There’s Something Fishy Going On

There’s something fishy going on because the bag that holds these little gold fish clearly says “WHOLE GRAINS”. Really? What does a fish know about whole grains? And what do you know know about whole grains? Maybe less than you think. And trust me, it’s not your fault. It is one big confusing lie out there in the supermarket and in the processed food world.

(and another thing: Fish do not ride bicycles or wear helmets) Do we really need this kind of packaging on our food? The visual makes for a great cartoon show or a fun coloring book but please let’s stick to real pure and “naked” food when we are eating.  Here are the “naked” facts about whole grains, just so that you are clear that you are not getting your daily intake of whole grains when you eat this snack.

Here’s how it goes. If the first ingredient on your product contains the word “WHOLE”, it is likely but not guaranteed that the product is whole grain. If the word “grains” is on the label, but only the second ingredient has the word “whole”, it can contain as little as 1% whole grains or as much as 49%.  Now that is a bit confusing and misleading too.

For crying out loud!! Do you have to be a Nutritionist, Registered Dietician, Food Expert to nav your way through a supermarket?

Whole grain has the entire kernel of the grain from the bran to the endosperm to the germ. Whole wheat has the bran and germ removed during the refining process and is left containing only the endosperm. Unfortunately, the majority of vitamins and fiber are contained in the wheat bran and wheat germ that is shed during the refining process.

Whole wheat flour goes through a refining process that removes some of the nutritional values. In fact, whole wheat flour has half of the nutrients stripped away during the refining process. My mentor and guru, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, says the whole wheat bread is nothing but “white bread with a tan”.

What you are getting in your crackers is the following list of ingredients? UGH and EWW! I don’t have much else to say about it other than that. If you want some good snack ideas, give me a shout and I’ll give you some recipes that will keep your body healthy and sexy.

Sticking to a pure and “naked” snack, like a bowl of straight up OATS (totally whole grain) or brown rice, yummified with blueberries, flax, banana, chopped nuts! Now that’s what I call a stick to your bones, filling, satisfying and healthy snack and beats out the fishy fish anyday. You can even turn your whole grain oats into bars for a fabulous “naked” grab and go snack.