Your next challenge will last for more than a day, and will likely take some preparation... Your challenge, it to try to commit to one week of eating whole grains- in other words -No White Flour-
For wheat flour, this means 100% whole wheat flour (no "unbleached," no "enriched.") You will need to read labels very carefully. Many foods that say "Whole Grain," or even "Whole Wheat," include whole wheat flour but also contain "enriched flour," which is white flour. If you think your family will resist, you can buy White Whole Wheat flour. As long as the label still says only "Whole Wheat Flour," it is whole wheat, it is just made from a different variety of wheat that is lighter in color.
For bread, you will need to read labels VERY carefully. If you kids are unfamiliar with whole wheat bread, I recommend Sara Lee 100% Soft and Smooth Whole Wheat (there are several varieties of Sara Lee that are either not all whole wheat or are not "soft").
It looks like this:
My other recommendations would be Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins or Pepperidge Farm 100% Whole Wheat Goldfish Bread.
For pasta, this means buying pasta that only lists whole wheat flour (or trying a pasta made with a grain other than wheat). Wal-Mart sells whole wheat pasta for $1.00 that is light tasting and lighter in color.
For rice, this means brown rice. Many of the quick cook varieties are still quite light tasting.
If you commit to a week of whole grain, you will likely need to look at your kid's snacks. Many common snacks like goldfish crackers and pretzels are made entirely from white flour. Many cereals, even those boasting, "Whole Grain," still have quite a bit of white flour.
Why should you try a week of all whole grain? There are many health reasons for eating whole grain, but one reason you may not hear about as often is how different it may make you feel. White flour quickly turns to glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream. The result is a sugar "high," and then a sugar "crash," and soon afterwards a feeling of not being full and needing to eat again (likely craving more white flour or sugar). If you've even felt like taking a nap after a meal of pancakes or a big bowl of pasta, you know the feeling.
Whole grains are metabolized more slowly resulting in more balanced blood sugar, no "high," no "crash," and a feeling of being full longer.
What will be the hardest part for your family when it comes to committing to whole grains for a week?
Ahhh! I'm falling behind. Will post soon, but this we already do. In fact two weeks ago I accidentally grabbed regular spaghetti noodles and my son noticed it right away. Thank you for the prayers Julie. It is tough right now, but I have faith God will see us through. Blessings! =)
ReplyDeleteNo Worries Lynda... you need to do it on your time, it certainly shouldn't be something that causes you extra stress or strain. I've had trouble keeping up myself and I'm not dealing with half of what you are!!
ReplyDeleteWhen we first started with whole grain my husband helped to keep me on track. Sometimes I would buy regular pasta because it was on sale, or I found an interesting noodle. About an hour after dinner, my husband would say, "Was that white pasta??!!" He didn't notice the taste or color, but he definitely noticed how he felt. I finally realized that it just wasn't worth it to have white flour.
We do a lot of whole wheat but it's difficult for my husband. He keeps reminding me that the recommendation is (is it different now?) says "Make half your grains whole". I buy both kinds of pasta and mix them. I use my bread machine to make white wheat bread. The kids and I could do all whole grain but we are slowly converting my husband!
ReplyDeleteHa! Funny how the husbands can be the hardest to convert! This is one area where my husband has no problem eating well because he is so aware of how different he feels when he has white flour. Every time he has pizza (with white flour) he ends up regretting it! When it comes to snacking though, he is always asking me if I can get some "real snacks," for him. I play dumb and ask him what those would be :)
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