Putting a Healthy Whole In Your Diet

What's a serving? Here's where it can get tricky, because of differences in moisture, ingredients and formulations of various foods. So a slice of whole-wheat bread equals a one-ounce serving, as does one whole-wheat mini-bagel, one small whole-corn tortilla or one whole-buckwheat pancake (about 4.5 inches in diameter). Half a whole-wheat English muffin is also a serving, as is half a cup of cooked oatmeal or whole-wheat pasta. (Find a complete list of one-ounce equivalents at http://www.mypyramid.gov . Click on "Inside the pyramid," then on "grains" then on "What's a one-ounce serving?") Or find examples at http://www.washingtonpost.com/leanplateclub.com .

Three a day . That's the amount of whole-grain servings recommended for adults eating 1,600 to 2,000 calories per day. If you regularly consume fewer calories, you need about two servings; if you eat more, you'll need about four. A cup of cooked oatmeal has two servings of whole grains. A third could come from three cups of popcorn, five Triscuits or two rye crispbreads.

Fiber and whole grains are not the same . They're both measured in grams and they're often found in the same foods, but they're not interchangeable. So if you eat one cup of 100 percent bran cereal for breakfast, that's a smart high-fiber choice, but it's not a whole grain. As a result of the new definition, expect to see some manufacturers tout grams of whole grains on their products. For 100 percent whole-wheat bread, 16 grams would be considered an ounce equivalent, so a product that promises two grams per slice doesn't have many whole grains.

Foods that can fool you. Degerminated corn is not a whole grain, which means most corn bread is not whole-grain. Neither is pearled barley or wheat flour or many items labeled multigrain, cracked wheat and seven-grain. And unless your pizza dough is made entirely with whole-wheat flour, it's not whole-grain, either.

Look for help from "whole grain stamps." They're issued by the Whole Grains Council, a consortium of industry, scientists and chefs. The golden stamps now are on more than 600 products. Learn more at http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org .

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