Whole Grain vs Whole Wheat - What's The Difference?
It's a fact that whole grain foods are much better for you than whole wheat foods.
Whole wheat products, generally speaking, are made from whole wheat flour that has had the outer hull taken out. (That's where all the healthy fiber and nutrients are located.)
Whole grains reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer, so it behooves us to understand how to tell the difference between products that contain whole grains and products that are simply made from whole wheat flour.
Eating whole-grain foods in place of refined-grain foods can trim your waistline, lower your risk of heart disease and provide more fiber, antioxidants, protein, minerals (including magnesium, manganese, phosphorous and selenium) and vitamins (including niacin, B6 and E. Source
That said, with all the different multi-grain, and whole wheat products available, discovering if the product you're eating is whole grain or not can be difficult.
Following are a few ways to determine if a product is truly whole grain or not...
4 Ways To Tell: Whole Grain vs Whole Wheat
#1 If the words "whole grain" are in the first or second spot on the ingredients list, then the product is most likely a whole grain product and a good choice to add to your healthy diet.
#2 Look for the FDA's approved health claim, "In a low fat diet, whole grain foods may reduce the risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer." This claim only goes on products that are truly whole grain.
#3 Pay attention to the number of grams of fiber and sugar in the product. A product that has a high amount of sugar is going to have less fiber. Whole grain products that have between 6-10 grams of fiber are "good" whole grain products. Those with 16 grams or more of fiber are "excellent" whole grain products. As to the sugar, you really don't want more than 2 grams of sugar per serving.
#4 Make sure there is something on the labeling that says made with 100% whole grains. Also, make sure the whole grains are listed on the label one by one. Otherwise, you're probably dealing with a product that is made from refined (white) flour rather than whole grains.
If you see the word “enriched” or “wheat flour” do not purchase. Wheat flour is another name for white flour! Do NOT be fooled by the words on the package—it’s just advertising! Beware of breads labeled as “7-grain” or “multigrain” as these may or may not be true whole grains; it could just be a marketing ploy. The only way to know for sure is to read the ingredients label. Source
Keeping these tips in mind when you're shopping for whole grain products will go a long way towards making sure you aren't just buying products that are made from ingredients that are whole wheat as opposed to whole grains.
Again, products with whole grains use the entire grain kernel. There is no refining, as there is with whole wheat. The higher the fiber content of a whole grain product and the lower the sugar content the better. As the old saying goes, "Knowing is half the battle!"
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