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Smarter choices...better results. Bob Greene shares his ideas for what to choose instead.

You reach for multigrain bread or cereal.
Foods labeled 7-grain or multigrain may seem like the healthiest choices—especially with new findings showing that a diet rich in whole grains protects against heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses. Unfortunately, many foods are only posing as rich in whole grains. "Take a closer look at the labels and you may find there's not a single whole grain in them," says Cynthia Harriman, director of food and nutrition strategies for the Whole Grains Council, a nonprofit consumer group in Boston.

Smarter Move: Learn the lingo of food claims. Bread that's 100 percent whole grain means just that— it contains no refined flour. Cereal that's made with whole grain may have a little or a lot. To be sure you're getting the grains you want, check the ingredients panel. Whole grains should be the first or second ingredient listed.