There is a huge difference between a complex carbohydrate and a processed carbohydrate or a simple sugar. Not familiar with whole grains? Some examples are: brown rice, quinoa, and millet. Sometimes cracked grains are included in healthy diets as well, but limit the cracked grains to once a day or every other day if you are trying to lose weight.

Still scared of carbs? Know that there is evidence that the thinnest people in the world eat a diet that is high in carbohydrates. Limit bread or a tortilla to a couple of slices two times a week. Bread is actually a cracked grain, even if it says “whole grain” on the package.

Whole Grains on Food Labels

When trying to select foods with whole grains, choose foods that name one of the following whole-grain ingredients first on the label’s ingredient list:

• Brown rice
• Bulgur
• Oatmeal
• Whole-grain corn
• Whole oats
• Whole rye
• Whole wheat
• Wild rice

Foods labeled with the words “multi-grain,” “stone-ground,” “100% wheat,” “cracked wheat,” “seven-grain,” or “bran” are usually

NOT whole-grain products

Color is not an indication of a whole grain. Bread can be brown because of molasses or other added ingredients. Read the ingredient list to see if it is a whole grain.

Use the Nutrition Facts label and choose products with a higher % Daily Value (%DV) for fiber. The “%DV” for fiber is a good clue to the amount of whole grain in the product. 5 grams or more fiber is optimal.

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