Bread, Cereal, and Grains

Bread, Cereal, and Grains Grain products are foods made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or any other grains. According to MyPyramid and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, school-age youth need Check your $-saving skills: about 5 to 7 ounces of grains a day; adults need 6 to 8 ounces. 1. Which words below indicate that In general, a 1-ounce equivalent is: the labeled product is a whole grain? • wheat flour • wheat bread 1 slice of bread ½ of an English muffin • multi-grain • whole wheat flour 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal 1 4½-inch pancake • seven grain • 100% whole wheat 1 6-inch tortilla 7 square or round saltines or snack crackers • unbleached • cracked wheat ½ cup of cooked rice, cooked wheat flour pasta, or cooked cereal Whole grain kernel Bran 2. What’s the smart buy? “Outer shell” protects seed a. Cheerios, $2.69 for 8.9 ounces The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend Fiber, B vitamins, trace minerals b. Honey Nut Cheerios, half of our servings be whole grains—a task few $4.19 for 14 ounces Americans achieve. Whole grains have been shown Endosperm Provides energy c. Store brand Honey O’s, to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and Carbohydrates, protein $2.19 for 12 ounces diabetes. Whole grain foods include all parts of the grain —germ, bran, and endosperm. Refined grains Germ 3. What’s the smart buy? Nourishment for the seed contain just the starchy center (endosperm). Antioxidants, vitamin E, a. Store brand quick oatmeal, $.99 B vitamins for 18 ounces (36 ½-cup servings) b. Name brand oatmeal packets, $3.19 for 12 individual servings Spend Smart strategies for BREAD c. Breakfast Bar, $3.46 for 10 bars Look for whole grain 4. What is the better buy? Whole grain products may cost a few cents more but the added nutritional value makes a. Store brand “Complete Pancake/ them a smart buy. Use these clues to make sure you get the whole grain you pay for. Waffle Mix,” $1.75 for 2-pound box • Choose products with whole grain listed as the first in the ingredient: b. Store brand “Old Fashioned whole wheat, whole rye, whole grain corn, whole oats, graham flour, oatmeal, Pancakes,” $1.75 for 2-pound box brown rice, bulgur, wild rice. (requires egg, oil, and milk) c. Name brand “Complete Pancake • Don’t be fooled by color. Caramel coloring may be added to give Mix,” $2.59 for 2-pound box some bread products the appearance of being whole grain. • Read the Nutrition Facts label. Whole grain products 5. What is the smart buy? generally have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving. a. Cafe bagel (4.5-ounce) for $.99 b. Bakery bagel (4-ounce) for $.79 Be patient and experiment c. One-pound package of 6 frozen If your family prefers or currently eats refined bread and crackers, start with products bagels for $1.57 that list both whole wheat and enriched flour but make sure whole wheat is first in the ingredient list. (Answers on next page) Consider shopping at a day-old bread store No endorsement of mentioned products or firms is If you find one that is conveniently located, check the prices and stock up if you have intended nor is criticism implied of those not mentioned. freezer space. Prices can be at least one-third to one-half less than the grocery store. All prices in this publication were collected in central Protect your investment – store and use bread wisely Iowa, Fall 2008. Although prices vary depending on • Store bread you will use soon in an airtight container at room temperature. date and location, the comparative differences generally Freeze the rest in airtight, freezer-suitable packaging and use within 6 months. follow a similar pattern. (Do not refrigerate; refrigerator temperatures draw moisture out of bread so it becomes stale more quickly.) • Use nearly-stale bread for French toast, stuffing, bread crumbs, or croutons. PM 2066ex January 2009 Answers: Check your $-saving skills Spend Smart strategies for GRAINS 1. Whole wheat flour and 100% whole wheat As you look at the chart, consider Less than $.10 per ounce $ • Whole grain choices are available in 2. Store brand Honey O’s Frozen bread dough loaves each cost category. Baking mix 3. Store brand quick oatmeal Pancake mix • Sugar-coated cereals and those with 4. Store brand complete pancake mix Brown rice* fancy flavors and shapes usually cost more and are less nutritious than plain forms. 5. Frozen bagels are $.26 each or $.10 White rice per ounce Popcorn, bag* • Instant hot cereals in individual serving Wheat bread packets may cost more than three times as Macaroni much as the same cereals in larger boxes. Visit these Web sites for more ideas Whole wheat bread* • Store-baked products and information Oatmeal, store brand* (such as cakes, muffins, ISU Extension SpendSmart EatSmart Muffin mix biscuits, and cookies) www.extension.iastate.edu/ usually cost more than foodsavings $ $.10 to $.20 per ounce purchasing and making from a mix. $ Brown and serve rolls ISU AnswerLine Rotini, colored www.extension.iastate.edu/ Ideas answerline Frozen biscuits • Try the store brand. Do a blind taste (or, call 1-800-262-3804) Saltines test to see if your family can really tell the Instant white rice difference. They may be requesting foods ISU Extension Food, Nutrition because of the advertising or packaging. Instant brown rice* and Health www.extension.iastate.edu/ Oatmeal, name brand • You can cook many hot cereals in a healthnutrition Marshmallow treats cereal microwave oven for the same amount of time it would take to make an “instant” Oatmeal cookie mix* ISU Extension Distribution Center cereal. This “make your own” will be more Store brand honey and oat cereal* www.extension.iastate.edu/store nutritious and less costly. If your family likes Bakery cookies the flavor and convenience of the instant MyPyramid oatmeal packets, add sugar, dried fruit or $ $.20 to $.30 per ounce cinnamon to the oatmeal and store in an www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/ $ Flour tortilla airtight container. Check package label for grains.html Frozen Texas toast microwave cooking directions. $ Fruit and nut cereal Prepared by Peggy Martin, MS, RD, state EFNEP • Prepare rice and noodle side dishes with coordinator; Susan Uthoff, extension nutrition and Store brand wheat your own seasonings. Mixes don’t save health field specialist; Diane Nelson, extension crackers much time because the cooking time is communication specialist; and Jane Lenahan, Ciabatta bread the same for homemade and mixes. graphic designer. Reviewed by Ruth Litchfield, PhD, RD, LD extension nutritionist and Name brand oatmeal, Catherine Strohbehn, PhD, RD, CP-FS, HRIM individual packets* • Consider popcorn for a whole grain snack. extension specialist. Compared to other snack foods, it is low in Rice side dish mix calories, high in fiber, and is a bargain— … and justice for all The U.S. Department of Agricul- ture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs Name brand popcorn, microwave* if you use a hot-air popper and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual Name brand honey and nut oat or a pan on the stove. orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohib- cereal in a box A half cup of kernels ited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can makes about 8 cups be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. Name brand wheat crackers* To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of popcorn. of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Store brand croutons Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914 in co- operation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Jack M. Payne, director, Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa *Whole grain items (in purple) are available State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa. in each price range. File: FN 6.

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