Comments on: Intact Grains vs. Whole Grains

By: Darya Pino

Darya Pino — Thu, 19 May 2011 21:34:23 +0000

The germ is just a fraction of a wheat grain (excluding the bran and the endosperm), so it is neither whole nor intact. Also, quinoa is technically a seed and not a grain.

http://summertomato.com/quinoa-did-you-know/

By: Fred

Fred — Thu, 19 May 2011 20:56:17 +0000

I’m surprised that you didn’t mention wheat germ or quinoa in this post. Both seem to be healthy grain based foods that I’m now learning about.

By: Darya Pino

Darya Pino — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:59:30 +0000

Ha, great question. I definitely think popcorn is a gray area–it isn’t exactly intact after it explodes. I don’t eat it often, but think it’s a good snack alternative to chips, fries, pretzels, etc. I make my own, add (real) butter, salt and whatever spices sound interesting. Truffle salt is awesome

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:30:39 +0000

Hi Darya,
What is your opinion on popcorn (homemade with just a little sea salt) as a snack…is popcorn considered an intact grain? If the obvious answer is yes, I apologize for the silly question lol I just never see it mentioned and I’m having a hard time separating what I eat into intact vs whole grain catagories. Thanks once again!

By: Darya Pino

Darya Pino — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 05:57:56 +0000

Hi Francis, sorry I’m slow about this.

My point with this article is that if you’re eating healthy on a regular basis, you’re already getting plenty of fiber and the amount added by half a cup of pasta isn’t going to make any real difference. On the other hand, if you are eating enough pasta that the fiber does make a difference, you have way bigger problems to address. Does this make sense?

By: Darya Pino

Darya Pino — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:53:24 +0000

I’m not crazy about Fiber One, because it is still processed and essentially fake health food. It also has artificial sweeteners in it, which I prefer to avoid.

By: Ken Leebow

Ken Leebow — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:46:32 +0000

Just curious, what would you say about a cereal like Fiber One … from a health viewpoint?

Thanks for the good info. and I like the “diet camp” phrase. It does amaze me how the people defend their camps…even though there are many similarities to varied diets.

By: Darya Pino

Darya Pino — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 22:55:46 +0000

Thanks for chiming in YM. I’ve mentioned antinutrients briefly in my article on the Paleo diet http://summertomato.com/is-it-healthier-to-eat-like-a-caveman/

If it’s working for you that’s great, but I haven’t seen any evidence that soaking makes any real difference.

Have a great weekend

By: YM

YM — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:28:58 +0000

Hi Darya,

Thanks for the informative discussion. Have you done any research into some of claims of “anti-nutrients” present in whole grains that may be harmful to human health? There is some suggestion that grains/seeds/nuts should be soaked (in a slightly acidic solution) sprouted, or fermented prior to human consumption.

I have started soaking whole grains/seeds/nuts (oats, barley, quinoa, buckwheat, rice, legumes, almonds, pumpkin seeds etc) in water with a couple tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (or lemon juice) for 24 hours prior to using them for cooking or eating them and it *seems* to have made an improvement in my energy levels and digestion.

I know it’s just anectodal, but just sharing my experience and looking for some additional input. Thanks again.

By: FrancisA

FrancisA — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:35:59 +0000

Thank you for the article. I do have a question though. I understand that if you have the choice you should go for the intact grains over whole wheat flour products. It seems to me, however, that you should still choose whole wheat flour products over white flour products given that they have more fiber. When I look at the nutritional information on whole wheat pasta vs. regular pasta, or whole wheat bread vs. regular bread, there is at least double the fiber in the former. That, to me, seems like enough of a difference to continue to encourage people to opt for whole wheat flour over other flour products.