Wheat Berry Chili has over 31 grams per serving. Add a slice or two of whole wheat bread and you have filled your daily requirement of whole grains!

WHAT'S IN WHOLE GRAIN FOODS?
One of the most important things in whole grain is fiber. It's fiber that has proven so essential for good intestinal health and lower cholesterol levels. Toxins in the body increase and stay in the body when we don't eat foods with enough fiber. This can lead to fatigue and the potential for disease. Whole grains also contain antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and protein that keep our bodies healthy, operating efficiently and increase our strength.

HOW DOES SOUP BECOME A WHOLE GRAIN FOOD?
The 100% whole grain ingredients in Frontier Soups are the key. The soup mixes contain whole wheat pasta, wild and brown rice grains, cracked wheat (bulgur) and wheat berries (the real whole grain that ground wheat comes from).

WHOLE GRAINS DEFINED
Whole grains are cereal grains which retain the bran and germ as well as the endosperm, in contrast to refined grains which retain only the endosperm. Whole meal products are made from whole grain flour.

Common whole grain products include many breakfast cereals, oatmeal, popcorn, brown rice, whole wheat flour, sprouted grains and whole wheat bread. Common refined grain products include white rice, white bread, hominy and pasta (although whole-grain varieties of pasta are available in natural-food sections of stores).

Whole grains are often more expensive than refined grains because their higher oil content is susceptible to rancidification, complicating processing, storage, and transport.

HEALTH BENEFITS
Whole grains are believed to be nutritionally superior to refined grains, richer in dietary fiber, antioxidants, protein (and in particular the amino acid lysine), dietary minerals (including magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and selenium), and vitamins (including niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E). Manufacturers are sometimes required by law to fortify refined grain products to make up for the loss of vitamins and minerals.

The greater amount of dietary fiber, as much as four times that found in refined grains, is likely the most important benefit, as it has been shown to reduce the incidence of some forms of cancer, digestive system diseases, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Some of these protective effects occur because carbohydrates from whole grains are digested and enter the bloodstream more slowly (as measured by the glycemic index).

LABELS
If a label just says "wheat" it may or may not be whole grain. But if you look for the term "Whole Wheat" or "Whole Grain", you insure that it is whole grain. But looking for these alone only ensures that it is PART whole wheat, which means some white flour may or may not be in there too. To ensure that the flour in a product is 100% whole grain, look for these common items: "enriched flour", "Unbleached flour", or "white flour". If none of these are on there, then it is 100% whole grain.

If the label says "100% whole grain" then you can be sure that it is entirely whole grain (and you don't need to look up the ingredients). Just recently though the Whole Grains Council has been issuing these stamps to any company which wishes to use them.
Here is what they mean:
GOOD - This stamp indicates 8-15 grams of whole grain.
EXCELLENT - This stamp indicates 16 or more grams of whole grain.
100% EXCELLENT - This stamp indicates 16 or more grams of whole grain and 100% whole grain, no white wheat.

When searching for Whole Grain Foods, it is best to look for these labels.

Click here for the whole grain soups from Frontier Soups.

Click the links below for additional information on whole grain foods.

Whole Grains Council

Wheat Foods Council

My Food Pyramid

Source: Frontier Soups and Wikipedia
Wikipedia text used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License