Grains based foods (pasta, bread, cereals) are very versatile and highly regarded by nutrition professionals because they are rich in nutrients. Whole grains are high in fibre and may help to lower blood cholesterol and maintain bowel regularity. They contain vitamin E and important trace materials like copper and zinc. For years, these foods were considered the ugly ducklings of nutrition. Thought to be fattening with little nutritional value, they were avoided in misguided attempts to control weight. Now scientific agreement among qualified nutrition experts points to increasing our consumption of grains based foods and reaping significant health benefits. For example, a standard serving of cooked pasta (125 mL - ½ cup) contains a mere 99 calories, less than have a gram of fat and less than 5 milligrams of sodium. Pasta is high in complex carbohydrates and provides a "time release" of energy. For more nutrition facts and advice consult: Healthy Servings - Fitting pasta into your daily diet Pasta Basics - A kernel of durum wheat Health Information Glossary Folic Acid A Grain of Truth - Avoiding myths and the food fad grab-bag Healthy Servings - Fitting Pasta into Your Daily Diet The amount of food you need every day depends on your age, body size, activity level, whether you are male or female, and if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. That's why the guidelines in Canada's Food Guide give a lower and high number of servings for each food group. These guidelines suggest 5-12 servings of pasta and other grain products as excellent food choices that will contribute towards a healthy and well-balanced diet. Young children chan choose the lower number of servings, while male teenagers can go to the higher number. Most other people can choose servings somewhere in between. The real question for everyone is "how big is a serving"? One of the challenges to following the Food Guide is determining what makes up a serving. For example, if you eat a small plate of pasta (one cup), you might think that it is one serving of grain products. According to the Food Guide, however, it is two servings, since one serving of pasta equals half a cup. As you become familiar with the Guide, you'll be able to estimate the number of servings in a meal without measuring. Here are some helpful guidelines: A large plate of plain pasta counts as three servings of Grain Products. A cup (250 mL) of cooked pasta is two servings. A serving of Fruit or Vegetables is about the size of a tennis ball. 100 g (3 oz) of meat, fish or poultry is one serving and resembles a deck of cards. 50 g of grated cheese is about the size of an adult's thumb and equals one serving of Milk Products. Pasta Basics - A Kernel of Durum Wheat The Kernel - Sometimes called the wheat berry, the kernel is the seed from which the durum wheat plant grows. Each tiny seed contains three distinct parts that are separated during the milling process to produce semolina flour. Endosperm - About 83 percent of the kernel weight and the source of semolina. The endosperm contains the greatest share of protein, carbohydrates and iron, as well as the major B-vitamins, such as riboflavin, niacin and thiamine. It is also a source of soluble fibre. Bran - About 14 percent of the kernel weight. Bran is included in the whole wheat flour. The bran contains a small amount of protein, large quantities of the three major B-vitamins, trace minerals, and dietary fibre - primarily insoluble. Germ - The germ is the embryo or sprouting section of the seed, often separated from flour in milling because the fat content (10 percent) limits flour's shelf-life. The germ contains minimal quantities of high quality protein and a greater share of B-complex vitamins and trace minerals. Health Information Glossary Bran - The outer coating of the wheat kernel. Calorie - The energy value of food. Protein and carbohydrates have the same energy value weight for weight, about four calories per gram. Fat has nine calories per gram. Carbohydrates - A compound chain of glucose (sugar). Simple carbohydrates are sugars such as white sugar, honey and molasses and complex carbohydrates are primarily starches like pasta. Cardiovascular disease - The group of diseases that limit or restrict the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. Cereal - Any edible grain that comes from certain grasses, such as wheat. Diet - The foods a person usually eats; food considered in terms of its qualities, composition and effect on health. Dietary Fibre - Indigestible material. Insoluble fibre, found in wheat ban and whole grains, passes through the digestive system quickly. This promotes regularity and helps reduce the risk of colon irregularities or diverticulosis, a type of colon disease. Research shows foods containing insoluble fibre may also help reduce the risk of colon and breast cancer when part of a low-fat diet. Soluble fibre is found in pasta. Studies indicate foods containing soluble fibre may help decrease cholesterol levels, help reduce the risk of heart disease and help control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Endosperm - The substance within a seed that nourishes a plant embryo. The part of the wheat kernel that provides gluten. Enrichment - The addition of specific amounts of iron, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin and folic acid to flour in amounts equal to, or exceeding, what is naturally found in whole wheat flour. Fat - Fatty acids are essential in moderation for good health. Examples are: lard, vegetable oils and shortenings, butter and margarine. Germ - The embryo of the wheat kernel that will develop into a wheat plant. Gram - The unit of weight in the metric system. A paper clip weighs about one gram. Gluten - A protein substance left in the endosperm after the starch has been removed. Mineral - A natural substance that is neither plant nor animal and has a definite physical and chemical make-up, such as iron. Minerals occur naturally in food and are necessary for good health. Nutrient - Food nutrients are the same substances found to make up living tissues - proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water. Protein - One of the substances containing nitrogen necessary for tissue growth and maintenance of the cells of animals and plants. Protein is made of amino acids. Serving Size - Canada's Food Guide recommends 5-12 servings of grain products per day, depending on a person's personal activity level. 250 mL (one cup) of cooked pasta is 2 servings. Vitamin - Organic substances occurring naturally in plant and animal tissues; required for the normal growth and proper nourishment of the body. Folic Acid Since 1999, Health Canada has required pastacanada.com members to fortify our pasta with folic acid (also known as folate and folacin), an important B vitamin. Folic acid plays an important role in the body's central nervous system and may reduce a woman's risk of having a child with brain or spinal cord defects. As well, major studies point to folate and B6 playing an important role in metabolism and increasing intake above currently recommended levels may help women from developing coronary heart disease. A Grain of Truth Avoiding Myths and The Food Fad Grab-bag It is too easy to become thoroughly confused as to what information one can believe. Pastacanada.com recommends turning to the Consumers Health Digest for information on health scams and health-related frauds, myths, fads and fallacies. Protect yourself from the food fad grab-bag of simplistic ideas that usually are based on minimal research but enjoy maximum media exposure. A coalition of food and nutrition scientists have identified diet and nutrition recommendations to avoid. Beware of any diet, food plan, product or service that has any of these dubious characteristics: - Recommendations that promise a quick fix. - Dire warnings of dangers from a single product or regimen. - Claims that sound too good to be true. - Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex study. - Recommendations based on a single study. - Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organizations. - Lists of "good" and "bad" foods. - Recommendations made to help sell a product. - Recommendations based on studies published without being formally reviewed by others knowledgeable in the same field. - Recommendations from studies that ignore the differences among individuals or groups. (Source: Food & Nutrition Science Alliance, 1995)

Wednesday June 29, 2005