3 Ways to Make Smarter Food Choices
By Bob Greene
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.
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.
Published 01/01/2006