I recently watched an excellent video by Plant Chompers where he comes to the conclusion that “whole grain” labels on food are extremely misleading. This is something I have known to some extent but I didn’t realize how problematic the legal use of the term is.
In the U.S., almost all product labeled whole grain are composed of processed whole grains. These grains are separated into parts (bran, germ, etc.) then reconstituted into the product where it is then labeled “whole grain.” The main issue here being, that only 51% of this final product needs to whole grain. This means that up to 49% of the product can be white flour. When I learned this, it suddenly made sense why whole grain flour seems to have a near equal effect on blood sugar spikes compared to white flour.
As a lover of whole wheat flour, pasta, and many other whole grain products… I am super bummed. Is there something I am missing here? I am not an expert and would love more input. I am currently thinking of abandoning many of my whole grain grocery store staples and replacing them with ancient grains like kamut. Might even buy an electric mill.
Plant chompers video link:
https://youtu.be/ADGWIKG4RVQ
Dining and Cooking